# Spinning-singles vs ply



## Cdambro

I am wondering how you decide whether to spin a single or spin and ply. Do you decide in advance to spin a single and do you spin it differently than if it is going to be a plied yarn? How do you treat the finished yarn if you keep your spin as a single? I just finished spinning 8 oz of very pretty roving and I cannot decide if I should keep it as a single or ply it. I feel like plying often muddles the nice colors of the single and if I ply this, I will lose the subtle color changes. Thanks.


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## mama879

I spin to thin I have to ply. I don't think I could spin a single. I would really really really have to think about it. Then it would not be fun. How did you spin it?


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## Cdambro

Short draft.....if that is what you mean. I try to spin thin but I cannot seem to do that very well.


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## BirchPoint

Too much twist in a single will give you skewed knitting. It is best to know what you will be doing before spinning, giving it more twist to ply, less twist for a single.


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## Anne in Dunedin

I took a workshop on spinning singles. She spun quite loosely and once she finished she felted it slightly by dipping it into very hot water and then cold.
She said it made singles more stable for knitting.


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## wordancer

Found this about spinning a single, a little ways down is a pic showing how little twist there is 
https://isawherstranding.wordpress.com/2009/08/16/a-guide-to-spinning-singles/


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## janethugg

I'm not sure how long you have been spinning, but it is my understanding that singles are meant to be plied in order to balance the twist and have a workable yarn. Singles, like a lopi style yarn, need to be spun with that in mind and are intentionally under-twisted. You can experiment with the singles on your bobbins to see how it works out for you, but I think you will have a better end product if you ply. You did a nice job on your singles.


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## Goodshepfarm

Hi Cheryl
I always ply because I once knit with a single and didn't like the biased look of the knitting(the stitches are all slanted). You could try knitting a small swatch to see what I mean by slanted. 
A lot of people do it but the correct twist in the single is critical for balance. 
???? Michelle


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## JuneB

I spin singles and for the same reason I don t want to mess up the color so I ply with thread . I ve knitted with it and looks fine to me.


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## Goodshepfarm

Hi June
Do you use a particular type of thread? Is your yarn balanced once plyed? I've always wanted to try it but wasn't sure how the yarn would look.


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## yaksue

have the same question as Goodshepfarm. I like the idea of spinning the single and plying with thread.


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## BirchPoint

It gives you a slightly 'textured' yarn, as the wool will poof out after plying, and the thread will sort of bury itself into the wool. Try it with a few yards of your singles, wash it, and show us the result!


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## yaksue

Thank you for that info. I'll give it a try.


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## spinninggill

You can spin singles for lace weight knitting, but it needs to be high twist or it will pull apart when knitting. To prevent lean, the skein needs to be washed and then hung up with a weight hooked on it to 'straighten 'the twist (I use a knitting machine weight) I have just spun some cobweb singles for a customer who will be knitting a fine lace stole with it.


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## shepherd

Excellent information

BUT I never "full" like this and want to know where it is necessary. All I have ever done is soak the two-ply yarn (water temp ?) and then squeeze out excess and hang (with weight) to dry. No soap, not hot/cold, isn't it soapy after the cold rinse. Are the two temps necessary?
I spin fairly fine and have never used a single ply.
Please set me straight!


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## BirchPoint

A low twist single ply can pull apart if the fibers are not long, hence the slight fulling to help hold it together. One thing that has been mentioned is hanging a wet skein to dry with weight. I never do that. That takes some of the bounce out of the yarn, and anyway, down the road when it is washed in the project, there is no way to re-weight it to straighten the overtwist again. Overtwist is more ok in weaving yarns than knitting yarns, but I avoid it. The two different water temperatures are to aid in slight fulling of a loosely spun singles, or I have also slightly fulled hand spun dog, cat, or other shedding fibers, to keep it from shedding quite so much.


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## shepherd

Great info - since I have never finished single ply I have not had problems. I tend to over-ply, according to that excellent source mentioned above - my thread always twists in several spots of I loosen it. I usually do that when people at shows ask about the yarn I will be using and I let it twist to show them the 2-ply. btw I am not a wonderful spinner - I spin a decent thin thread but my friend who is a master spinner worries a lot about details. I am a hobby spinner who spins for fun and I just can't be bothered with worrying about all the stuff I should worry about - takes the fun out for me. No perfectionist here. But I do like to learn!


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## desireeross

There's a great course on Craftsy on spinning singles


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## gardenpoet

wordancer said:


> Found this about spinning a single, a little ways down is a pic showing how little twist there is
> https://isawherstranding.wordpress.com/2009/08/16/a-guide-to-spinning-singles/


This whole thread is really good info for me, thank you! And the articles with pictures noted by wordancer is excellent.


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## spinninggill

shepherd said:


> Excellent information
> 
> BUT I never "full" like this and want to know where it is necessary. All I have ever done is soak the two-ply yarn (water temp ?) and then squeeze out excess and hang (with weight) to dry. No soap, not hot/cold, isn't it soapy after the cold rinse. Are the two temps necessary?
> I spin fairly fine and have never used a single ply.
> Please set me straight!


I prefer to use 'hand hot' or 'baby bath' temperature. If you use 2 quite different temperatures, you will get a degree of 'felting', as the column of air inside each fibre (this is surrounded by protein and scales),collapses. This cannot usually be reversed. Once the twist is 'set' in any yarn, it does not need to be repeatedly set every time the project is washed, that's the whole point of 'setting' with a weight. I have always used this method and don't find that it removes any 'bounce' at all. I have just been finishing a batch of Castlemilk Moorit ( a rare breed,classed a s 'primitive' & very short staple - about 1ins)blended with Texel and it's really bouncy even after being weighted with an 8 oz weight on a 100gm skein.


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