handspinning is cool. it is a lot slower with a spindle than a wheel, but still fun. setting twist can be done a couple of different ways. i've never done it, but the ladies at my spinning group (yes, i'm that geeky) do it by soaking the yarn in water or water/woolwash and then hanging it to dry. some people hang it with weights, but they say that is unecessary. i don't know for sure if they do it to singles, but i'm pretty sure they do it for plied yarn.
i definitely know that you CAN ply with a spindle. you just have to spin your spindle in the opposite direction, just like you would with a wheel. and you will need to wind everything off on bobbins or something to serve the purpose of bobbins in order to do it. i believe you can also just use one bobbin(or bobbin substitute) and navajo ply (which somehow gets 3 ply out of one long single - there is a youtube demo video).it is a good idea. ya know how your phone cord can get tangled and how annoying it is to have it kink up every time you hang up the phone? well your spun singles will do the same thing. plying balances that twist (because you spin the other way) and it also strengthens your yarn. yarn can be just a single (i believe noro is), but it is not as strong as yarn that has been plied or cabled (spinning two plied yarns together).
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Date: 2009-03-12 02:57 pm (UTC)it is a lot slower with a spindle than a wheel, but still fun.
setting twist can be done a couple of different ways. i've never done it, but the ladies at my spinning group (yes, i'm that geeky) do it by soaking the yarn in water or water/woolwash and then hanging it to dry. some people hang it with weights, but they say that is unecessary. i don't know for sure if they do it to singles, but i'm pretty sure they do it for plied yarn.
i definitely know that you CAN ply with a spindle. you just have to spin your spindle in the opposite direction, just like you would with a wheel. and you will need to wind everything off on bobbins or something to serve the purpose of bobbins in order to do it. i believe you can also just use one bobbin(or bobbin substitute) and navajo ply (which somehow gets 3 ply out of one long single - there is a youtube demo video).it is a good idea.
ya know how your phone cord can get tangled and how annoying it is to have it kink up every time you hang up the phone? well your spun singles will do the same thing. plying balances that twist (because you spin the other way) and it also strengthens your yarn. yarn can be just a single (i believe noro is), but it is not as strong as yarn that has been plied or cabled (spinning two plied yarns together).