This is one of my favorite tips for spinning and it is also the absolute easiest trick you’ll ever try. When I finish spinning a single, I let it take a rest, either on my spindle or my bobbin for at least 24 hours before I do anything with it. Why, you might ask? Well, I feel that it helps the twist to relax into the spun fiber … it calms it down a little so that when I decide to ply it or if I want to leave it as a single and wind it off, it doesn’t get tangled.
Some people don’t bother with resting their yarns and others, like me, swear by it. Why not experiment with your next handspun? Test it out and see if it makes a difference for you!
Happy crafting all!
Like putting the kids in a time out – makes perfect sense to me. Thanks for the tip.
I always let mine rest and like you feel that it helps a bit
I also let my sindles rest… I try to plan my spinning so, that I would have the time to do so.
I’m very much the same as well. I only have a few bobbins so I have to plan too!
I do the same – it makes navajo plying so much easier. Anything that reduces the possibility of a squirly mess is always a plus
I also recommend a tensioned lazy kate even if that’s just an elastic band!
Definitely for navajo plying because I know that I can certainly get in a tangle sometimes if I’m too hasty and don’t let my singles rest! lol
Thanks for the tip
How do you ensure a balanced ply when working with rested singles?
When I’m plying, I like to stop periodically and let a little slack come into the yarn between my hands and my wheel’s orfice to see if it hangs nicely or if it twists up on itself (kind of like a cabled yarn). If you find you need a little less twist after doing this test, you treadle less and if you need a bit more twist, you treadle a little more. This trick also works just as well for spindles. When you go to wind your plyed yarn onto your spindle, just lift your spindle so there is a little slack in the yarn between your hook and your hands. Decide if you need a little more twist or a little less. Hope that I’ve answered your question for you and happy spinning!