Comments on: A Tale Of Two Twists http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/ Follow my unending quest to knit up my fiber stash. Sun, 01 Apr 2012 11:57:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Kim http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/comment-page-1/#comment-14260 Kim Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:48:18 +0000 http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/#comment-14260 I have to say I agree with those who do not believe in using different methods to balance a skein of yarn. If it is not balanced when it comes off of the bobbin....it is not balanced period and will revert back to it's natural state once it is wet.......and knitted, Judy is right, it is energized and will move with time. I have to say I agree with those who do not believe in using different methods to balance a skein of yarn. If it is not balanced when it comes off of the bobbin….it is not balanced period and will revert back to it’s natural state once it is wet…….and knitted, Judy is right, it is energized and will move with time.

]]> By: Kim http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/comment-page-1/#comment-14226 Kim Sat, 19 Apr 2008 12:12:41 +0000 http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/#comment-14226 These yarns look to be the same color as the wonderful roving you gave me last year at Snake River. Speaking of which...are you coming this year? Great post about the twist. I've yet to know my spinning well enough to make such judgments about balance. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever get there. These yarns look to be the same color as the wonderful roving you gave me last year at Snake River. Speaking of which…are you coming this year?

Great post about the twist. I’ve yet to know my spinning well enough to make such judgments about balance. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever get there.

]]> By: Teresa C http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/comment-page-1/#comment-14213 Teresa C Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:09:29 +0000 http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/#comment-14213 Well, I haven't all that much to add to this conversation, but I have always thought that people who think they can balance a skein by setting the twist with heat or weights or whatever, are just man-handling their yarn into some sort of submission. But once an unbalanced yarn, always an unbalanced yarn I think. Of course the goal in plying it so get that perfect single twist to plied twist ratio and I don't know that I'll ever get there, my singles by themselves aren't consistent enough. If I could get that, I'm thinking the plying would be the easy part. Do you think our great grandmothers and whatever other relatives we had that had to spin for life had these discussions on twist and plying and all that? I wonder how perfect their yarns were just by feel and how they were perfectly suitable for their need. Well, I haven’t all that much to add to this conversation, but I have always thought that people who think they can balance a skein by setting the twist with heat or weights or whatever, are just man-handling their yarn into some sort of submission. But once an unbalanced yarn, always an unbalanced yarn I think. Of course the goal in plying it so get that perfect single twist to plied twist ratio and I don’t know that I’ll ever get there, my singles by themselves aren’t consistent enough. If I could get that, I’m thinking the plying would be the easy part.

Do you think our great grandmothers and whatever other relatives we had that had to spin for life had these discussions on twist and plying and all that? I wonder how perfect their yarns were just by feel and how they were perfectly suitable for their need.

]]> By: Joy http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/comment-page-1/#comment-14208 Joy Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:15:07 +0000 http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/#comment-14208 Absolutely *love* the color - yum! Absolutely *love* the color – yum!

]]> By: lisa http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/comment-page-1/#comment-14198 lisa Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:21:32 +0000 http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/#comment-14198 Heck, I have no idea, being new to this and all... but it is pretty interesting! I am fascinated by 'energized' yarns, and wonder what kinds of projects are best for them... biased shawls? something else?? Heck, I have no idea, being new to this and all… but it is pretty interesting! I am fascinated by ‘energized’ yarns, and wonder what kinds of projects are best for them… biased shawls? something else??

]]> By: Janice in GA http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/comment-page-1/#comment-14197 Janice in GA Thu, 17 Apr 2008 23:13:23 +0000 http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/#comment-14197 You're correct. I stand by my assertion that "balanced single" is a term that cannot have any meaning. It's the same way that one person can't sit on one END of a seesaw and "balance" it. Someone else has to be on the other end. For a yarn to balance, you need to have at least two plies where, as you say, the plying twist balances the spinning twist. Setting the twist makes yarn LOOK balanced, but, as other commenters have said, any excess twist is still there. Case in point: last year I pulled out some singles I spun maybe 10-15 YEARS ago for a weaving project that never got off the ground. These skeins had the twist set, and had been sitting quietly in my stash all that time. I wanted to dye the yarn and knit with it. I dyed the singles. Sproing! All that twist energy that had been resting there all those years bounced back when the yarn got wet. It wasn't a problem for me because I could straighten it out, but you'd've never thought that much energy could be in that yarn after all that time. Just sayin'. You’re correct.

I stand by my assertion that “balanced single” is a term that cannot have any meaning. It’s the same way that one person can’t sit on one END of a seesaw and “balance” it. Someone else has to be on the other end. For a yarn to balance, you need to have at least two plies where, as you say, the plying twist balances the spinning twist.

Setting the twist makes yarn LOOK balanced, but, as other commenters have said, any excess twist is still there. Case in point: last year I pulled out some singles I spun maybe 10-15 YEARS ago for a weaving project that never got off the ground. These skeins had the twist set, and had been sitting quietly in my stash all that time. I wanted to dye the yarn and knit with it. I dyed the singles.

Sproing! All that twist energy that had been resting there all those years bounced back when the yarn got wet. It wasn’t a problem for me because I could straighten it out, but you’d've never thought that much energy could be in that yarn after all that time.

Just sayin’.

]]> By: Birdsong http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/comment-page-1/#comment-14196 Birdsong Thu, 17 Apr 2008 23:09:29 +0000 http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/#comment-14196 I am glad Judy spoke up, as I was thinking about this problem as I scrolled down, but couldn't quite phrase it and am glad she did... I think I am a long ways from being able to create a perfectly balanced yarn consistently, so will be choosing carefully what I use my early handspuns to make, for just this reason. I do love the color of this yarn! I am glad Judy spoke up, as I was thinking about this problem as I scrolled down, but couldn’t quite phrase it and am glad she did… I think I am a long ways from being able to create a perfectly balanced yarn consistently, so will be choosing carefully what I use my early handspuns to make, for just this reason. I do love the color of this yarn!

]]> By: Cayenne http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/comment-page-1/#comment-14191 Cayenne Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:14:19 +0000 http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/#comment-14191 Beautiful yarn Susan. Wow. I agree that the color is totally lovely. Also, that a yarn is only truly balance through spinning, not by any wet or heat setting that I know of, but I am not an expert. I also think Margene is right. The beauty of spinning your own yarn is that you can spin it however you want and for whatever use you desire. Isn't it wonderful? Beautiful yarn Susan. Wow. I agree that the color is totally lovely. Also, that a yarn is only truly balance through spinning, not by any wet or heat setting that I know of, but I am not an expert. I also think Margene is right. The beauty of spinning your own yarn is that you can spin it however you want and for whatever use you desire. Isn’t it wonderful?

]]> By: Judy http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/comment-page-1/#comment-14190 Judy Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:48:34 +0000 http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/#comment-14190 As long as a fiber has memory, it can revert back. Sort of like blocking, every time it gets wet, it needs to be done again. This is fine as long as you enjoy leaving it in the skein. When knitted, after washing, or even after wearing and pulling at it, the fabric will begin to skew from the energized (unbalanced) yarn. Something to play with but not a great look as your button band begins to travel diagonally across the front of your sweater. As long as a fiber has memory, it can revert back. Sort of like blocking, every time it gets wet, it needs to be done again. This is fine as long as you enjoy leaving it in the skein. When knitted, after washing, or even after wearing and pulling at it, the fabric will begin to skew from the energized (unbalanced) yarn. Something to play with but not a great look as your button band begins to travel diagonally across the front of your sweater.

]]> By: Cheryl http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/comment-page-1/#comment-14189 Cheryl Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:35:42 +0000 http://knittingasfastasican.com/2008/a-tail-of-two-twists/#comment-14189 I seem to remember Michaele's argument being that if you heat set the yarn immediately upon removing it from the bobbin, you can balance the single permanantly - so that it will never revert back to its unbalanced state. Whch makes no sense to me at all, although I haven't conducted any experiments with it on my own yet. I seem to remember Michaele’s argument being that if you heat set the yarn immediately upon removing it from the bobbin, you can balance the single permanantly – so that it will never revert back to its unbalanced state. Whch makes no sense to me at all, although I haven’t conducted any experiments with it on my own yet.

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