the dropped spindle

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ClaireUK · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 94 Location: Coventry, UK

I'm spinning some space dyed merino roving from Hellomango on my drop spindle.

I want to use it for some knitted mittens, and I dont really want to have to ply it as I am worried about losing the 'space-dyed' effect.

Is there a way round this? Can I knit with a single spun yarn or is there a way of plying the yarns without blurring the colours too much? I'm not good enough at spinning to get 2 matching yarns - is it possible to match the yarns anyway?

Help!!! Please, I dont know what I'm doing Confused

Claire UK

sally · Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Posts: 148

if you do a three ply by effectively crocheting the singles as you ply them you can keep the colours fairly separate.

All you do is make a very loose fingerloop as you ply, a bigger loop where you have lots of one colour, a smaller one where the colour change is closer together.

Makes sense when you try it Cool

Judymac · Joined: 24 Oct 2006 Posts: 5 Location: France

You can knit with singles, remember to wash it first to set and relax, or you will have the typical energized single problem of pulling knitting to one side.

You can ply with a method called navajo plying, this keeps the colours together and gives you a 3 ply yarn.
Info on this method is here for a spinning wheel:
http://www.joyofhandspinning.com/spin-navajo-ply.html
and here for a spindle (scroll down to the bottom):
http://www.graftonfibers.com/instructions.htm

I hope that helps Smile

Judy
http://thespindlingscot.blogspot.com/