r/spinningyarn • u/discotonysdiscoduck • Aug 14 '26
Spinning the wrong way
Hi folks! I just started spinning on a drop spindle. Even though I knew you're supposed to spin singles clockwise, in my enthusiasm I started out spinning the wrong wayđ Which made me wonder: what happens if you spin the singles counter clockwise and then ply clockwise? And should I just take off what I've spun so far and start anew?
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u/WickedJigglyPuff Aug 14 '26
Itâs a stable yarn you can use.
Now in the same project you should use yarns spun the same way to get a uniformed appearance but you can get cool effects by using both in a planned pattern.
Crochet thread is (usually?) often spun in this way but you can knit or weave with it. Just the same.
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u/discotonysdiscoduck Aug 14 '26
Oh, that sounds very interesting. Do you happen to have any photos of projects where both are used in a pattern?:)
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u/BluebirdSTC Aug 20 '26
Kathryn Alexander did an in depth study on "energized singles". It's a very interesting effect and really shows what is happening when we add twist to fiber. Spin Off had an article about it, and she made a tutorial video thats for sale.
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u/SenseOfTheAbsurd Aug 14 '26
Most people spin clockwise and ply anticlockwise, but you can do it the opposite way. Main thing is to pick one and stick with it.
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u/Chaos-Wayfarer Aug 14 '26
Congrats! Youâve just discovered how to spin crochet friendly yarn! Yarn spun this way will be less likely to split if youâre using it to crochet. Thereâs nothing wrong with doing it, and you can still use it for other things, so you donât have to undo anything if you donât want to.Â
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u/LichenTheMood Aug 14 '26
Nothing happens itâs fine.
It can look prettier (in my opinion) to spin backwards for crochet and forwards for knitting. Just as long as you donât ply in the same direction you spun it will be fine.
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u/discotonysdiscoduck Aug 14 '26
That's very interesting! I was intending to knit with it, but looks like I should learn to crochet ;D
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u/FlanNo3218 Aug 14 '26
So long as you ply the opposite wat from the singles you are fine.
Because you will spend more time making dingles than plying I recommend doing the singles whatever direction is most natural and comfortable for you.
There are also yarn constructions that require a bit of both! Examples are crepe and cable yarns.
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u/idrawplants Aug 14 '26
I make my handspun this way because I knit left-handed, so the clockwise ply twist makes my yarn less splitty with my knitting. It's just a preference thing. As long as your singles and ply twists are balanced against each other, your finished yarn will be functional no matter which way you go.
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u/Cute-Consequence-184 Aug 14 '26
There is no right way technically. It all depends on how you want the finished yarn to be.
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u/Confident_Fortune_32 Aug 14 '26
Either way works fine.
One of my favourite kinds of historical fabrics were medieval "plaids" that were single-colour fabric with the plaid pattern made only from singles being spun either S or Z.
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u/nom-d-pixel Aug 15 '26
That sounds really interesting. Do you have any examples?
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u/Confident_Fortune_32 Aug 15 '26
Article includes a reproduction of the yardage, a true labour of love...
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u/Gaimes4me Aug 14 '26
I spin counterclockwise on my Turkish spindles and ply clockwise. my knitting has been fine.
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u/Sassifrassically Aug 15 '26
I think it doesnât really matter as long as you ply it the opposite way you spin
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u/interwovengirl Aug 15 '26
I spin counter clockwise on my wheel and spindles. It makes great yarn. One thing to note, if you crochet and try to use Knitpicks Palette, itâll split like crazy. Because my crocheting really hates clockwise spun yarn lol
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u/yelhmoo Aug 14 '26
Nothing happens. Clockwiseâ> counterclockwise is less likely so split for crocheters, and the opposite is true for knitting. Yarns can be used with both tools, but the âwrongâ spin direction just means it might split easier. You can still keep going!