With art yarns all the rage, you may know how to spiral ply. If you’ve been spiraling your thick and thin yarns onto commercial laceweight, more than likely you haven’t run into many structural issues.

But if you’ve tried using your own handspun as a core (why? Cuz it looks so creamy good and feels even better!) you might have a few questions by now. Like how to spin a truly balanced spiral plied yarn. Or how to spiral ply for a balanced bound boucle. There’s a difference.

spiral [left], boucle [right]

First off, definitions. What makes a spiral ply yarn work? A normal two-ply yarn is made by holding two singles under equal amounts of tension, usually side by side at a very small angle, say 5 percent, regardless of similarities and differences in weight of the plies. A spiral ply yarn is made by holding one yarn (the core) under tension while leaving the spiral ply (the wrapper) untensioned and guiding it as it wraps onto the core at an angle of between 45 to 90 degrees.

angle of ply

This simple plying method is the basis of spirals, coils, tornadoes and more complex boucles.

Tips for Spiral Pliers
Before we go on I’m assuming you know how to spin both fine, smooth singles and thick and thin singles, cuz that could be a whole ‘nother article.

When you set up to spiral ply, it’s really best to have your two bobbins well placed to start. I like to have my core yarn sitting to my left or in front of me (on the CJkoho Kate 45), and my wrapper to my right (mine is on my Katie A Go Go), since I feed it on with my right hand. I want the core to show, so I ply at less than a 90-degree angle. I hold the wrapper at the thin point with my right hand while rolling the wrapper onto the core because this allows twist to redistribute from thin into thick areas, making a nicely defined spiral. To wind onto the bobbin, I pinch the plied yarn at a thin spot so as not to mess with the twist in the thick spot (such rocket science).

pinch at thin spot of ply so as not to mess with thick spot

Balanced Spiral Ply Yarn
To spin a balanced spiral plied yarn like the one shown in Thruway from Lucca Dot Yarns, you need to spin both your core and your wrapper to the right, or Z. Not just that, you need to introduce more twist in both these plies than you would if you were to ply them with equal tension. If you don’t add enough twist to the singles, as you increase the angle of ply, the core single loses more and more twist as it takes more twists per inch to wrap the spiral ply, eventually coming apart. If your singles differ greatly in size (skinny core, fat spiral) like the ones shown here, the fact that the core has more twists to the inch than the wrapper will keep it from coming apart during plying. If the two plies are of relatively equal weights and thicknesses, then you may find you need even more twist in the core yarn. How much twist? I introduced enough twist in my core to make a firm yarn.

how much twist in fine singles

Spiral ply these two singles to the left as usual. Don’t try to give it the slack test, because it’s going to be pretty squirrelly.

Now you are ready to cable to the right. Why don’t I just call it plying? Because cabling requires significantly less twist, just enough to allow the binding yarn to wrap around the spiral plied yarn. The term “cable” you automatically know to take it easy in the twist department. Cable what’s left of the S spun core and the spiral ply yarn to the right (Z) as follows.

two plies tensioned for cabling

Hold both yarns with equal tension just like a balanced two ply yarn, keeping hold of the point of twist at the orifice. Treadle 2 or three times and allow the twist to enter the yarns (don’t guide it…you'll lose loft and definition).

cabled

How Much Fiber?
For the spiral ply yarn, spin at a ratio of about 1 to 3 ounces of fiber for core and wrapper. Yardage? You’ll need close to twice the yardage in the wrapper as you have in the core.
For the Boucle, spin the same amount of yardage in core/binder and wrapper. Fiber ratio, about 1 -2.5.

two bobbins on kate ready for cabling

Gotta love the lazy loops in these balanced yarns (still unwashed). Left, boucle; right, spiral ply.

	Spinning Tool: Schacht Matchless Niddy Noddy: Fricke Skein winder with yardage counter Lazy Kate: CJ Koho Kate 45, Katie-A-Go-Go

Want more? Try these:

• The Intentional Spinner by Judith MacKenzie
• Sit and Spin by Jacey Boggs
• How I Spin by Rita Buchanan