When it comes to spinning techniques, it’s no secret that spinners often disagree. Discussing a hotly debated topic such as whether to predraft your fiber will prompt some handspinners to take sides. Do you usually ply your yarn? In theSpin Off_ Spring 2018 issue, contributor Deborah Held stands up for singles yarn._
I’m here to stand up for the oft overlooked and underappreciated unplied singles yarn.
A yarn spun and left as singles is elegant. When spun from a handpainted, color-repeating top, a singles yarn dares to carry the burden of color distribution all on its own. And let’s not overlook the fact that it’s a darned quick and satisfying spin. Spin your singles from a wool and silk blend, and the resulting yarn will surprise you with its strength, luminance, and drape.
Miffed by a seasoned spinner’s offhand comment that handspun singles yarns are “unattractive,” I warped my rigid-heddle loom with my most recently spun singles yarn, a Merino and silk blend spun from a space-dyed handpainted top, using it for both warp and weft. I was all in.
Deborah Held’s Kissing Singles Scarf uses singles yarn for both warp and weft. Photos by George Boe.
Once I took the fabric off the loom, even I was surprised by the wisp of cloth I saw before me. Its weight and translucency were ethereal, and the vertically aligned, slightly heathered pooling of color told its own tale. It seemed that the rigid-heddle loom had provided the perfect backdrop for showcasing a color-repeating handspun singles yarn.
In order to highlight the occasional textural imperfections, I gave the scarf a thorough fulling. I let it air-dry to dampness, then gave it four minutes in my dryer to get out the last bit of moisture, tighten selvedges, and further strengthen yet soften the fabric. Once dry, I could still see through the cloth, but looking through it was like peering through a tweedy cotton gauze.
I’ve woven scarves using a similar method a few times since and developed this plan. I can’t stop!
—Debbie
To make Deborah Held’s “Kissing Singles: A Four-Season Scarf,” which is woven using singles yarn for both warp and weft, pick up a copy of the Spring 2018 issue of Spin Off.
Featured Image: The Kissing Singles Scarf is named for its gentle method of beating the weft.