Monday, February 2, 2026

First official skein of Shetland yarn

I finished the 1st bobbin of Shetland a little early, seeing how I may need to make adjustments to my technique for this spin. 

 
118 yards, 3-ply (click to enlarge)

Plying x3 does a lot for evening the spin. I realized half way through plying that it would need to be over-plied to get the desired yarn. That's fine. The singles spin is just about right, in my opinion: somewhat low twist. The result is pretty much the dream.
 
I was expecting to use steam to relax the over-plied bit, but it wasn't necessary. Finishing the yarn in a hot bath with no-rinse soap was all it needed. It did dry it under tension, though: a hammer provided the weight and tension when the end of the skein was looped around it for the duration of drying.
 
So, recapping: the only big change, going forward, is to over-ply it. I will also continue to work on singles consistency, something that tends to happen anyway in any project involving a lot of spinning.
 
Happy, happy.