Spinning Terms

General Spinning Terms

default yarn: the yarn you most often make, usually when you're not deliberately trying to make a specific yarn—what your hands default to as they draft from the fiber supply and release onto the bobbin.

drafting: pulling out (attenuating) the desired amount of fiber from the fiber supply before the twist enters the yarn.

drafting triangle: the pointed area of your fiber supply where the fiber starts to receive twist—the transition between unspun fiber and yarn.

fiber supply: the unspun fiber held in your fiber hand.

lazy kate: a tool that holds bobbins of spun yarn for plying; tensioned kates have a spring and string or some other way to slow down bobbin rotation.

ply/plied: two or more singles yarns that have been twisted around each other, usually counterclockwise (S twist).

plyback sample: a small length of spun yarn, removed from the bobbin or spindle shaft and allowed to ply back on itself—you can see the amount of twist and the diameter of your yarn.

setting the twist/finishing: soaking a skein of handspun, then allowing it to dry, will even out twist. You can also affect the texture by fulling the yarn or fuzzing up the skein. Books on handspinning usually describe many finishing methods for handspun yarn.

singles: yarn that hasn't been plied, usually spun in clockwise direction (Z twist).

staple length: the average length of the fibers you're spinning, which determines how far apart you'll hold your hands as you draft.

twist: the "glue" that holds fibers together as yarn. If the spindle or flyer turns clockwise, it's Z twist. If the spindle or flyer turns counterclockwise, it's S twist.

woollen and worsted: drafting methods that produce yarn with different characteristics. Worsted-spun yarns tend to have more drape and less pilling; twist does not enter the drafting triangle until the forward hand stops pinching. Woollen yarns tend to have more bounce and will insulate better, because air has been trapped between the fibers; here some twist enters the drafting triangle as the spinner pulls out fiber.

For Spinning Wheels

drive ratio: how many times the flyer spins for every revolution of the drive wheel, expressed as XX:1. The groove on the whorl determines how often the flyer spins. The larger groove on a whorl, or a larger whorl, will slow down the flyer speed. When you slow the flyer, you have to turn the drive wheel more often (by treadling more often) to add the same amount of twist to a yarn.

take-up/tension/draw-in: how quickly the yarn draws onto the spinning wheel bobbin. With higher take-up, the yarn will draw onto the bobbin more quickly, giving you less time to draft and less time for twist to build up in the yarn.

tensioning: the way a spinning wheel adjusts the speed of the drive wheel versus the speed of the flyer.

• Scotch tension works well for beginners, as it's easy to adjust. Turn the Scotch tension knob on any Schacht wheel to stretch out the spring (more take-up) or compress the spring (less take-up). The spring and string go over the large end of the bobbin, while the drive band goes over the whorl on the flyer. The speed of the flyer and the speed of the drive wheel are independent of each other. Ideal for any yarn weight from fine to super bulky, for any low-twist yarn, or for art yarns. 
• Bobbin lead (Irish tension) is the opposite of Scotch tension: the drive band goes over the large end of the bobbin and the spring and string goes over the whorl. Adjust by turning the Scotch tension knob for more or less take-up. Frequently used for bulky and art yarns.
• Double drive tension requires a very long drive band, because the band loops once around the drive wheel and once around the small end of the bobbin. Adjust the Flatiron and Matchless by moving the flyer away from the drive wheel for more take-up or towards the drive wheel for less take-up. On the Ladybug, raise the tensioner pulley for more take-up or lower it for less. The Sidekick cannot spin in double drive mode. Since one band controls the drive wheel and the flyer, take-up adjustments affect the speed of both. You may need a high speed bobbin if you are using the high speed whorl or super high speed whorl. Generally used for very fine to fine yarns that require a lot of twist.