Ask Jillian: Keeping It Smooth
I like my yarn absolutely smooth, with as little fuzziness as possible. I know to spin a worsted preparation with a worsted draft, but sometimes my yarn still comes out with a halo. What else could I be doing that makes my yarn fuzzy?
Nicole
Hi Nicole,
You already know the two most important elements to creating a smooth yarn – a worsted prep and draft – but there are a few other things to keep in mind.
Fiber blends: Some fibers just like to bloom. Fibers like mohair and angora in any amount in a blend will almost always halo, no matter how much you smooth it. I also find that bast fibers in a blend like to poke out too; that’s the blend in the photo.
Finishing: This is the one that catches a lot of spinners. We all have our favorite ways we like to finish our yarn, and we typically default to that. Before you decide how to finish your yarn, think about how your method might disrupt the surface of your yarn. Whacking or thwacking yarn disturbs the smoothness of your finished yarn, especially if it is a fine fiber.
Crosslacing: Crosslacing helps me spin a really fine yarn, by slowing down my uptake, but it also rubs the surface of my yarn in a couple of ways. Creating a tension point across the flyer (or multiple tension points) causes your single to rub against your flyer arm or flyer hooks in multiple spots, which can make your yarn frizzy. If you crosslace on a fuller bobbin, your yarn will also rub against the yarn already on your bobbin as it winds on.
Your orifice: I’ve noticed this effect happens mostly with e-spinners. Like crosslacing, if your yarn enters your orifice at an angle, rubbing the side of the orifice rather than entering it straight on, it will lighten your uptake. But allowing your yarn to rub against your orifice, especially if it’s metal, will abrade your yarn.
None of these are a deal breaker to making great yarn, but they could point to spots you might not be aware of that are causing your yarn to fuzz or halo.
Jillian
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