Spinning a Standalone Single

A standalone single handspun yarn (sometimes called a singles yarn) is is a unique yarn: a single strand of fiber that has been spun with twist and finished to be used directly in a project without being plied with another strand. Although a less common handspun yarn overall, this is a favorite yarn at Withers Wool and Farm and one of the core handspun yarns we make and have in the shop. This yarn is non-trivial to make but has a number of advantages if you do make it, along with some challenges in its creation. So let’s get into it.

First, what are some of the reasons to spin a standalone single?

• Speed: Spinning a single strand skips the entire second plying step, making the overall creation process much faster.

• Softness: It lack the compaction and friction of multiple plies twisted together, resulting in a drapier, silkier feel against the skin.

• Color: Painted tops, variegated roving, and multi-colored fibers blend into a smooth gradient or watercolor effect instead of barber-poling (where distinct colors twist around each other).

• Lightweight: Singles trap lots of air and create airy, lightweight yarns - great for for cozy shawls and scarves.

OK, if this is such a great type of yarn, why is it not commonly made? Basically, this can be a challenging yarn to make, mostly having to do with the final balance of the yarn. Now, strictly speaking, a single-ply yarn, i.e. our stand alone single, cannot be balanced because it contains uncounteracted twist energy in one single direction; however, you can make a stable, non-kinking singles yarn by setting the twist through specialized drafting and fulling or wet finishing. Balance normally happens when two opposing plies (one S-twist, one Z-twist) cancel each other out. A standalone single has only one direction of twist. Left alone, unplied active twist makes a yarn want to curl, squirm, or bias a knitted or crocheted fabric. An additional challenge is maintaining consistency and balancing strength and softness. Drafting must be exceptionally uniform because thick-and-thin spots are highly visible and create weak structural points without a second ply to add support. And if you add too little twist, the yarn breaks easily; if you add too much, the standalone single becomes wiry, overspun, and overly energetic.

Alright, so how does one make a stable, balanced standalone single?

• Low Twist: Spin the single with just enough twist to hold the fibers together without making it over-energetic. Use a larger whorl (I suggest the largest whorl/setting you have) and slower treadling to keep twists per inch low.

• Consistent Density: Maintain a uniform drafting speed and rhythm so weak or over-twisted spots do not cause kinks.

• Fulling/Washing: Soak the finished skein in hot and cold water alternately or use fulling techniques to let the fibers bloom, interlock, and relax the active twist energy into a stable state. (What I do is dunk the yarn in hot soapy water, up to 300 times, rotating the yarn around as I do this.)

• Fiber Selection: Choose cohesive, crimpy fibers like Merino wool that grab onto each other during the fulling/washing phase.

• Practice, practice, practice!!!

Let me talk a little more about fulling (i.e. mildly felting) a standalone single - which can offer several structural and aesthetic benefits. Because this yarn lacks the twist-balancing counterforce of multiple plies, it is inherently more fragile and prone to distortion. Fulling helps to overcome that lack. Here are the main reasons to mildly felt a standalone single yarn after spinning it:

• Increases structural Iintegrity and strength: Standalone single yarns rely entirely on twist to hold the fibers in place. Mild felting encourages the wool fibers to interlock, significantly increasing the tensile strength of the yarn and helps prevent the yarn from breaking .

• Helps to control and balance excess twist: Freshly spun single yarns often have a lot of "active" or energetic twist, causing them to bunch up, kink, and twist back on themselves. Mild felting relaxes the fiber memory and sets the twist in place, making the yarn behave more predictably when you knit, crochet, or weave with it.

• Reduces Pilling and Fuzzing: Pilling can be a problem with standalone singles because loose fiber ends can pull away from the surface during wear. Light felting tethers those loose ends down into the core of the yarn, giving garments and accessories a much longer, pill-free lifespan.

• Can enhances appeal and bloom: The moisture and agitation of fulling cause the fibers to expand, closing up small gaps and making the yarn look rounder, plumper, and more cohesive. While heavy felting makes wool stiff, a mild fulling softens the overall yarn, creating a luxurious, cloud-like texture.

While practice makes perfect, it can be tough to consistently spin a standalone single that you can balance. Let’s say you have spun your standalone single, gone through all the steps, and at the end it does not have that perfect balance you desire (e.g. when hanging in a skein, loops around itself at least once.) What to do? Very carefully, you can respin the yarn in the opposite direction. Check your ply before you start spinning. Then spin in the opposite direction; I suggest to start at a very high speed. Then check your ply and adjust accordingly. The caution is if you spin too much in the opposite direction, the fiber in the yarn can pull apart, break or even turn into loose roving - so be careful. BTW, one advantage, assuming you did go thru the fulling process, is the yarn will be more stable and easier to correct twist bias if you do decide to respin.

One more tip regarding spinning, especially if you are just starting to spin standalone singles. Start with a thick single versus a thin single. Thick singles equire much less total twist to hold the fibers together safely. Because there is less twist energy packed into the strand, it stores less overall kinetic energy, is more forgiving of minor consistency errors, and settles more predictably during the finishing/washing process. Thin/lace-weight singles require a very high amount of twist per inch to keep the tiny number of draft fibers from pulling apart. This high twist means an immense amount of stored energy. If your drafting or treadling rhythm varies even slightly, the thin single will instantly over-twist, loop, or snap back on itself, making it notoriously energized and difficult to control.

You might have heard that knitting or crocheting with a standalone single yarn can be a challenge because unbalanced twist energy can cause stitches or entire garments to skew, twist, or bias. This is certainly possible if you do not create a balanced standalone single. A stand alone single can be spun well enough that you will not experience a structural bias. Withers Wool and Farm has lots of patterns (and some demos) that use standalone singles and these problems do not arise with the standalone single yarns we have made.

Let me finish with a personal note. When I first started trying to spin standalone single yarns, I was about 50% successful - meaning about half of them turned out balanced and looking relatively even and the other half did not. I went through a period for three months in which about all I spun was these standalone singles and I got better and better. And now it seems second nature. Given the appropriate mental framework and practice, I would think any spinner (past the beginner stage) with some persistence would be able to successfully spin standalone singles.

If you do try this, and are experiencing difficulties, feel free to come to Withers Wool and Farm for tips, discussion and help. A standalone single is a great yarn to make and is a superb technique to have in your spinning toolkit - if you are a spinner. And if you knit or crochet, and read thru this, I hope you will appreciate how a standalone single is made, and consider using such yarns in a project.