Andean Plying

At guild last Saturday, Ruth A showed us all how to do very neat easy portable Andean plying from a spindle. I took pictures to add visuals to her words.


Andean plying is quick and easy, provides instant gratification and a mini-skein of yarn.


1. Tuck the end of your single into your watchband for safekeeping.

2. Bring the single around behind the little finger, across the back of your wrist and then around to the front, on the thumb side.

3. Bring the yarn up and around your middle finger, (from pinky side to thumb side) and back down to your wrist where it just came from.

4. Bring the yarn behind your hand, along the wrist, and to the front again on the thumb side.

5. Bring the yarn up to your middle finger and around it, (from thumb side to pinky side) and back down to your wrist on the pinky side, where it just came from.


Repeat these steps - around behind the wrist, up and around the middle finger and back to the side the yarn just came from, behind the wrist to the other side, up and around the middle finger and back to the side the yarn just came from - over and over, LOOSELY, until you have used up all the yarn on the spindle.





6. Next, slip all the loops gently off your middle finger. Now you have a bracelet.


7. Reach inside the bracelet and bring the end of the yarn that was tucked into your watchband UP, inside the bracelet of yarn and out towards your fingers.



8. Take both ends of the yarn and tie them to your leader yarn or to the spindle.



9. Now start spinning (plying) in the opposite direction from the way you spun the single, allowing both plies to come gently off your wrist. You
may have to swivel your hand/wrist occasionally to loosen a strand and let it flow. Keep plying until you have used up all of the yarn on your wrist; it will all fit back onto your spindle just fine.



If you need to stop in the middle of plying, slide the bracelet of yarn off your hand gently and stick the spindle dowel through the middle of the bracelet. Set it down away from cats, dogs, partners and curious children. It should be easy to pick up and continue plying when you get a chance.

I skein the plied yarn by wrapping it around from my thumb to my elbow, making a nice-sized skein for this smaller amount of yarn.

Copyright © 2009 Ruth Allen,
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