# weight of fiber VS. Finished yarn



## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

OK my son has requested Hot Pink ankle socks, not not the 4 or 6 year old the 15 1/2 year old I think it maybe some kinda fad I don't know. So I have been looking to possibly looking to have these done for christmas. By the way this kid LOVES wool socks but so far only has commercial ones for hiking and football ( read: stinky sweaty feet). But her prefers the no show ankle type socks.

So I went to raverly looking for a no show or footie type sock and found one I may even be able to pull of ( I HOPE) BUt when I look at this chart http://www.spinderellas.com/yarnchart.html
it never seems to match what I spin always more fiber for the WPI and length it never matches. So I was wondering if maybe I am making my yarn too dense but then I try to loosen it fluffs apart.

Am I too paranoid about trying to match this chart? What do other More experienced spinners (everyone) think?


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Are you wrapping your yarn properly? YOu want it touching the strand next to it but not bunched up, and not pulled tight. Just a real gentle wrap around the ruler or whatever you are using to measure it with. 

When I use my handspun I do the wpi and the gauge or just the wpi.

I'm not sure it any of that helps you.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

luvzmybabz, are you saying that you think your yarn is too thick to make the 'gauge' for the pattern? 
What do you mean by "too dense"? 

There are patterns to make socks from every thickness of yarn. 

Lets see the link! patterns can be modified to work with different yarns too. 
It really shouldnt be a problem to come up with hot pink footie socks, using 
your own hot pink homespun yarn. You just have to figure out how thick it is, and make sure there is enough of it. 
Footies dont use much yarn, compared to other socks.

We will try our best to help you.


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## kyweaver (Nov 30, 2009)

Handspun is naturally more dense than machine-spun. Use the weights and YPP as a guideline, but don't sweat over them.


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

See copied area of the chart to explain my numbers

I have some gorgeous romney yarn spun from the lock. 380 Yards while not prefectly consistant It would all fall in the wraps for the DK weight. however the 380 yards weight 7 ounces which makes it about 54 yards an ounce and about 868 per pound which is only 132 less then the minimum but that makes a 15% losss on the chart info and most of this yarn the cound be ran back through to tighten the twist which would take from the length as well ( did not realize this until I abused the yarn ( set the twist)per a thread by abby F in beginning spinner's on Raverly). The twist vary from 12 to 15 or 16 per inch. I really want to get one of those cards where it has the singles sizes for different yarns that Rexanna hangs on her wheel but the are expensive for a piece of plastic with some bleck lines on it they are $15 the cheapest I could find them.

Double Knitting (DK): 12 to 18 wraps per inch - 1000 to 1400 yards per pound; 
Knitting = 21 -24 stitches per 4 inches on an 3.75 - 4.5 mm or 5- 7 US needle
Crochet = 11 - 14 stitches per inch on an 4.5- 5.5 mm or 7 to I&#8211;9 US needle 

Sorry for the quality of the photos but had to take with my cell phone 2 camera cords are still AWOL!!! Edited because I can not figure out why these pictures are so big since I resized and replaced original on photobucket!!!!


This one is washed out the colors are really vibrant I used Royal blue food dye for cake decorating and Broke it on purpose.









This was straight and a bit tighter when I counted but had to have both hands for picture










P.S. One picture that has nothing to do with this thread at all just a comment on the addiction!!!!!!!!!!! While I was on photobucket I realized that 2 months ago my fiber stash fit in this basket now it is in 1/2 of the master walk in closet, all over the bathroom and 4 fleeces are in the guest bedroom.








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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Your yarn is beautiful! 

I need help to understand why the weight is so important.
If you have the right wpi, and a long enough piece of yarn, cant you just knit it?:shrug:

You are well on your way to insulating your home with wool.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I'm thinking the same thing as GAM. If WIPs and length and gauge are all on or pretty darn close you got it, why worry about weight?


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

Just wondering if I am doing something wrong along the way or could be just beginner issues ( still need to work on constistany but getting better at it., I do not get out to spinning friends too often and the one other spinner I have shown my yarn too is one of those that would not have said anything if there was something wrong with it.

GAM- I really love this yarn too probably won't be used for original idea but I will make something out of it. I really do not even like blue or purple but was playing with breaking and I like the outcome.


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

Marchwind said:


> I'm thinking the same thing as GAM. If WIPs and length and gauge are all on or pretty darn close you got it, why worry about weight?


BUt what do I use to figure length with WPI? and not sure about gauge either. when I first got my wheel I decided I was not going to get over stressed about perticulars but a number of patterns call for certain weights etc etc.

I thought I was doing really good towards some to be plied sock sngles until I plied mind you I only 2 plied for the body of it, and it was just too thick. I guess the reason I am worried as I am trying to get thinner yarn and having issues.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

The word 'weight' means a couple different things. 

It can mean the over-all amount of ounces (or grams) that the skein weighs. 

~OR~

It can also be used with the words "fingering", "dk", "sport" and the ever- popular "worsted weight". 


When they say 'worsted weight" or "sock weight" yarn, they are only talking about the diameter of the yarn, (wpi)...not the actual ounces in the skein.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

The gauge should be found in the pattern. What GAM says about weight and size of yarn is what I go with, not weight as in actual ounces.


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

luvzmybabz said:


> however the 380 yards weight 7 ounces which makes it about 54 yards an ounce and about 868 per pound which is only 132 less then the minimum but that makes a 15% losss on the chart info and most of this yarn the cound be ran back through to tighten the twist which would take from the length as well ( did not realize this until I abused the yarn ( set the twist)per a thread by abby F in beginning spinner's on Raverly). The twist vary from 12 to 15 or 16 per inch.


:shrug: wow - I have no idea what this means...

I think if you know the wpi, and you have the length, you are good to go. Just go to Ravelry, choose pattern, then filter using the yarn weight and the yards you have, and you will find what you need. It's very helpful!

You did a beautiful job!


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

gone-a-milkin said:


> You are well on your way to insulating your home with wool.


 :hysterical: :smiley-laughing013:


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

OK know to revel the secret most of my yarn has no job yet. I have skeins and skeins already finished with no jobs. I have actually given away about 1000 yards to friends until I realized they were not that appreciative of handspun , so now keeping it for myself. The Big project where I have bought tons of roving scraps all of different colors will be a felted rug, this is my go to project when I just want to spin. But that is the only yarn I have decided what to do with yet so.

One last question about weight in ounces does spinning woolen VS. worsted make a difference?

So here you go I have a challange for all of you the weight is a thin DK I am a VERY beginner knitter 380 Yarns in blue and purple tones ( from teal to periwinkle and baby blue to bright royal blue. If anyone wants to see if they can find a project and then I will attempt to knit it.

I just realized for comparision the ties off on this yarn sugar and cream cotton yarn.


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> just to say - y'all are speakin' Greek to me again with your wrapping and weights and twists and your sharts and your gauges and stuff :run:
> 
> Seems to me there are two kinds of spinners - technical spinners and regular spinners.
> 
> ...


My wheel is a traveller by ashford.......still no name but I love her. Spinning is my desresser and I had completely planned on spinning non techie but worry about what I can knit with yarn that I am making one reason I try to make thinner yarns, I could never wear anything knit with a bukly wool as I live in OKlahoma and even though this year was a little off we might have 2 weeks maybe 3 weeks total with snow on the ground. So I want mice airy things and I am getting ready to start on some alpaca and I really want to make something useful with it.


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## Katherine in KY (May 11, 2002)

Instead of getting wrapped up in WPIs (no pun intended!) and worsted vs. woolen, I hate to say the dreaded word but try knitting a swatch. It's really the only way you can tell just how your yarn will knit up. Try the needle the pattern calls for, and if it doesn't look good, go up or down in size. Then adjust the pattern accordingly (if the pattern says 4 stitches per inch, and you're getting 6, then you'll have to recalculate the pattern). It's also really best to wash the swatch too to see what happens when it gets wet; sometimes the wool will shrink a bit, and what you thought was too loose ends up being just right. Do I swatch all the time? Of course not, but I am starting to do more of it since handspun is so different from purchased yarn.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Completely agree with Katherine. I hate swatching but when using handspun I find myself doing more of it all the time.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

luvzmybabz, you have some beautiful yarn there. Looks like your spinning is pretty uniform. 

The thinner the yarn, the tighter the twist. For lace weight yarn, you'll want a tight twist and light tension. If you spin lace weight, it should be about right after plying. I usually do 3 ply for strength. 

Each wheel, even tho built to the same specs, will have a personality of it's own. I've had a Traveller that would spin lace weight like a dream, and I have one that won't spin lace weight at all. If you have one that just won't cooperate then you might have to get a Lace Flyer. I think they are around $200 so if you decide to go that route, you may want to look for a used one. 

Don't worry about what others do. One of the things I love most about spinning is the ability to personalize the yarn I make. If you strive to make it the same as everyone else, then the personal touch will be missing. 

Lots of people get confused on the worsted/woolen thing... worsted is when the fibers are laid in line so you get a softer smoother yarn (my favorite) woolen is when the fibers are not aligned so they lay in various directions that makes a rougher, fluffier yarn. 

What part of OK are you in? I'm in the SE corner.


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

Spinner said:


> What part of OK are you in? I'm in the SE corner.


I am just east of the city about 20 minutes or so but graduated from Wynnewood which is just north of Turner Falls Area. Are you going to Christmas in July up in Kellyville the weekend of the 29th?


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

Spinner said:


> luvzmybabz, you have some beautiful yarn there. Looks like your spinning is pretty uniform.
> 
> The thinner the yarn, the tighter the twist. For lace weight yarn, you'll want a tight twist and light tension. If you spin lace weight, it should be about right after plying. I usually do 3 ply for strength.
> 
> Each wheel, even tho built to the same specs, will have a personality of it's own. I've had a Traveller that would spin lace weight like a dream, and I have one that won't spin lace weight at all. If you have one that just won't cooperate then you might have to get a Lace Flyer. I think they are around $200 so if you decide to go that route, you may want to look for a used one.


Thanks I like those alot also did not think I would but.

Tight twist low tension I think this is one thing I am haing issues with but while reading your post realized that is what the higher whorls ( guess I had better check out what they are on the 2 flyers I have) are for guess I better try them out. My wheel is OK at thinner yarns so far except for human error, but she drinks the oil when I spin like this. I just purchased my wheel and sliding hook flyer with 3 extra bobbins in May so a lace flyer will prbably be out of the picture for a while.


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