Spin-Off – September 2019

Fall 2019 • Spin Off 31

PROJECT

meters (90 yards) of yarn. I had a spinning angle of

about 25 degrees and a tpi of 3. For twined knitting,

you can definitely add more twist (up to about 35

degrees) for more stitch definition. However, my fiber

wouldn’t take any more twist, and I stopped at 25

degrees. My yarn measured 1,830 m/kg (910 ypp).

When I ride by bike to work during the winter in

Stockholm, I need woolen handcoverings that are

strong and durable but also keep my hands warm

and dry. Twined knitting makes a sturdy fabric that

will last forever, especially if you use a fiber that has

an outercoat for strength and undercoat for softness

and warmth.

For my Heartwarming Mitts, I used lamb’s wool

from Värmland sheep in a subtle mother-of-pearl

shade with honey-dipped tips. Värmland, a Swedish

landrace, has the strong outercoat and soft undercoat

I wanted for twined handcoverings. A double-coated

Shetland would also be a good choice, or you could

blend fiber from two breeds for the same effect, such as

Finn for warmth and softness and Lincoln for strength.

Spinning for Twined Knitting

Twined knitting, a Swedish technique that requires

two working yarns that are twisted together after each

stitch, makes a sturdy fabric with very little elasticity.

The yarns used for this technique are spun and plied

in the reverse directions compared to how most yarns

are made by both handspinners and mills. (Read more

about yarns for twined knitting on page 24.)

Combing and spinning with a worsted draft is a

good choice for twined knitting because it gives the

fabric more stitch definition. For my mitts, I prepared

my fleece by flick carding each individual lock. I spun

with a worsted draft from the cut end to preserve the

color variation throughout the staples. Spinning from

the cut end also ensures that each draft includes both

the shorter undercoat and the longer outercoat fibers.

From my 195 grams of fiber I got 118 grams

of yarn, which makes a yield of about 60 percent. I

spun the singles S (counterclockwise) and plied Z

(clockwise). For these mitts, I wanted about 200 meters

(220 yards) of sportweight 2-ply yarn (14 wpi). That

way I was on the safe side and could make proper

swatches, too. I had 21 meters (23 yards) of yarn left

after two mitts and two swatches. Each mitt used 80

Heartwarming Mitts

By Josefi n Waltin

Individually combed staples of a Värmland lamb fl eece.

From left: singles and plied yarn.