How do you split yarn??

[karin4christ]

On this board several people have mentioned that they split their yarn (like splitting a worsted weight yarn into 2 plies instead of leaving it 4 plies). Exactly how do you do this?? Whenever I try to do this I get a huge mess. The plies unravel and it looks terrible. Someone hold my hand and explain this to me please.

[sonnets_and_stitches]

Karin,

 

If you're splitting 4-ply yarn and are having trouble with the plys coming apart fairly cleanly, then you might be tugging on the wrong pair of plys. For example, if each ply in a 4-ply yarn were named (A, B, C, and D), and you've been trying to separate the plys into A,B and C,D but having a hard time of it, you might try separating them into A,C and B,D instead.

 

Does that make sense?

 

And if it makes sense, is it helpful?

 

Plying away ~ Joy

[Tazzy1970]

I don't have anyone to help me but I did come up with a way to separate the strands I got AC and BD together than to keep it tight I thread it through my 1st 2 toes and pulled it kept the yarn tight while giving me my 3rd hand Hope this helps some of you

[Tazzy1970]

I don't have anyone to help me but I did come up with a way to separate the strands I got AC and BD together than to keep it tight I thread it through my 1st 2 toes and pulled it kept the yarn tight while giving me my 3rd hand Hope this helps some of you

[Tazzy1970]

I don't have anyone to help me but I did come up with a way to separate the strands I got AC and BD together than to keep it tight I thread it through my 1st 2 toes and pulled it kept the yarn tight while giving me my 3rd hand Hope this helps some of you

[sonnets_and_stitches]

I did it because I was trying to make as small a teddy bear as possible, and as it was only my third project, I only had two skeins of yarn! I didn't realize the crochet bug was going to bite me so hard.

 

Splitting the plys also created a lovely soft fuzzy texture on the bear, almost as nice as chenille.

 

~ Joy

[LondonLaura]

I have never heard of this before (other than for splicing yarn together in a Russian join). Could you enlighten me? Why would you do this? Is it to use a particularly lovely yarn that's too heavy? Or because you can't get the weight yarn you need? I'm intrigued!

[karin4christ]

Thanks for the advice Joy. I've been trying to split lengths of about 24 inches (maybe even a little longer) at one time. I don't know why I've become so obsessed with yarn splitting but I am determined to do it!!

[sonnets_and_stitches]

Don't give up! Try again, maybe with a different brand or different fiber. Try when you feel fairly rested. I can only split plys for short distances (5 inches, six inches, seven inches maybe) before I have to stop and detangle them. You'll certainly get "yarn ramen" (Ha! I love that term) so try to wind as you go.

 

And if it doesn't catch on for you, try again after you've had a break from it for a few days (or weeks). That's how I figured out tapestry crochet. I was trying and trying to understand it, and then two nights ago I picked it up and I was like, "What was so hard about that?" Maybe it'll be like that for you and splitting the plys.

 

~ Joy

[karin4christ]

It makes sense. But I don't know if anything or anyone can help me. I seem to be deficient in the area of ply splitting.

[karin4christ]

Well, I tried to split yarn yesterday and it was a disaster!!! It didn't work. Everything ended up in a huge mess. Of course, it didn't help having the cat try to help me. I was using a srap ball of yarn and the cat kept running off with it. I should go over to you tube and see if anyone ever has done a video on this. For some reason I just can't do this.

[Fonda]

Splitting yarn is the same as pulling embroidery thread apart?

[karin4christ]

Do you believe when I was laying in bed last night I kept thinking about this. I've had some thoughts and will have to try them out later today. I'm so glad no one can read my thoughts because they might put me in the looney bin if they could.

[crochet_hen]

I pay my daughter a quarter a skein to roll my yarn into balls for me...might work for splitting the yarn too. Money can be a great motivator!!

How fortunate for me Megs that I happen to have two children!!! I just wonder if I could keep them interested in splitting the yarn enough to actually have them finish a whole skein.

[sonnets_and_stitches]

Karin,

 

The method Megs describe will probably work better than what I do. Really you have to have three hands to split plys. My method works for me because I only needed small amounts of yarn (I was making a 3 inch tall teddy bear!).

 

When I start splitting the plys, I hold the piece of yarn which is still "whole" between my lips to hold it taut. Then I pull on the two "halves" that I'm splitting it into, one in each hand. When the split reaches my lips, I move my lip-grip down about a foot or so, and then keep pulling. There's no denying it's a mess, but it was the best method I've got. I just wound the yarn afterward I was all finished splitting the plys.

 

~ Joy

[Megs]

Fun sized Chocolate or any other kind of candy works wonders for bribes one candy/chocolate for half a skien, two candy/chocolate for the whole skien, and if they don't for some unknown reason want candy/chocolate money is the next best thing,

[karin4christ]

How fortunate for me Megs that I happen to have two children!!! I just wonder if I could keep them interested in splitting the yarn enough to actually have them finish a whole skein.

[Megs]

I have my kids help me split 4 ply into 2 ply. I have one stand on one side of the room with 2 strands of the yarn wrapped around a tp roll, the other one on the other side with her 2 strands on the tp roll. They slowly start winding up the yarn on the tp rolls, making the the rest of the yarn that was on the floor in between them rise up and start spinning (I fold the skien in half and use a pony tails to keep it from just unwinding into a big mess. then when they get to the middle yarn, I have them stop so i can pull out more yarn for them to work with.

 

Hope that can help you some.

 

I have done this by myself but it was insane, I would stand on the couch, lol letting the ball of yarn spin as I wind up one section in one hand then switch and wind up the other section, its soo much easier now that my girls do it for me.