Plying for warmth and pretty stitches

 Alden Amos liked 3-ply yarns because the 3 strands in the yarn fit together and made a strong, cohesive yarn. That is the view of a weaver and knitter that wants decorative stitches that "pop". Alden was a great weaver and knitter.

Alden disparaged 4-ply and 5-ply yarn constructions because the strands do not fit neatly together. Yes, that is the point of gansey yarn. The yarns have minimal ply twist so the individual strands can spread out, and when knit, the strands can fill in the gaps in the stitches, and block air and "weather" flow, making the fabric warmer.

If  I am  making garment to be light and warm, then I will plan a 4 or 5-ply yarn construction. If I want a pretty garment that can be worn in centrally heated spaces - then I will plan a 3-ply yarn construction.

On the other hand, if you want real warmth from a 4 or 5-ply yarn, it needs to be knit tightly - and fulled.  In the old days, Paton's  BeeHive yarns allowed knitting warm, but remarkably lightweight baby clothes and children's jumpers. Now, "BeeHive" yarns are synthetic, no longer full, and are not as warm. For athletics and sports, an object well knit from 4-ply-  2,500 ypp  will likely be as warm as an object knit from 3-ply -1,680 yarn. I think, even today, there are times when the lighter, thinner garment is preferable.  (We enjoy spinning and knitting - it is ok to put in a few extra hours to make something really nice. I also find that it is the learning how that takes the most effort. Once I know how, making additional similar objects is easy.  )

Knitting sheaths/shields allow knitting tight without damaging your wrists. If you  want weatherproof objects, use a knitting sheath/shield/stick. They look dorky, and were abhorred by Victorian society, but they work. And. they allow knitting wicked fast. 

Plying fine singles (finer than 5,600 ypp) requires certain additional attention to detail. The bundle of singles must be able to run freely into the orifice.  I have the singles on bobbins rotating on steel axles, with steel washers and everything is oiled so it all runs freely. If you are doing more than 3-ply you need a plying comb, so all plies twist together, all at once. If 2 twist, then the 3d and 4th plies get twisted around the 2-ply, and your knitting gauge will not be anything like BeeHive, even if you put huge effort into spinning  beautiful 11,200 ypp singles! For my plying comb, I use a line of sock DPN stuck into holes I drilled in a piece of scrap wood. When I am plying, my "plying comb" is held in place with a clamp. The clamp has other duties when I am woodworking. It is not a pretty thing but it was free, it takes up almost no space, and it works very well.  I like these 3 virtues in a tool.

These days, everywhere I might sit for a bit, is littered with little 10 gram balls of yarn, and/or little swatches, finished or in process.  That means there are little DPN everywhere.  This morning, there were 8 DPN beside the chair I use to watch TV - last night I had a sample of yarn and was trying to decide if I liked the fabric knit with 1.3 mm or 1.5 mm better. In the morning's clear light, I decided I did not like the way the yarn was plied. It was well spun, but poorly plied. I can do better.  So, I put the needles away and discarded the yarn.