Okay, so the title line is not original to me – it was the title of the wonderful class I took at the Taos Wool Festival on spinning crepe yarns led by Peggy Doney of The 100th Sheep. Crepe yarns are 3-ply yarns and, if you like color and/or texture, these will be something you want to try.
The class itself was challenging as my wheel was new to me – picked up just the week before. As a general principle, I recommend avoiding using a new wheel in a class. Peggy has one class requirement: that you practice spinning S twist (counter clockwise) singles and be comfortable with that prior to the class. A critical prerequisite really. Most people would think “I can spin Z twist (clockwise) singles and I ply S all the time, so not a problem.” Not so fast, say I. We use our bodies to spin and we develop habits, good and bad. Spinning in the opposite direction isn’t hard – just different. And getting comfortable spinning singles in both directions gives you the control you need to execute the exercises in the class. Crepe yarns are (mostly) 2 S twist singles plied Z with twice the twist then the resulting 2-ply and a Z twist single plied together S. There are lots of variations, but this is the basic yarn.
A confession – I love this technique! Why? Well, I do love color and texture and this gives me both. If you have some roving where you want to make the colors shine, this technique is your friend. You can use singles that complement or contrast to make the colors pop. You can also make a yarn that looks like a string of bubbles. It isn’t hard to add beads (stringing them on the thin single contrast yarn and combining that with a thicker primary yarn). You can chain ply your S twist single and then add a Z twist single of the same or complementary color (see the middle yarn in the picture above). This gives you a 4-ply crepe.
I like to practice what I learn when I get home. I am so happy with the result! I ran into a little trouble, but a quick email to Peggy (and some technical spinning wheel advice from her husband Jeff) and I was on my way. She is a great teacher and a wonderful inspiration. This will NOT be the last crepe yarn I make!
Quick p.s., the wheel is fantastic as a travel wheel. Built by Jon McCoy, the pocket wheel fit in the overhead compartment disassembled, but also assembled! On the way home, we stopped and picked up a duffle bag. It went through security without a problem and fit with plenty of room. It was perfect for the class. (If you are thinking about adding one to your wheel collection, I recommend it highly.)
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