Guest Author - Llyn Payne
How a skein is tied seems like such a picky point to be discussing. Yet there is a correct way to do it and it matters a lot if you ever want to enter a skein in a competition or have that skein evaluated as part of a certification program.
The point of tying a skein is to keep the yarn package neat and organized with the goal of making it easy to unwind into a ball. If you’ve ever purchased a commercial skein with just one tie then you know what a mess it can be and how time consuming it is just to make sure that you’ve got all the individual strands of yarn feeding off of the skein in the right direction. Yarn feeding off of a swift correctly will be a joy to wind into a ball but when the yarn is not well mounted on the swift then winding it into a ball is a exercise in frustration.
Whether entering a fiber arts show or sending skeins off for evaluation, the thing to do before even starting to spin is to read the instructions ver carefully. All of the instructions. The show or program will tell you exactly how long your skein(s) should be and how it should be tied. They do mark down if the instructions are not followed to the letter.
For hand spinners entering a competition or sending skeins off to be evaluated, there is usually a weight OR a yardage requirement for each skein submitted. Tying instructions are standard no matter what length or weight is requested: Two yard skeins with four figure 8 ties.
For the purpose of tying the skein, it does not matter what the weight of the skein is to be or how long the skein is supposed to be. What matters is that it is a two yard skein and that it is tied with four figure 8 ties.
Most niddy-noddies and most skein winders will wind a two yard skein. Tie the skein after winding, tying the beginning and ending strands of the yarn together. This secures the yarn but it still needs those four figure 8 ties. Before taking the skein off the niddy-noddy or winder, working around the skein, divide it up into quarters and place one tie in each quarter. Starting with the tie string at the back of the skein, bring the lower end up at about the half way point of the skein, then take the upper end down at the same point. This makes a loop around the yarn towards the rear of the skein. Bring the ends of the tie string together at the front of the skein and tie them together. Rim the tie leaving tales about 1" (2.5 cm) long. Run a finger up to the point where the next tie will be placed so that the ties will divide the skein at the same point. Repeat twice more for a skein with 4 ties.
Be sure not to make the skein ties too tight. They should be able to be moved around on the skein and to allow for even dyeing of the yarn.
