For me, finishing yarn is the most boring part of the process. I always put it off too long, and end up with 25 (yes....25!) skeins of yarn. It's the most important part of the process, too. The finishing process sets the twist, helps balance the yarn, removes any excess oil from the sheep, removes any excess dye you don't want rubbing off onto your skin, and overall improves the poofiness of the yarn.
I figured this was the perfect opportunity to document how I finish my yarn!
How to Set the Twist:
First, you need some supplies:
-pot large enough to have about a gallon of water in.
-wool wash of choice. (I use Soak)
-a plastic baking spoon
-thick towel
-hangers
-a place for your yarn to dry
-YARN!
I had a lot of yarn...25 skeins that needed set.
I like to lay out my yarn so I can see what I have. It's a pretty good idea to set like-colors one after the other. (Only 1 skein per soak!)
You also need a thick towel and some hangers! I use a bath towel, because they are much more absorbent than kitchen towels. I also like to use hangers with a notch on either side. The hangers are for hanging your yarn to dry. If you use hangers with notches, you can hang a total of 3 skeins per hanger.
Next, you want to fill a pot about halfway with water, and add some wool wash. You can use a few drops of Dawn dish soap, Woolite, or you can use something formulated for setting and washing wool yarn.
I like the Soak wool wash. It smells great and is a no-rinse formula. If you are as busy (cough*lazy*cough) as I am, skipping a rinse step is worth the extra $$ for the wash. Not rinsing your yarn also reduces the risk of accidentally felting your yarn. Remember the goal of this is to rinse your yarn of any left over lanolin from the animal, set the twist, and to make the yarn poof out a little.
While your water is heating on the lowest setting on the stove, this is the best time to lay out your skein of yarn and tie some scrap yarn in 4-6 places evenly spaced. This keeps your yarn from getting tangled while it's setting.
When your water is hot, but not too hot to tolerate if you stick your fingers in, go ahead and *gently* place your skein in the pot. You can use your fingers or a spoon to gently press the yarn into the water until the yarn is completely submerged. Keep the temperate on the lowest setting and set your timer for 10 minutes. If your yarn is over-twisted, set it for at least 15 minutes. I like to turn off the heat completely in the last few minutes of soaking.
So you've soaked your yarn, and the soak-time is up. Now what?
I use a plastic spoon and gently lift the yarn out of the water, and let it drain for a few minutes.
Next, lay the slightly-drained yarn onto the towel. I position the yarn like a horseshoe, and fold the top of the towel over once, and then roll the towel once or twice until the yarn is wrapped up.
Gently press down on the towel to remove the excess water.
Hang your yarn on the hanger, and admire your work. Did you burn yourself? No? Congrats!
*hint* If you feel like your yarn is still a little over twisted, you can use a small can as a weight to help straighten out your yarn as it dries.
I also find that if the fiber was dyed properly, you can reuse the water.
I check with a white shot glass. If your water looks like this, you should change it. If you're going to be soaking another purple skein, it's really up to you. Fresh water or no, add some more wool wash and repeat until your yarn is all set.
Let your yarn hang until it's completely dry. This can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days, depending on what kind of wool and how heavy your yarn is.
Once my hanger has 3 skeins, I move the hanger into the basement to dry.
Warning: if you have cats, they WILL try to help/get in the way.
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