I simply took a paperback book, stuck a popsicle stick in the middle of it, and wound and wound and wound. Then, I removed the stick, put the "bracelet" over my arm, and plied the yarn. It worked so nicely! However, this particular paperback was a touch small. Even though I was able to slide the resultant bracelet over my hand, I was a bit nervous that the whole thing would pop wide open. If I do this again, I'll be sure to use Lonesome Dove which should make a plying bracelet which is *plenty* large enough, lol.
Edited, July 20, 2007 - one doesn't need to use a popsicle stick - a dpn works great, too. Or, a pencil, or a spoon, or anything else which can be stuck into a book and has a nice smooth shaft from which the yarn can be removed. I've used this method about 10 times now, with 100% success. Try it!
Edited, March 7, 2009 - Please click here for another post about Andean Plying on a paper back book. The Twain book in the post you are reading now is way too small - the post I'm sending you to features the proper sized paperback for most adult hands.
The thought of winding a plying bracelet on my hand makes me nervous. What if I need that hand to do something? I wound and plied a similar batch of yarn last night, and the whole winding, and then plying operation took about 2 hours. That's a long time to have my hand wound up in a batch of yarn! I like this method better, thank you very much! I can put everything down if I need to.
Once again, that person up in the Andes, who figured out this plying method, is a pure genius! It works very well, and it's very easy, too!
13 comments:
Oh your clever-clever woman you! Never thought of doing it that-a-way!
Rosemary, that is just brilliant! Found you from the Spindlers list... I agree about having one hand out of commission; was tending our crafts co-op shop Saturday and wrapping the yarn around my hand to ply, and someone came in and caught me attached to the spindle, and not much help to them!
Come here via "spindlers" e-list... What a great innovative idea! Good for you for coming up with an easy DIY Andean plying trick that saves us from having our wrapped fingers turning blue!
Brilliant, Rosemary! It will save my middle finger, which turns a frightful blue when I wrap around my hand. Thank you!
This is great! Thanks
This way I can do more than a hand could hold without turning blue!
Doris
Wow, that is too cool! I will definitely have to try that. The needle/popsicle stick serves as the middle finger, right?
I also *love* your double CD spindle with the neat, perfectly cylindrical cop inside. I have a CD whorl, and still haven't made a shaft to put it on. But it'd be nice to have another plying spindle so maybe I will.
Thanks for sharing such great information!
Hello Rosemary,Thanks so much for this tutorial. I just found your site. What a plethora of information- Anyway - I have struggling to learn the andean method
I want to learn - I have no one to show me.
Are there instructions somewhere to andean ply so I can learn to do this on the book method you teach?
Vanessa in Upstate NY
www.butterflyknitter.blogspot.com
butterflyjones03 AT yahoo DOT COM
I love you. Like a lot. Like <----THIS----> much.
Thank you so much for your genius.
Brilliant!! 5 thumbs way up to you! :D
Your yarn looks beautiful but I'm confused. I can Andean ply from my hand quite well, but I can't figure out the wrap on a book. (The "wrist" is missing!) I realize this is an old post, but could you try to explain the route the yarn takes? Thanks!
Hi Lynn, I'll be happy to!
You stick the end of the yarn in the pages of the book, and close the book to hold the single in place. Then, you go down around the spine, and up the front, and around the stick. Back down the front, across the spine and up the back, and around the stick. Back down the back, across the spine and up the front, around the stick and back down the front.
Once you get the hang of it, you don't have to think about it - just wind and think deep thoughts. heh.
Feel free to email me, if you want more info.
Happy spinning!
Rosemary
Sorry I'm a little late to this "book" party, but after trying it several times with some practice yarn, the only way I can make this work is by keeping the stick in there. Is this right??
Hello Liana!
You put the stick into the book and wind the yarn. Then, you slide the yarn off of the book, with the stick in place, and put your hand through the part which was wrapped around the book. Then you take the stick out. It own't work if the stick is left in place.
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