Andean Plying

Spindle used: Phil Powell Top Whorl
Spindler/Author: Amelia Carlson
Cameraman: Brad Carlson

Please note: These movies differ in that they are in .mpg format. You will need an appropriate player (Windows Media Player) until Amelia can get them translated to .mov (QuickTime) format. You may have to download them to view them. Thank you for your patience!

The picture shows in seven steps how to do my version of Andean plying. The traditional version is reversed, with the middle finger being bent backwards.  I don't know about your hand, but mine bends forward alot easier!

Start at the top left photo and read left-to-right, top-to-bottom:

• Tuck the end under your sleeve (or whatever's convenient to hold it -- scotch tape, rubber band, ...) and bring it up and around your middle finger as shown
• Bring the yarn behind your hand and around the other side, then in front and around your middle finger from the near side of your middle finger to the far side.  Return it to the back of your hand.
• Bring the yarn around behind your hand in the other direction, then around the front to the far side of your middle finger, around that finger to the near side of your middle finger :
• And back around to the back of your hand.
• Keep doing steps 2-4 until you have run out of yarn.
• Pull the yarn forward off your middle finger, gently % do not pull too hard or you may separate the wraps.
• Take the two ends (the one tucked under your sleeve and the one at the end of the plying) and ply from them.

In Video Form

The first video (4.1MB) shows me starting with the yarn tucked under a rubber band at my wrist and going through the motions  1-4 in the pictures a few times.  You can see that mostly my hand stays still or wags a bit and the spindle is moved around and twirled in the fingers of my other hand to unwrap yarn from it as it is wrapped around my 'plying' hand. ANDEAN-1

The second video (2.7MB) shows me at step 5, having run out of yarn.  I pull the yarn off of my middle finger and take both ends (the first end from under the rubber band, the outer end from the wrapping and starting to pull a length to begin spinning.  At first the bracelet may be a little 'tuggy' but once it settles into a routine of being pulled from you should be going well.  I would note that really kinky yarn or really smooth yarn are not good for andean plying; the former tends to get too tangled in the bracelet, and the latter just falls apart. ANDEAN-2

The third video (3.4MB) shows me knotting the two ends together, putting them on the hook of the spindle, and plying the initial length.  I will then attach this initially spun length to the spindle shaft (not shown in the videos) -- I use a snitch-, or larks-head- knot, you can use whatever technique you like (slip-knot, velcro dot, ...) ANDEAN-3

The fourth video (6.2MB) shows me pulling a length from the bracelet, plying it, winding it on (using X-wind-on), and then pulling another length and spinning it.  You keep doing this until you reach the end of the bracelet, at which point you are done and you've run out of yarn to ply exactly at the same time for each ply ;-) ANDEAN-4

I'd be happy to answer any questions about the photos and movies, drop Amelia a note at amelia@thebellwether.com to ask.

 

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