Yesterday’s blog post stirred up a hornets nest. Apparently some fiber artists and business owners believe that there is only one way and one tool to measure wraps per inch. I disagree. Below are things I have used in the past to measure my wraps per inch. Everything in the picture, but one thing has been used. The only thing in the picture that I would not use is a ruler with a metal bar across one side. The reason for this is that the metal will cut into the fiber and damage to the yarn.
Yesterday’s blog was about the labeling of yarn. I stated that Yarn manufacturers and Indy Dyers needed to place the correct yarn weight on the package. That is not a huge ask considering that it is literally your job to get this right. The yarn I was showing in yesterday‘s blog was sold as worst weight yarn, the yarn was so thin that I decided to measure it. The yarn came out as fingering weight yarn at 14 wraps per inch. I have been told that I don’t know how to use a wraps per inch tool and that I don’t know how to measure Yarn weight correctly. I learned how to use a wraps per inch tool, OK it was a 12 inch ruler 20 years ago. I don’t think I need a lecture on how to measure yarn weight. What I also know that if the yarn comes in at 14 wraps per inch it is not worsted weight yarn and should have been labeled fingering weight yarn. Using your eyes to determine a yarns weight on your phone or computer screen is not scientifically possible. There are many different factors to consider, including did the photographer use any enlargement. Does your computer screen magnify your images? Can you really judge the size of yarn on your phone screen? To really judge a size of the yarn, you have to be there in person. You also need to rely on vendors to get the information right.
I usually only need to use my wraps per inch tools in spinning. I personally feel that the fiber arts need to be very inclusive. This includes everything including gender, race, and religion. We should not make economics a concern for anyone. As you can see from the picture below there are wraps per inch tools that we can even borrow from our kids school supplies. All you need is a 1 inch measure, Whether it be a piece of cardboard, a dowel, a ruler, a needle case, anything will work as long as you can put a 1 inch measure on it.
We as a group need to tell these people to stay in their own lane. My first spinning teacher ran a farm and raised fiber animals. She sheared them. She processed the wool. She spun the wool. Most importantly, she taught me how to use a wooden ruler to determine wraps per inch and what weight fiber I had spun. So unless you can show me how measuring an inch in the round or on a ruler is mathematically different, then stay out of my lane. My husband designed the wraps per inch tool that I use the most with my help. It is exactly 1 inch. So unless you are measuring the diameter of an object, a linear inch is always an inch.
We also have to be very aware of people’s budgets. Not everyone can afford to shop at a local Yarn store or even Michaels. Some people shop for their yarn at Salvation Army, Goodwill, or any other number of thrift stores or garage sales. Some people get their yarn from church. Some people get their yarn from other organizations in return for finished projects. It does not make you a better Knitter if you can afford expensive yarn. That just means you have money to spare. I have been known to rip out projects and not want to look at the yarn ever again. The yarn is still good and still usable, This is why I give the yarn as practice yarn to new students. I know that any art endeavor can be expensive, so because you’re your business owner it does not give you a right to tell everybody which tools to use. You can recommend tools that you carry, which is your prerogative. However, which tools an artist uses is up to them.
