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Hey Knitters

I think that as a spinnner I have learned more about knitting than I did in knitting for several years. Yarns aren't all created equal, even two yarns with the same fiber content and of a similar gauge. I have Cascade 220, Knitpicks Wool of the Andes, and Paton's Classic Wool in similar shades sitting here in front of me. My first reaction is that the Patons is thicker than the others but somehow less complicated. It's a three ply while the others are 4 ply yarns. There actually isn't much functionality difference there, like there is between a single and a two ply or a two ply and a three ply.

-True singles yarns are not very strong. A commercial example I can think of is Patons SWS
-Two ply singles are much more common in commercial yarn but are nearly if not entirely impossible to create for the hand spinner. Think Noro Kueryon, there are two plys but they are twisted back in the direction of the singles.
-Two ply yarns wrap around each other and thus create a sort of bumpy yarn, it can be great for effect, but also exactly what you don't want. Both singles are twisted the same direction and then they are plied in the opposite direction. Cables may not show because of the bumps.
-Three ply yarns twist around a hollow core, they are three plies going in the same direction and then plied opposite like two plys. They are much rounder than the two ply yarns.
-4+ ply yarns add strength and diameter but don't really change the structure of a 3 ply. A 4 ply is stronger because it is still a 3 ply if one ply breaks.

The way the fibers are distributed makes a difference too. Sock yarns are the one I think of most for having separate plies. In a yarn like Sockotta the cotton is plied separately from the wool and from the nylon used as a binder. Or Socks that Rock silky that has the silk separate from the wool nylon blend. This gives shine and sparkle but still has the strength of a nylon blended sock yarn.

I'm sure I could go on but I'll save that for another time. Unless someone asks questions, then I'll try to answer them.