How do you split worsted weight yarn?

ldee13

I don't know if this is the right place to ask but....I have a lot of worsted weight yarn in a very pale gray and found some patterns that I can try with this color but I need the yarn to be thinner. How do YOU split the yarn? I have tried many times just to end up with two tiny balls and a huge knot connected to the main skein!
Thank you!

toomuchreading

I wouldn't recommend splitting plys in commercial yarn.  A lot of the time it has been chemically treated to maintain it's shape so as you untwist a yarn, it wants to go back to what it was. Unplyed, it will be a tangled mess, even if you manage to knit something, it will be twisted up.  I don't think it's worth all the time it would take to unply the yarn when your time could be better spent sourcing yarn in the same color in the weight you want (there are so many yarns out there) and knitting it up.  Just my two cents.
If it's handspun on the other hand, go for it. It will take a lot of time but hey, it's handspun.

NewTCCA

I wouldn't try to do this. The structure of the yarn is held together by the plies. Even if you manage to separate the plies, you will end up with an unbalanced yarn that will fall apart more easily and you're more likely to just end up with a tangle.

randomname

It takes a lot of time and patience. I will make a ball with the smaller strand that I am removing so that I can weave it as it separates. Only work small lengths at a time or it will tangle. It will take a day, sometimes two, to split one small skein.

ldee13

NewTCCA 2020-12-13 22:18
I wouldn't try to do this. The structure of the yarn is held together by the plies. Even if you mana ...

Hi, thanks for the advice. Welcome to the site!

susannetl

you can not create, normally melts. If it is too thick, I would spend it to make a basket, carpet ... a case ... something that comes in handy to be stronger and more rigid

alex3andra

I usually take both ends and hold them up and let the ball unwind little by little it is very tedious

Justine77777

I wouldn't do this, but curious if you managed to do so.

ultimateduck13

I’d like to know about this too

smarj

thank you for sharing

htsear13

Thanks for sharing

fatimam

thank you!!!!!

gamzesk

good luck!

Lilamor

Thank you!