Understanding how Yarn Twist Affects your Crochet

Have you ever tried crocheting with thread or yarn and found it easily splitting or getting tangled?

It’s frustrating, right? But the issue doesn’t always come down to poor-quality yarn—often, it’s all about how the yarn is twisted.

Almost all yarn, except un-spun roving, is made by twisting fibers together to create a continuous strand. Some yarns are constructed without any additional twist, like tubular, woven, or ribbon yarns. But for most yarns, multiple strands (or plies) are twisted together, and there are two ways this twist can go: clockwise (S-twist) or counterclockwise (Z-twist). Here’s an easy way to tell the difference:

• If the fibers or plies of a single strand slant like the center stroke of an “S” ( \ ), it’s an S-twist.

• If they slant like the center stroke of a “Z” ( / ), it’s a Z-twist.

Typically, most yarns are spun with an S-twist, but crocheting (right-handed) actually works against this twist. Every time you yarn over and pull through a loop, you’re giving the yarn a little counterclockwise twist, which is essentially creating a Z-twist. If you’re crocheting with S-twist yarn, this means you’re un-twisting the yarn as you go, which can cause it to split. On the other hand, using Z-twist yarn can help strengthen it, but it can also cause the yarn to over-twist and tangle.  While for the left-handed crochet the oppposite is true!

Knitting generally also has the oposite effect – wrapping the yarn around the hook can tighten up an S-twist, while it will ‘unwind’ a Z-twist.

So how can you stop the yarn from splitting and twisting while you crochet?  The most obvious is finding yarn with the right twist for your project, and if that is not possible, the tighter it’s spun the better!   Avoid very loosely S-plied yarns if you are right-handed.

The key is to rotate the skein or ball as you work! To keep it from twisting too much, try using a yarn spindle or something similar to let the yarn rotate smoothly. If you’re working with a small ball of thread, a thread holder or even a zip-lock bag with a hole in it can do the trick! The Lizbeth thread balls, for example, come in a zip-lock bag with a small hole that lets the ball rotate as you work.

By understanding how twist affects your yarn, you can make your crochet experience smoother and more enjoyable!