Mmm, spit-splicing
There’s no more polite name for it (‘saliva-enhanced yarn joins‘? nah…). Spit splicing is something you probably don’t want to do in public, but in the privacy of your own home or studio, it is a lifesaver for certain yarns. For example, I’m working on my NaKniSweMo sweater, in Tahki Donegal Tweed. Weaving in ends makes for bulk so I’m spit splicing as I go along, which is virtually undetectable.
(Not to mention I just finished a project for an upcoming Stitch Cooperative project that involved weaving in a zillion ends and I can’t bear one more loose end at the moment! Of any kind!)
The pattern I’m planning to release from this piece already has a name (Torc), and I’m ashamed to say that while this particular bag of Tahki was purchased specifically to knit Rogue, I’ve just never gotten around to it. It’s ok, I’ve got another bag of it in a different color, one of these days I will knit Rogue. Heck, I even swatched for it. Jenna, I swatched for you. I don’t swatch for anyone. But you…you I will swatch.
Fingers crossed Torc lives up to its big sister Rivulet…my most popular pattern, and it also started out as a NaKniSweMo project!
On sufficiently robust and loosely twisted yarns (I’ve used this on worsted weight singles and bulky 2-ply), I do a dry splice. I take a big tafety pin or needle and fluff out the ends for an inch or so, overlap the fluffy bits and rub them together as in a spit splice. I’ve found this makes an even more undetectable and strong join. Unfortunately, it’s not well suited to firmly twisted yarns, but it looks less weird in public and more importantly creates a join that is the same texture as the yarn. I’ve only tried it with bulky and worsted weight so far, but I think it might work for smaller weights if the yarn is the right texture to begin with.
I read SPLIT splicing and wondered what kind of fancy new thing that was 🙂
Hmm, how long is each piece of spliced overlap? Do elaborate for those of us in the dark ages of still weaving ends? LOVE the donegal tweeds after having the pleasure of touring the mill there in May! SO classic!
When I demo spit-splicing in my classes (particularly in these times of H1N1 paranoia), I just dip into whatever I’m drinking at the time. I have water-spliced, tea-spliced and coffee-spliced. Haven’t yet tried Diet Coke-splicing, but the time will come.
It gets a laugh, and I’m quite certain it gets remembered.