To start your Navaho-three-ply make a loop. Through this loop you will pull consecutive loops. Now treadle slowly and add just enough twist to make a balanced yarn. If you are using a single make sure that you spin opposite the original twist. If you are using a commercial yarn or a two ply, your newly plied yarn will not be balanced. As you can see, you have been crocheting a chain. Navaho-three-ply is nothing more than putting twist on a thread that has been crocheted.

Here are a few of the hang ups:
1) As you allow twist to enter the chain all three portions of the chain must be held under equal tension so that the thread is smooth when twisted. If it is not held equally and one is much looser that the others a loop will stick out of the thread (we can use this for novelty later on).
2) Work slowly or on a very slow ratio wheel. It is far too easy to but over-twist on the ply and have a yarn way out of balance.

3) If the fiber and the first ply is fluffy--the chains will not show. If you are working with a smooth, hard or worsted type yarn--the chain will stand out. This is especially true with stiff fibers. Try and select as supple a fiber as possible. The Navaho-three-ply done with a nice soft woolen does not show the chains. Also help yourself out by making chains as long as manageable.Each one of these problems becomes accentuated when you begin to do novelty yarns. KEEPING COLORS SEPARATE

When you have a variegated yarn with nice distinct color differences, the Navaho-three-plyenables you to keep the colors distinct while plying. If you were making a standard two or three ply yarn out of a variegated yarn, the colors would become mottled. To make the colors distinct in the Navaho-three-ply, be sure that each chain starts with a new color and pull the loops carefully so that one color only is in each loop.

BULKING UP

This is the easiest way to make a fine yarn into a medium to heavy weight yarn. First Navaho-three-ply the fine yarn opposite its original twist giving it extra twist for future plying. When this is complete repeat this procedure making sure to twist this ply opposite the first ply. If you plan on plying a third time add extra twist to the second ply as you spin. You can continue Navaho-three-ply until you have the desired weight yarn. But remember: 1) Each ply is almost three times the last. 2) With each ply the chain will show more. I find this method especially good for fine silks. The chains add a design factor and knitted, crocheted or woven the yarns are lovely.

FOUR AND FIVE PLIES

A: To make four and five plies or multiples such as a seven, eight, ten or eleven ply; start with two or more singles (or commercial yarns). Pick which single you want to be the dominate factor either for its color, diameter or texture. Chain the chosen thread and carry the other yarn or yarns along next to it as you add twist to the new yarn.

B: Use singles of the same diameter and twist. Chain one (a) and carry the other (b), now switch to chaining (b) and carrying (a). The yarn being chained will be dominate and the other will barely show. You have a large amount of control over the spacing for a variegated yarn this way.

C: Try the same technique as B but use three yarns. Vary which single you chain--make them evenly spaces--try patterns--how about using different diameter yarns.

D: Start with three or more singles--chain one of the yarns, now chain two, skip around chaining one, two or three. This techniques makes a yarn that varies in diameter.

ONE STEP BOUFLES

To make a simple, balanced boufles in one step, pick a singles with a good amount of twist on it, it can be a woolen or worsted but a single with a bit of nap gives better results than one that is very smooth. Begin chaining and adding twist, at each chain insert a bit of fluff. Long fluff such as mohair works better and stay in the yarn well. Nylon that is now on the market in roving form is also excellent for boufles.

BOUCLES

For a simple, balanced boucle in one step, pick two yarns, one that will make the loops and one that will be the core. To begin, chain the core just as if making and normal Navaho-three-ply and carry the other yarn along side while spinning. Do not put any tension the loop yarn but allow it to tangle in the core yarn. Work slowly and make sure the loop yarn enters a portion of each chain, this is what anchors the loop yarn.

SLUBS

Slubs are created by working one yarn back and forth on the other while plying. Doing this with the Navaho-three-ply works best if the singles have a good over-twist to start. As always ply opposite the original twist.

A: For small slub use the singles not being chained for the slub.

B: For a large slub wrap the chained yarn around the single.

C: If your coordination is very good you will learn to use three yarns at once and make three different colored slubs. Work very slowly.

CANDY STRIPES

Probably the most difficult of the three plies to make (actually it is a six ply) is candy stripes. Starting with two different colored singles of about the same twist and diameter, chain each separately with each hand and allow them to two ply together. Work very, very slowly. With slight variation of tension many novelty yarns can be made.

Make note: 1) A very fine thread such as a lurex will disappear if it is carried along with a bulky woolen being chained. 2) If you chain the lurex and carry the woolen be sure that there is enough twist on the original woolen that it doesn't fall apart after the plying, or have too much over-twist. 3) Balancing these yarns is not easy and all should be washed, blocked and tested before being made into a completed piece.