How to Fix a Slub in Handspun Yarn

It is inevitable that at some point in your yarn spinning adventures, you will make what is called a “slub”. A slub is a short, underspun section of yarn that, if you’re aiming for yarn consistency, will drive you bonkers. Here’s how to fix a slub in your handspun yarn.

Fixing a Slub in Handspun

Before we discuss how to get rid of slubs in your yarn, it is important to note that many folks like to make slubs in their yarn, and do so intentionally. These can create a beautiful art yarn, and make for fun, interesting projects. If this is not your intent, however, you have found the right place!

When spinning along and drafting your fiber, there ~~may~~ will come a time that you grab too much off the fiber and you get an unsightly bump in your yarn. The fiber there is obviously underspun, it is thick, and could be difficult to simply pull apart or smooth out. In this instance, this is how I fix a slub:

1. Firmly grasp the yarn on either side of the slub.

2. Twist in the opposite direction. (So that the ends of the slub untwist).

3. Gently – and I do mean gently! – pull on either end of the slub to thin out the fibers.

Once the thickness of the fiber is the same as you have been drafting for this bobbin, release and let the twist travel into the underspun portion. Voila!

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The most important thing here is that you do not pull the fibers so far that you now have a thin spot in your handspun. If you encounter a particularly large slub, you may need to fix it in sections. Many times you’ll have a slub, then a thin spot directly behind it, with another slub following closely behind. This will get better as you practice your drafting consistency, but at least now you know how to fix them as they happen!

This works on both the spinning wheel and drop spindle, and the process is the same:

That’s it!

Fixing a slub in handspun yarn does take some practice, but this has got to be the single most useful thing I’ve learned along my spinning journey. Make one intentionally, and see if this doesn’t do the trick!