>From what I've experienced over the years, yarns that have been "set" in any way by washing/wetting after spinning do not ply as well as those that you ply directly after spinning....and I;ve tried it with Merino to get a very uneven and unbalanced ply. I would suggest plying begfore wetting. If the yarn bulks when you wet it before plying it will bulk after plying. Maybe you can ply with slightly looser tension to allow the yarn to really bloom the way it should. Another observation, even among "blooming fleece types" there is a great variation in how much one or the other bulks/blooms when finshed. I think loosely spun and plied yarns definitely bulk more than those that are more tightly spun and plied. Play with a few 15 - 20 yard sample skeins to see how it works. You can also check your fiber prep. Some preparations seem to bulk more than others - ie carded blooms more than combed in general. (I use bloom/bulk interchangeably here.) Understand the concern about knitting on airplanes. I don't know if I could fly w/o it as I can't read. Hope you can find a solution. DH and I flew El Al several years ago and their security was wonderful and really made us feel secure. DH declared my knitting needles as possible "weapons" - but they were allowed after inspection - - I had carefully taken my 4" sock needles. I was also allowed to keep with my my ginger "snips" after they were inspected. Things may settle down after they really have time to think things through and figure out what really constitutes a weapon. Personally I am all for airline security and safety - - and will give up my knitting if I have to for that, but hoping there can be a happy resolution somewhere. Ruthann in Southern AZ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Delia (Az-Kik'n Tuff-E-Nuff Delia CGC) Chihuahua Boomer, CGC Toy Poodle Come visit my website at: http://home.mindspring.com/~hovowart To stop mail temporarily mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: set nomail To restore send: set mail
