The term "2 ply wool" is mainly used to refer to yarn or knitting materials comprised of 2 plies of wool. The wool can be any type of wool, so you can have 2 ply wool in Merino, Alpaca, Aran or any variety of wool that exists today. This wool is a very light, gossamer wool weave that is known for being soft and pliant.

Wool that is plied together like 2 ply or other plies like 4 ply wool also comes in weights. The weight of the spin or ply rating determines the needle that is used to knit the garment or project. The right knitting needle is required as this allows the wool to be intertwined properly and at the right tension. Too much tension and the item will have a tight feel to it when finished and may also fray along the staple. 

Weaving & Spinning 2 Ply Wool

There are several ways of weaving or spinning 2 ply wool. In the old days, all this was done by hand. It was not until the beginning of the industrial revolution that looms, distaffs and spinning tables came into existence. This helped facilitate the mass production of plied wool yarns and such.  

What is meant by 2 ply wool is that there are two wool ply fibers woven together to form yarn, as opposed to 3 ply wool that uses three. The wool can be twisted in either direction (left to right or right to left) depending on your preference. The twist of the wool is denoted as a "Z" twist or an "S" twist.

2 Ply Wool & Twists Per Inch

The tautness of the twists in the 2 ply wool yarn is measured in twists per inch or TPI. The more twists per inch, the tighter the yarn. This will affect the softness quality of the item it is used to knit. Typically, 2 ply wool is kept at a relatively low TPI so it remains soft and pliable when used in a project.

2 ply wool is used for many items, primarily heirloom baby blankets, shawls and lacy looking items. The 2 ply wool is fine enough to not be bulky in the finished product. The fine weight of this type of wool makes it ideal for lighter weight sweaters or scarves as well. Even though the wool is light, it retains its qualities of water resistance and heat retention when worn.

2 ply wool yarn is spun so that it is generally more open and captures more air, allowing it to appear bulkier, yet remain as soft as the spinner desires. The technique used to spin two ply wool in this manner is called long draw and is still done by hand today on rolags. Tighter wool yarns that keep the fibers running strictly in a single direction is what we call worsted. Wool yarns are less "kempt" if you will and have a homemade look and feel to them from the start.

Many colors of 2 ply wool yarn are available today. Literally every color of 2 ply wool you can imagine is available. A practiced spinner can ply together different colors to create patterns and multi colored wool yarn to give their knitting projects character and sight appeal.