In the textile arts, plying (from the French verb plier, "to fold", from the Latin verb plico, from the ancient Greek verb .) is a process of twisting one or more strings (called strands) of yarn together to create a stronger yarn. Strands are twisted together in the direction opposite that in which they were spun. Plied yarns will not unravel, break, or degrade as easily as unplied yarns. When enough twist is added to the plies to counter the initial twist of each strand, the resulting yarn is "balanced", having no tendency to twist upon itself. The number of strands used to make the yarn is usually the same as the number of plies it has. Two-ply yarn means two strands were used, three-ply yarn means three strands were used, etc. Embroidery floss is generally a six-ply yarn, for example. There are some exceptions to this, most notably in chain plying. Plying handspun yarns There are two common ways to ply a balanced yarn: regular and chain plying. Both methods involve the manipulation of "singles"—unplied strands on their own—into multiple-ply yarns by applying twist in the opposite direction than how the single was spun. For example, if in spinning the single the wheel was spinning clockwise (called a "Z" twist, as on any given side the fibres appear to cross each other like the line in the middle of the letter "Z"), the wheel must spin counter-clockwise (an "S" twist) in order to ply it. Regular plying Regular plying consists of taking 2 or more singles and twisting them together. This can be done on either a spinning wheel or a spindle. When plying, the singles are kept separate, either with the fingers or with a tool. This tool can be anything from the top of a salt dispenser, and the singles threaded through the holes, or a specially carved piece of wood with holes in it. The singles are kept separate to ensure that they do not get tangled and so the tension can be controlled. Most spinners who use spinning wheels ply from bobbins or spools. This is easier than plying from balls because there is less chance for the yarn to become tangled and knotted. So that the bobbins can unwind freely, they are put in a device called a Lazy Kate, or sometimes simply kate. The simplest lazy kate consists of wooden bars with a