Spinning Tips and Hints

Spinning your own yarn can be very relaxing and rewarding, but for a beginner, it can seem a bit scary, too.  That's why I will be compiling a list of spinning tips and hints here.  This page is still under construction.  If you would like to contribute to this page, Please use the contact form.  I will credit your tips to you.  Thank you for participating.

Commercial Combed Top

Commercial Combed Top is formed in mills, and is the most common form you will find fiber for sale.  It is created by first carding, then combing the fiber on large machines, and many mills use chemical processes to remove veggie matter (VM) and foreign substances from the fiber.  This is also the base that most "premium batts" are created from.

• When spinning from Combed Top, you should not need to "pre-draft" as a matter of course.  If the top is undyed or has been dyed properly, it should draft easily while spinning.  The most it may need is a light fluffing up.

• Top can always be split for color management.  depending on the color effect you want, you may choose to split the top the long way or into shorter chunks.

• Occasionally, you may find Combed Top which has been more compacted in the dyeing process.  At Crystal City Fibers, we do not sell these tops, but if you do come in contact with a top like this, LIGHT predrafting may be used to loosen up the fibers.  Alternatively, splitting the top can also help loosen the fibers.  Never predraft or split to the thickness you want, though, or your yarn will be incredibly dense.  You should ALWAYS need to draft during spinning.

Hand Carded Rolags

Hand Carded Rolags are the traditional prep form you will use to create a true woolen yarn.  Rolags are created using Hand Cards, and are also the easiest form of fiber prep to create at home.  To learn to make a Rolag, See my photo tutorial at The Beebas' Bottoms: The Art of the Rolag.  

 

• When spinning for a true woolen yarn, you will want to use a form of long draw.  Long draw does not have to be a single handed spinning experience, but it will take practice and trust in yourself and your fiber.  Be sure when learning The Art of Long Draw that you are working with a quality fiber, in a good prep form.  Rolags are ideal for this.

• To spin a rolag, you may choose to spin it as it is, holding it lightly in your hand and allowing fiber to pull out as you spin.  You may also choose to draft it out a bit into a form of roving, and spin in a more worsted style.

Drum Carded Batts

Drum Carded Batts are created by using a Drum carder.  These machines are not inexpensive, and take some getting used to. Batts come in 2 primary categories: "Smooth" batts and "Art" batts.  At Crystal City Fibers, we focus primarily on smooth batts.  A smooth batt should be light and airy with no large lumps or bumps of fiber.  it should be very easy to spin with very little preparation, and is ideal for making practically any kind of yarn you prefer.  Art batts may have a large amount of "texture", incorporating larger items, sometimes including peices of already spun yarns or ribbons, and is best used to create an "art" yarn.  These Art batts will not easily create a smooth yarn.

 

There are many ways to spin batts.  Below are just some ways I have found:

• Tear your batt into strips and spin as lengths of roving.
• Tear your batt into one long strip, and spin as a single length of roving.
• Tear your batt into sections about the length of the fiber, and roll into rolags.
• Tear your batt into chunks and spin "from the fold" (my favorite method)
• Roll your batt into one large rolag and spin from the end.
• Roll your batt into one large rolag and pull gently into roving.
• Roll your batt into a large cigar (roll so that the fibers are paralell to one another) and pull gently into a sliver (very much like top, but looser)
• Video- Pull your batt gently through a diz to create a light anf fluffy roving. With practice, you can creat continuous lengths this way. Wrap them into balls or "birdsnests" to store.