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Carding stage 1

WHEN you went to buy your drop spindles or spinning wheels you must have noticed the shop was also selling hand carders and perhaps you wondered what they were and why I had not mentioned them in my articles.

Well the reason I did not mention them before was because I thought it would be better for you to get used to using either the drop spindle or spinning wheel without having the worry of sorting out the difference between a woollen yarn and a semi worsted yarn as this may have caused you some confusion.

Carding and combing fleece are the methods used by hand spinners to arrange fibres before spinning the fleece into a woollen or a semi worsted yarn. The aim is to produce a controlled yarn which can be used for either knitting or weaving. A woollen spun yarn is a type of yarn that has been spun from a carded fleece. Air is trapped between the fibres when carding so this type of yarn is warmer than a semi worsted yarn.

There are two types of hand carders - curved and flat. The preferred type is the spinners own choice but by using the flat carders more of the points can work against the opposing carder at any moment than with the curved type. Each carder consists of a piece of wood 20cms x10cms (8ins x 4ins) with wooden handle. On the underside of the wood there is a piece of canvas with wire hooks attached to it. A wooden handle is on the back of the carder and is securely fixed to the main part of the carder to give adequate strength when carding.

After buying the hand carders it is necessary to apply linseed oil to the wood as this stops the grease from the fleece becoming absorbed, also take the carders and label them left and right as they will wear unevenly. To clean the carders hold them both in the same direction with the spikes facing each other, brush one across the other. Do not wash the carders as they will be difficult to dry and may rust.

Before carding can begin the fleece needs to be teased by hand so foreign matter such as seeds and thorns can be removed from the fleece as these will cause the fibres to cling together in the affected areas. This teasing out process is dependent on the individuals preference and also on the condition of the fleece. A fleece with locks that are clearly defined only requires slight opening out and teasing. These fibres can be added to the carder with little disturbance. A fleece with a short stable and close texture will need a lot of teasing before being carded.

Take the left hand carder marked with a L and place it on your left knee - (photo 1) wire hooks uppermost - with the handle being grasped with the palm of your left hand. With your right hand apply the teased fleece firmly and evenly on to the left hand carder - drawing against the direction of the wire hooks (photo 2). Take the carder marked with a R in the right hand with the wire hooks facing down draw this carder across the wire hooks of the left carder repeat this action about four times. (Photo 3) The next stage is to transfer the remaining fibres from the left hand carder on to the right hand carder, this is done by not changing the position of the hands on the carders but by turning the right hand carder over so the wire hooks are uppermost.

Now put the bottom edge of the left carder (wire hooks facing down) over the bottom edge of the right carder using pressure transfer the fibres from the left carder to the right carder (photo 4) Repeat the same but from right to left carder. The fibres are now ready to be made into a rolag. To do this transfer the fibres from the left to the right hand carder as before but by using less pressure, continue to do this until the fibres appear light and airy and lying free on the right hand carder. Take the fibres and place them on the back of left hand carder which is now on your knees with the handle facing to the left and the wire hooks facing down, pat the fibres with the wooden side of the right hand carder, with this carder lift the edge of the fibres - about 2.5cms - press the fibres down so they fold on to themselves now roll the fibres across the fibres across the remaining fibres from right to left this should result in a cylindrical roll known as a rolag (photo 5) The rolag is now ready to spin into a yarn.

A semi worsted yarn is prepared and spun from fibres that have a stable length of at least eight centimetres (three inches) The fibres are arranged for spinning by taking a lock of the selected fleece in the left hand then using a wool hackle or dogs comb in the right hand stroke the tips of the locks and ease them free of each other, turn the lock around and treat the root of the lock in the same way. The lock now needs to be put into a basket to await spinning. The finished yarn is smother and firmer less hairy and also cooler than a woollen yarn as the parallel arrangement used when spinning semi worsted yarn traps less air to hold in the warmth.

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