Wool Preparation Terms
by
Pegg Thomas
As with any form of art, spinning has its own language. It can be difficult
for the newcomer to sort through the terms and figure out their meanings.
Here are some of the basics dealing with wool and how it is prepared to be
spun.
Fleece – the unwashed fiber as it is shorn off the animal
Skirted Fleece – the unwashed fiber that has been sorted to remove all
undesirable parts
Scoured Fleece – the fleece has been washed to remove all the lanolin
Picked Fleece – the scoured fleece that has been run through a picker
to open the locks
Carding – opening the wool locks and loosely aligning the fibers to prepare
them for drafting and spinning, can be done with hand cards or commercially
Hand Carding – using a pair of hand cards to prepare fibers for spinning
Rolag – the resulting small rectangle that is taken from hand cards and
rolled into a loose tube
Drum Carding – using a drum carder, a table top sized piece of equipment
with a hand crank or motor to prepare fibers for spinning
Batt – the resulting large rectangle that is taken off a drum carder
Roving – a carded batt that has been pulled into a long continuous strip
by hand or commercial methods
Combing – opening the wool locks and completely aligning the wool fibers
to run parallel to each other
Hand Combing – using any hand held or table mounted device for combing
wool fibers
Sliver or Top – the prepared combed fibers pulled into a continuous strip
by hand or commercial methods
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