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
Twin
Willows Farm
