| This description is based on the | | | | fabric or a garment. |
| assumption that wool is the fibre being | | | | Removing the yarn from the wheel When |
| used. For hand-spinning most of the | | | | spinning on a spinning wheel, the yarn |
| fibre spun is wool, or a blend | | | | collects on a bobbin. Once the bobbin is |
| containing wool. Most animal hair fibre | | | | full, the spinner can either put on a |
| is handled with only a few modifications | | | | new bobbin, form a skein, or ball the |
| to the below description. Plant fibres | | | | yarn. |
| are prepared for spinning very | | | | If the yarn is to be plyed then the most |
| differently. | | | | common action is to put a new bobbin on |
| Sheep Shearing The first step in | | | | the wheel, and leave the yarn onto the |
| processing the wool is to collect it. | | | | bobbin so that the spinner can ply |
| Shearing can be done with use of | | | | directly from the bobbin. This makes for |
| hand-shears (tools that look like big | | | | greatest ease when plying, but cannot be |
| scissors) or powered shears. | | | | done if the spinner does not have enough |
| Professional sheep shearers can shear a | | | | bobbins. When plying from bobbins a |
| sheep in under a minute, without nicking | | | | device called a lazy kate is often used |
| the sheep once. At many state fairs | | | | to hold the bobbins. |
| there are sheep shearing contests, to | | | | If the spinner has the end result (i.e. |
| see who can shear a sheep the fastest. | | | | the yarn is already plied or is not |
| These contests mainly include older men, | | | | going to be), then most likely they will |
| with only a few youngsters. | | | | make a skein out of the yarn. A skein is |
| When the fleece comes off the sheep it | | | | a coil of yarn twisted into a loose |
| should be in one piece. Also, it is best | | | | knot. |
| if the shearer cuts close enough to the | | | | It is either formed on a niddy-noddy or |
| skin that a second cutting is not | | | | some other type of skein winder. |
| required. Second cuts make for very | | | | Traditionally niddy-noddys looked like |
| short fibres, which are more difficult | | | | an uppercase "i", with the bottom half |
| and not as much fun to deal with and | | | | rotated 90 degrees [3]. Now days |
| spin. | | | | spinning wheel manufactures also make |
| Primitive breeds, like the Scottish Soay | | | | niddy-noddys that attach onto the |
| sheep have to be plucked, not sheared, | | | | spinning wheel [4] for faster skein |
| as the kemps are still longer than the | | | | winding. |
| soft fleece, (a process called rooing) | | | | Rarely is the yarn balled directly after |
| or the fleece must be collected from the | | | | spinning. Normally hand-spun yarn will |
| field after it falls out. | | | | be stored in skein form, and transferred |
| Skirting Skirting basically means | | | | to a ball only if needed. (For example, |
| disposing of all wool that is unsuitable | | | | knitting from a skein, unless done very |
| for spinning (too short, has sheep dung | | | | carefully, ends up with the yarn in |
| in it, etc.) One often could spin this | | | | knots, so it is best to ball it first.) |
| wool, with much extra effort, if one | | | | Ply Plying yarn is when one takes a |
| wanted. (The dung can be washed out, the | | | | strand of spun yarn (one strand is often |
| short fibres - though with greater | | | | called a single) and spins it together |
| difficulty than longer ones - can be | | | | with other strands in order to make a |
| spun, and other objections can be | | | | thicker yarn. There are several ways, |
| similarly dealt with.) Thus this step | | | | the most common being regular and |
| can be skipped if necessary. It can also | | | | Navajo. |
| be done at the same time as carding. | | | | Regular plying consists of taking two or |
| Cleaning Before carding the wool, it | | | | more singles and twisting them together, |
| must be cleaned. At this point the | | | | the opposite way. This can be done on |
| fleece is full of lanolin and often | | | | either a spinning wheel or a spindle. |
| contains vegetable matter, such as | | | | The most important thing to remember |
| sticks, twigs, burs and straw. One way | | | | though is that the twist must go the |
| to prevent the vegetable matter from | | | | opposite direction. If in spinning the |
| getting into the fleece is to have the | | | | single the wheel was spinning clockwise |
| sheep wear a coat all year round. | | | | (which is called a "Z" twist, as on any |
| At this point there are two ways to go. | | | | given side the fibres appear to cross |
| The first is to simply pick out the | | | | diagonally in the same direction as the |
| vegetable matter, and move on to the | | | | diagonal of a "Z"), in order to ply it |
| next step. The lanolin is kept in the | | | | the wheel must spin counter-clockwise |
| wool. | | | | (an "S" twist). |
| People who enjoy spinning 'in the | | | | This is because otherwise you are not |
| grease' (i.e. spinning with the lanolin | | | | balancing the twist, just twisting it |
| still in the wool) prefer this method, | | | | more. The concept is similar to when a |
| and wait to wash the lanolin out until | | | | heavily twisted piece of yarn is folded, |
| they finish spinning. The lanolin can be | | | | and it twists up on itself. It is most |
| left in the wool after spinning as well, | | | | common for singles to be spun with a "Z" |
| making the fabric or garment water | | | | twist, and then plied with an "S" twist. |
| repellent. If one doesn't want to spin | | | | Navajo plying consists of making large |
| in the grease, the other option is to | | | | loops, similar to crocheting. First make |
| take both the vegetable matter and the | | | | a loop about 8 inches long through the |
| lanolin out. | | | | loop on the end on the leader. (A leader |
| Washing the wool at this stage can be a | | | | is the string left on the bobbin to spin |
| tedious process, if you let it. Some | | | | off of.) Start spinning all three |
| people wash it a small handful at a time | | | | strands together in the opposite |
| very carefully, and then set it out to | | | | direction than that they were spun in. |
| dry on a table in the sun. Other people | | | | When only 2 to 3 inches remain of the |
| will stick the whole fleece in a tub of | | | | loop, pull a new loop of yarn through |
| water and soap (dishwashing detergent | | | | the loop, and continue spinning. The new |
| works well), let it sit, swish it | | | | loop should be around 7 inches long. |
| around, and refill the tub with new | | | | Repeat this process until the yarn is |
| water occasionally until the fleece is | | | | all plied. Only one single is necessary, |
| clean (of soap and dirt). One carding | | | | and if the single is already dyed this |
| mill puts the fleece in a washing | | | | technique allows it to be plied without |
| machine (that has been slightly modified | | | | ruining the colour scheme. This |
| for this purpose) and melts the lanolin | | | | technique also allows the spinner to try |
| away by soaking the fleece in very hot | | | | to match up thick and thin spots in the |
| water. All these methods work. The thing | | | | yarn, thus making for a smoother end |
| not to do when washing fleece is to rub | | | | product. |
| it against itself too much. If the | | | | Most spinners (who use spinning wheels) |
| fleece gets agitated, it will become | | | | ply from bobbins. This is easier than |
| felt, and then spinning it is | | | | plying from balls because there is less |
| impossible. Felting, when done on | | | | chance for the yarn to become tangled |
| purpose (with needles, chemicals, or | | | | and knotted if it is simply unwound from |
| simply rubbing the fibres against each | | | | the bobbins. So that the bobbins can |
| other), can be used to create garments. | | | | unwind freely, they are put in a device |
| Carding Before spinning it is a good | | | | called a lazy kate, or sometimes simply |
| idea to get the fleece into a slightly | | | | kate. The simplest lazy kate consists of |
| more manageable state. It is possible to | | | | wooden bars with a metal rod running |
| spin directly from a fleece, if it is a | | | | between them. Most hold between three |
| very clean one, but it is much easier to | | | | and four bobbins. The bobbin sits on the |
| spin a carded fleece. Carding by hand | | | | metal rod. Other lazy kates are built |
| yields a rolag, a loose woollen roll of | | | | with devices that create an adjustable |
| fibres. | | | | amount of tension, so that if the yarn |
| Using a drum carder yields a bat, which | | | | is jerked, a whole bunch of yarn is not |
| is a mat of fibres in a flat, | | | | wound off, then wound up again in the |
| rectangular shape. Most carding mills | | | | opposite direction. Some spinning wheels |
| return the fleece in a roving , which is | | | | come with a built in lazy kate. Picture |
| a stretched bat; it is very long and | | | | of lazy kates, with tension device. |
| often the thickness of a wrist. (A | | | | Washing If the lanolin was not washed |
| pencil roving is a roving thinned to the | | | | out before, this is the point at which |
| width of a pencil. It is often used for | | | | it gets washed out, unless the lanolin |
| knitting without any spinning, or for | | | | is to be left in the cloth as a water |
| beginning spinners.) Many hand-spinners | | | | repellent. When washing a skein it works |
| send their wool out to carding mills to | | | | well to let the wool soak in soapy water |
| be carded, as one good-sized fleece may | | | | overnight, and rinse the soap out in the |
| take weeks to card with a drum-carder, | | | | morning. Dishwashing detergents are |
| or an eternity by hand. If the fleece is | | | | commonly used, and a special laundry |
| sent to a carding mill, it must be | | | | detergent designed for washing wool is |
| washed before carded. | | | | not required. The dishwashing detergent |
| Most mills offer washing the wool as a | | | | works and does not harm the wool. After |
| service, with extra fees if the wool is | | | | washing, let the wool dry (air drying |
| exceptionally dirty. Other hand-spinners | | | | works best). Once it is dry, or just a |
| simply buy their fibres pre-carded. | | | | bit damp, one can stretch it out a bit |
| Spinning Hand spinning can be done many | | | | on a niddy-noddy. Putting the wool back |
| different ways, the two most common | | | | on the niddy-noddy makes for a nicer |
| being by use of the spinning wheel or | | | | looking finished skein. Before taking a |
| the spindle. | | | | skein and washing it, the skein must be |
| Spinning turns the carded wool fibres | | | | tied up loosely in about six places. If |
| into yarn which can then be directly | | | | the skein is not tied up, it will be |
| woven, knitted (flat or circular), | | | | very hard to unravel when done washing. |
| crocheted, or by other means turned into | | | | |