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Article #1: Wool hand processing

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






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