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