Why Carding Is Worth the Effort

Carding is the step that turns a bag of raw fleece into something a spindle can actually use. Wool straight off a sheep is a mass of fibres pointing in every direction, held together by crimp, lanolin and a fair amount of vegetable matter. Carding opens the fleece up, separates the fibres and lays them roughly parallel, so that when you draft them they slide past one another instead of fighting. Do this step well and spinning feels like a pleasure; rush it and you will spend the evening cursing lumps that will not draw out.

Two tools do most of the work at home. Hand cards, those curved wooden paddles set with fine wire teeth, are ideal for short to medium wools and for making soft, airy yarn. A flick carder, used on individual locks, is quicker for longwools and for fleece that still holds its structure. Most beginners start with hand cards and add a flick carder later.

Getting the Fleece Ready

You cannot card a dirty fleece. Lanolin makes fibres cling and grit wears your carding cloth, so wash first, in small batches, and be patient.

• Skirt the fleece. Spread it out and remove the belly wool, the daggy edges and any felted patches. Compost them or save them for the garden.
• Wash gently. Use water at about 40°C with a little wool wash. Do not agitate, do not rub, and never run cold water into a hot bath. Soak for fifteen minutes, lift the wool out, and repeat with fresh water until it rinses clean.
• Dry thoroughly. Lay the fleece on a rack or netting in the shade. Damp wool will not card well and may go musty.
• Tease. Before carding, pull the wool apart into loose, thumb-sized tufts, picking out straw and hay as you go. This single step saves more time than any other.

Using Hand Cards

Load one card lightly, spreading the teased tufts across the teeth rather than pressing them down into a solid mat. Hold the charged card in your left hand, teeth up, resting on your knee or lap board, and draw the empty card across it with a smooth, brushing stroke. The aim is transfer, not grinding. Work slowly at first, letting the teeth comb the fibres as they pass.

When the wool has moved across, you have one full card and one empty one. Card it back again, then repeat two or three more times, alternating hands. Between passes, strip the carded wool off one card by rolling it loosely and lifting it away — never pull it off in handfuls or you will undo your work. You are finished when the fibre looks light, fluffy and even, with no clumps or nep. If you are finding lots of little tangles, your fleece is probably still too greasy or you are loading too much at once.

Making Rolags

To turn a carded batt into spinnable form, lay the wool loosely along one card, place a dowel or the smooth handle of a spoon at the edge nearest you, and roll the wool away from you into a soft cylinder about the length of your hand. Slide the dowel out. This is a rolag, and it is the classic preparation for woollen spinning — yarn that is warm, fuzzy and full of air.

Stack your rolags in a basket with the ends pointing the same way, and keep a damp cloth over them if the air is dry. A dozen rolags is a good evening's work and roughly enough for a small pair of mittens.

Spinning Your Rolags on a Drop Spindle

A top-whorl drop spindle weighing between 30g and 50g suits medium wools well. Begin by attaching a leader thread to the shaft, then draft out a length of fibre about 15cm long and join it to the leader with a light overlap.

• Pre-draft. Before spinning, gently stretch each rolag lengthways until it is half its original thickness. This is the single greatest favour you can do your future self.
• Park and draft. Set the spindle spinning, then stop it between your knees. Draw the wool out with both hands until the yarn is the thickness you want, then let the twist run up into it. Stop, wind on, and begin again.
• Check your twist. Fold a length of freshly spun yarn back on itself and let it ply. If it looks balanced and pleasing, your twist is right. Too wiry, spin more slowly; too weak, add twist.

Plying and Finishing

Single yarn is lively and unbalanced, so most spinners ply two or three strands together in the opposite direction to the original twist. Wind your singles into balls, then ply them back, letting the twist do the work with only light guidance from your fingers.

Finally, set the twist: skein the yarn, tie it in four places, and soak it in warm water for twenty minutes. Squeeze rather than wring, roll it in a towel, and snap the skein sharply between your hands a few times to even out the twist. Hang it to dry, with a light weight if you want a straighter yarn. What you hold at the end — uneven, characterful, entirely yours — is yarn no shop could sell you.