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How to card wool ready for the spinning process.

Carding is the process that takes raw wool and prepares it for spinning. There are two main methods of carding wool, one by brush which is the traditional way, and one by using a carding machine that feeds the wool into a rotating drum and combs the hair at the same time.

For the purpose of this article, I have described the process of carding wool by brush, since it is the most popular method and the most useful for people that are new to working with raw wool. Various kinds of wool can be used, from mohair to camel, dogs hair to actual sheep's wool and all are carded in preparation for the spinning process.

Having sorted out the different kinds of wool into piles and given it a clean with water that has no soap content, and then dried out, taking little pieces of the fleece or wool and dragging the bunch of wool over one carding brush helps you to get all the hairs facing the same way. These are then brushed between the pair of carding brushes, and it takes a while to learn how to produce what is called a rolag which is what you spin from.

Brushing the wool several times with the carding brushes takes out all of the lumps and bumps in the wool, and at first pulling the strands off the brushes and rolling them so that all the hairs go around a tube like structure creates that first rolag, though doing this with the back of the carding brushes makes the process quicker and can be learned very easily.

Take the wool and spread it on one carding brush. Pull the other carding brush diagonally over the top of the first brush in one stroke. Then with another stroke, brush the wool the other way. When all the wool is on the left hand brush, flick up the end at the bottom of the left hand brush and gently pull the brushed wool from the carding pins on that brush.

Gently roll the rolag using the back of one of the brushes to form the perfect rolag. By making these in advance of your spinning, it makes the spinning process easier since you will not have to keep stopping to make more. Usually I make around 30 rolags at a time, giving me a great start to spinning.

To mix wools during the carding process, simply add little bits of other colors to get the mix that you want to achieve before carding, brush them together neatly, make the rolag, and the overall effect will not matter very much since this usually evens out in the spinning process. Mixing increases your spinning possibilities and is a super way to bring some different aspect to the work that you do without the expense of dyeing. Here, you can use black, gray, or colored fleece and add white to make the different shades of natural coloring required.

If working in greater quantities, it may be worthwhile considering a carding machine, although for hobbyists, the brushes are very easy to find in craft shops, and inexpensive, allowing even the amateur to try out their skill of carding the wool.

Learn more about this author, Rachelle de Bretagne.
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