I have some old prepared fleece that has been in a bag for a while. I know this won't be the best thing to spin with, but I have some I really love and want to salvage. I would appreciate any advice on carding it again and breathing some new life into it.

Cheers,

Erica

Comments

Mystic Handworks

Yes you can re-card it, but are you sure you need to?  A top hasn't been carded, it's been combed and the fibers are much more alinged than roving or a carded rolag.  If its compressed, you may just need to get it out of the bag and let it breathe a little.  If you want thin singles, you can pull off a nice length and then strip narrow but even sections lengthwise, that always seems to de-compress the bump for me.  I am only an average spinner, but that's my opinion.  If you want to blend this top with another fiber, then you would definitly want to card it, and a lot of artists start with roving or top and re-card.  Another thought, is you can pull off a staples length, tease it apart, then fold it over your index finger and spin from the fold.

Erica

Thanks so much for the tips! I'll give these a try. I'll admit the bag has been moved 6 times in nearly 10 years! Yikes !

Erica J

It's easier to draft now, but I'm still tempted to recard. any wisdom? I also found about half of my raw fleece ended up in my drum carder. Can I put this back through the carder?Thanks, Erica

 

mneligh

You could, but again, the fibers will be  less aligned than now.  I would hand fluff it -- stretch it laterally instead, but there is no harm in carding it provided it hasn't been felted.

Mystic Handworks

One thing that I forgot to mention, is that in my experience, Top, is best drafted with a short forward draw, rather than a long draw.  Its prepared to be drafted in a worsted fashion, not a woolen fashion, so if its really top and not roving, and it's fighting you, that may be one reason, and also you may try spinning from the opposite end.  There is a right end and a wrong end.

Group Audience