{"id":5486,"date":"2020-10-31T09:49:55","date_gmt":"2020-10-31T08:49:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/waltin.se\/josefinwaltinspinner\/?p=5486"},"modified":"2020-10-31T10:35:27","modified_gmt":"2020-10-31T09:35:27","slug":"combing-different-fiber-lengths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/waltin.se\/josefinwaltinspinner\/combing-different-fiber-lengths\/","title":{"rendered":"Combing different fiber lengths"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At the moment I have around 20 fleeces waiting to be spun. It is not always easy but I try to work them in order \u2013 first in first out. I have had to give up on some fleeces that have gone brittle and stale. The other day I finished a Gute fleece and next in line is a beautiful finull\/rya cross that got a silver medal in the 2018 fleece championships<\/a>. In this post I show you how I am combing different fiber lengths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The finull\/rya fleece has the most beautiful locks. They are more rya-like in their appearance, but still soft like finull<\/a>. The outercoat is long and silky and the undercoat soft like cashmere. The draft feels like a luxurious night cream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Finull\/rya
My finull\/rya fleece when I bought it at the auction at the 2018 fleece championships.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cookie Monster wants all the cookies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the reasons why I have procrastinated for so long with this fleece is that I really didn’t know how to bring out the superpowers in it. Should I go for shine or softness? To get the shine my choice would have been to comb the wool and spin it worsted and for softness I would have opted for carding and woolen spinning. But deep down the Cookie Monster wanted all of it \u2013 both shine and softness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get both shine and softness in one yarn takes some planning and testing. Since this yarn was so soft I decided to go for a combing preparation \u2013 I figured that the wool was soft enough to still result in a soft yarn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Combing different fiber lengths<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After having read an article in the fall 2020 issue of Spin-Off magazine<\/a> I knew what to do. Kim McKenna writes in her article Wool combing and the importance of planking<\/em> about how to comb more evenly for a strong worsted yarn. My goal for this fleece isn’t a strong worsted yarn, but I think the technique will suit my goal perfectly \u2013 I want to make sure the fibers are as evenly distributed as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choosing a comb<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Since the fleece I work with has quite a lot of different fiber lengths I want to make sure they are as evenly distributed as I can manage. Therefore I use a single pitched pair of mini combs. Using two-pitched combs may result in more of a separation between the fiber lengths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loading<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I load the combs with the cut end as close to the tines as I can. I try not to load more than a third of the height of the tines. Too much wool will make it tougher on my hands and arms. It will also give me an uneven result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n