Getting Started: Tools
Preparing fiber for spinning from raw fleece can seem intimidating and expensive when you’re just starting out, but doesn’t have to be. There are two easy ways to prepare your fiber that can use inexpensive substitutes for more expensive fiber tools. Here are my recommendations for easy to acquire tools to start you on the road to working with wool.
After you’ve scoured your wool and let it dry, there are a few options for what to do next. One of the easiest things to do is to spin right from the locks, after “flicking” them open. This article from Spin Off magazine has excellent instructions on how to do this. My first flicker brush was a pet brush I picked up for under $15 at Target, like this one you can get at Amazon. The “self cleaning” feature is particularly nice and totally worth the extra couple of bucks. I still used this brush to open up locks before drum carding until this year, when I upgraded to a beautiful flicker brush from Celestial Farms (who are also another Oregon small business!).
Combing wool locks is another method to prep your fleece, especially for fine fleeces or if you want to produce a worsted-style yarn. A very basic description for using mini-combs can be found here. I started out with these honeycomb capping forks as a substitute for much more expensive mini wool combs. I still use them all the time to comb small amounts of wool that I’m sampling. In the long run, if you find you love the results you get from combing your fleeces, do invest in actual wool combs as these are not ergonomically designed for wool combing. The capping forks can cause hand fatigue if I use them to comb a lot of fleece and be careful of your knuckles! I’ve jabbed myself pretty good a few times. For a low-cost entry level tool just to try things out, they’re great. Celestial Farms also sells beautiful comb and hackle sets when you’re ready to upgrade.
My “mini combs”
I still use these all the time to prep sample quantities of wool.
Both of these methods are low cost ways to dip your toes into the world of DIY fiber preparation with minimal investment. If you’re like me and fall in love with the process of turning a raw wool fleece into yarn, you’ll be ready to invest in purpose built fiber tools like a drum carder. I still use my “entry level” tools all the time though, so don’t feel like you have to spend a lot to prepare fiber like a pro!
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