Glossary

BATT - carded sections of fiber, as they come off the drumcarder

CARD, CARDED, CARDING - when all the fibers are brushed into a light fluffy mass. Some trash may fall out during this process, but the main idea is to untangle and produce a mass, either a batt from a drumcarder or a rolag from handcards, which can then be handled while spinning.

COMB, COMBING, COMBED - preparing the fibers so that they are all aligned parallel to each other. Generally this process includes the removal of short fibers so that the fibers are generally all the same length. This produces a more dense, stronger thread.

CRIMP - the natural curl in fiber

FIBER - the unspun wool, hair, plant; in contrast to the thread that is spun

"A FLEECE" - all the wool off one sheep, also off mohair goats, llamas or alpacas

FLEECE - unwashed fiber, usually when you are talking about part of "A FLEECE"

FLICK - a preparation method working with locks of wool. A single, smallish card or comb is used to fluff out the locks, loosening the tips and removing most of the short fibers. This is similar to combing but makes up small handfuls instead of a continuous top

GREASE WOOL or, IN THE GREASE - wool just as it comes off the sheep, not scoured

PENCIL ROVING - in the carding process in a mill, the roving can be pulled into more narrow strips. At this stage they are about the size of a pencil

PUNI - a small, tightly rolled mass of cotton rolled off a handcard

ROLAG - the prepared fiber as pulled and rolled up off a handcard

ROVING - continuous strips of prepared fiber, usually carded, but combed fibers can be call roving also. According to SPIN-OFF Fall, 1992, it is "wool which has been carded, drawn and drafted slightly with a slight twist"

SLIVER - generally we call combed cotton preparations "sliver"; but according to SPIN-OFF Fall, 1992 it is "prepared wool which has been carded and gathered into a loose, soft, untwisted strand, usually about the thickness of a thumb". In my mind, sliver is smaller in diameter than roving and in commercially prepared fibers for handspinners usually include cotton, ramie, some silks and hemp

STAPLE - a single length of fiber

TOP - the continuous preparation from the combing process. Commercially prepared top is usually a wider section that can be further drafted or actually separated lengthwise prior to spinning to aid control

WOOL - has many definitions. It can be the hair sheep, rabbits, llamas and alpacas grow. It can be the raw material, the yarn and the fabrics from the above animals.