This is my preferred method of fibre prep for batts or wool top: splitting and pre-drafting the fibre for speedier spinning, and making it easier to spin a fine, consistent yarn. These particular batts are wool and flax tow, but I use this method for most batts or hand-dyed wool top before I start spinning.
Splitting and pre-drafting batts to spin fine yarn
When I’m handspinning, splitting and pre-drafting the batt before I sit down at the wheel is how I tend to prepare my spinning fibre, particularly if I want to spin a finer yarn.
In my experience, this pre-spinning process makes the actual spinning so much smoother and faster, and helps me achieve a more consistent handspun yarn. For this particular spinning project, I’ve been working with some hand-dyed wool and flax tow batts, but the same method works just as well with my hand-dyed wool top or other wool top.
Follow this craft project from start to finish
This post is part of a series where I’m documenting my progress on this big craft project, following the fibre all the way from raw material to the finished piece. I’m using plant-dyed British wool and some flax tow, and if you’d like to see how I’ve prepared all these fibres up until now, you can find the full playlist over on YouTube and right here on the blog:
The batts I’m spinning from
These batts have been a long-term craft project where I have blended up wool fleece and flax tow that I have scoured, processed and hand-dyed.
The wool fleece, a combination of Shetland x Teeswater and Shetland x Romney, is from Fernhill Farm (just 20 miles from me). The flax is from Flaxland (about 40ish miles from me), which I picked up on a visit back in 2017 (I told you it was a long-term craft project…). I dyed the wool myself in two batches: one with rhubarb root from my old garden in Bath, and another with onion skins from my local veg box. The flax I left its natural, undyed colour.
I keep my batts rolled up like sausages until I’m ready to use them. Once unrolled, you’ll see in the video that I’ve tried to align the staples fairly parallel, which makes it easier for me to aim towards a semi-worsted spin. It won’t be truly worsted as I haven’t combed the fibre (in a worsted prep, the fibres are combed so that the fibres run neatly, all facing the same direction), and I won’t be doing a worsted spin, but this approach helps me mimic that smoother, stronger handspun yarn that I will need for my ultimate weaving project.
Splitting the fibres (and a note on colour management)
I start by tearing off narrow strips of fibre from the batt. This can be useful for managing the colours if you’re working with wool top or batts that have colour variation along the width of the fibre, or splattered about.
The narrower your strips, the shorter each block of colour will appear in your handspun yarn. This means you can control the length of the segments of each colour, so you can distribute the colour as you like, giving you more control of how the final spin will look. For context, there's a look at how I apply this method for colour management of hand-dyed wool top here.
In this case, colour management isn’t such a big concern, so I simply pulled off strips and rolled them into little nests. Because these batts were carded with the fibres mostly parallel, the strips come away quite easily, but if you’re working with true woollen-prepped batts (where the fibres run in all directions), it might take a bit more teasing apart, but it’s still doable.
Pre-drafting for finer spinning
I want to spin a finer yarn to use for a weaving project, so this is the step that will really make a difference to spinning it for me.
I find that predrafting my fibre helps me to better control the thickness of the fibre, so it’s more consistent when I am spinning. This, in turn, makes the whole spinning process far more enjoyable and faster - something I appreciate on these larger spinning projects.
To pre-draft, I hold the strip of fibre with my hands placed a little further apart than the staple length, and gently pull so the fibres slide apart. My grip isn’t tight; rather, I am relying on the natural friction of the fibres to just pull away from each other. Because I’m aiming for a very fine handspun yarn, I am going back over my strips, giving them another pass until the fibre feels light and consistent.
Once I’m happy, I wrap the drafted fibre into a little nest, ready to spin.
Why I love this method of pre-drafting fibre
Pre-drafting each strip of fibre like this works well for me. It means I can focus more on getting twist into the yarn when I’m spinning, rather than constantly stopping to draft as I go. This allows me to be more intuitive when I spin and also gives me a chance to get to know the fibre before I start spinning - a part of the craft process that I really enjoy. I like that you can really take it slowly and learn how the fibre behaves. Figuring out how much grip you need, how far apart your hands need to be to get that consistent thickness.
My aim here is a fine singles yarn with enough strength for weaving, and this method helps me to achieve that. It also works nicely if you are working with commercial tops that may be compacted and benefit from loosening up before spinning.
It’s a nice drafting practice, without having to worry about treadling - or if you’re working from a spindle, without having to worry about spinning the yarn at the same time. It’s simple, and it means I can focus on the rhythm of spinning, making the whole craft process far more meditative and enjoyable.
Don't miss the next stage of this craft project
As I mentioned at the start, if you'd like to catch up with the rest of this craft project, from washing the fleece to dyeing with plants and preparing flax, you can watch the full process on my YouTube playlist.
And if you want to see how the spinning (and eventually, weaving) turns out, please do subscribe to my YouTube channel, and you’ll be notified when my next video is released.
I can’t wait to share how this handspun yarn turns out once it’s spun and woven.
Until next time!
Stay connected with all things Marina Skua.
If you’d like to keep up with everything I’m working on between podcast episodes, please do subscribe to my newsletter. It’s the best way to stay in the loop about events I’ll be attending, shop updates, new product releases, publications, and additions to the website. You also get a 10% discount code with your next order.
I’ve also recently added an events page to the website, where you can see all the upcoming places I’ll be. Whether it’s events I’m attending, talks I’m giving, or markets where you can come and squish some hand-dyed British wool yarns or just have a chat in person.
For more casual life and crafting updates, you can follow me on Instagram, where I’ve been posting a bit more frequently, or join me on Facebook if that’s your preference.
And if you’d like even more behind-the-scenes content, you can join me over on Patreon. Subscribers get loads of extra perks, like early access to limited edition spinning fibre drops, membership in my exclusive Discord group and even (depending on your tier) free knitting patterns and discounts each month!
See you next time.
