How to Prepare Cleaned Raw Sheep's Wool

Before wool can be knitted or even spun into yarn, it must be carded.

There are many steps in the process of turning a sheep's wool into a knitted item. The sheep must first be sheared and the wool must be cleaned. After the wool is cleaned, you must prepare it for the spinning process with a technique called "carding." Carding the wool fluffs, straightens and separates the wool fibers, making the wool much easier to work with. A hand carder, made up of two paddles with wire teeth, is the traditional tool used for this relaxing process.

Things You'll Need

• Hand carders

Instructions

1. Lay one of the cards in your lap with the teeth facing up.

2. Lay the wool across the teeth of the card until it covers the card's teeth completely.

3. Brush the wool across the card in your lap with the other card. Continue brushing the wool until it is distributed evenly on both cards.

4. Remove the wool from each of the cards and repeat Steps 1 through 3 with the carded wool. Repeat this entire process three times. After three times, the wool should be nice and fluffy.

5. Line the top end of one card up with the handle end of the card in your lap. Place the ends of the fibers on the card in your hand onto the teeth of the card in your lap. Use the teeth to lift the fibers and transfer them all to the card in your lap.

6. Place your hand underneath the ends of the fibers on the remaining card. Roll the fibers up with your hand until they form a fluffy log of wool called a "rolag." The wool is now ready for spinning.

References

• Joy of Hand Spinning: How to Prepare Fiber With Hand Carders