Carding Wool

Carding Wool
Originally uploaded by Pictures by Ann

I taught an agriculatural class at the local homeschool co-op where the girls meet twice a month. During this class, the focus was on fiber - from both plants and animals.

Here, Olivia and another student are using the carders to card some wool from sheep I use to raise.

Hand-carding is a traditional method of preparing fleece and fibers for spinning soft, lofty yarns of varying fiber lengths. The purpose for carding is to separate and straighten the wool fibers. The result is a batt of lofty wool that makes spinning easier.

Hand-carders are a pair of wooden paddles with wire faces. The wire teeth are either course or fine. The course teeth are for carding wool, mohair and course fibers. The fine teeth are for carding cotton and softer fibers like angora.

The girls enjoyed carding the wool and pretending they were pioneers. It was interesting to watch how such simple items - carders and wool - could lead to such interesting play and discussion.