Combing and Carding
Carding yarns arranges the fibers in multiple directions and is referred to as a "woolen" preparation of fibers. Carding fibers produces roving. Fibers of all different lengths are kept in this process. The goal of carding is to build up enough of a "mesh" of fibers that they hold together. These meshes, and the process, yields more airy, fluffy and soft yarns. Bundles of woolen fibers are most often called "roving" but you different preparations go by names batts, rolags, fauxlags, puin, cloud, and wool locks, each of which offers, as you expect, its own set of unique qualities to the fibers.
Combing fibers allows them to all align in the same direction. This is used on fibers that then to be a uniform length. This preparation of fiber is called "worsted". It is often used for making yarns that are more uniform, lustrous in color, durable, and a little wirey. Packages of worsted fiber are called "top"
| Structure | Ability to be Combed and Carded |
|---|---|
| Fiber | yes |
| Filament | no |
| Roving & Top | perhaps? but unlikely |
| Singles | no |
| Plied Yarn | no |
| Braided Rope | no |
| Knits | no |
| Woven | no |
| Non-Wovens | no |
| Solid Objects | sure, but why? |
Online Demonstrations
Text Resources
Yarnitecture: A Knitter's Guide to Spinning: Building Exactly the Yarn You Want
Book by Jillian Moreno