Handspinning Prep Matters: Making Sense of Batts, Roving, Rolags, and More

Handspinning Prep Matters: Making Sense of Roving, Batts, Rolags and More

with Abby Franquemont

OnDemand Web Seminar | 60 Minutes

Are you a spinner who’s wondering what is meant by terms like “roving,” “batt,” “rolag,” “carded,” and “combed?” Does it matter how fibers are prepared? Do specific fibers work best with one type of prep or another? What about for specific spinning techniques? Are you trying to decide what tools for prep you want to start with, or to achieve specific results?

Abby will show you a series of commonly-available preparations, and explain how they are made with what kind of equipment. You will learn tips for how to approach fiber in various states of preparation, how to decide what your spinning options are, and at least one way to spin from each of: roving, combed top, batts, rolags, punis, and silk hankies. You’ll learn the vocabulary to discuss all of this, and more!

What you'll learn:

• Understand the difference between carding and combing, and why it matters
• Learn to identify commonly-available types of prepared fiber on the market today
• Explore your options for spinning from fibers prepared in different ways
• Discover preparation types you may never have worked with
• Decide what tools you want, and when, for what kinds of fibers and results

Who should attend:

• Spinners who want to understand the kinds of preparation available for fibers
• Spinners who want to know and use the right terminology to discuss fiber prep
• Spinners trying to decide whether they want to learn to do their own fiber prep
• Spinners trying to decide what kind of fiber prep tools they want, and when
• Spinners who want to fine-tune their options for getting exactly the results they want
• Spinners who want to work with a wide range of fiber types such as wool, cotton, silk and synthetics, including blended fibers

Abby Franquemont, author of bestselling spinning book Respect The Spindle, is steeped in the fiber arts since birth. The daughter of field anthropologists studying textile production, she was raised largely in the rural Andes of Peru, where she learned to spin, weave and more starting at the age of five. Abby has taught and lectured at large events including The National Needlearts Association (TNNA), Golden Gate Fiber Institute, the Spin-Off Autumn Retreat (SOAR), Sock Summit, the Taos Wool Festival, and New York State Sheep & Wool (Rhinebeck), Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair (SAFF), Fibre East in Bedfordshire, UK; not to mention many of the finest fiber, knitting, and crafting shops in the USA, along with weaving, spinning and knitting guilds nationwide and a select group of private retreats, seminars and workshops. Her writing has appeared in Spin-Off, Interweave Knits, Twist Collective, SpinKnit, Knitty, PLY, and more.

Register for Handspinning Prep Matters today!