To the spinner unfamiliar with hand-carded batts, they can seem a little unruly. But a batt is really nothing more than a short, extra wide piece of roving/top. Start tearing it down, drafting out the strips and you'll find they're easily tamed and nothing to be afraid of.
Giggle Jelly batts are carded to create bold stripes of colour across the width of the batt. The are many methods of spinning - the methods I've illustrated are the methods best for maintaining the stripes of GJ batts.
Giggle Jelly batts are carded to create bold stripes of colour across the width of the batt. The are many methods of spinning - the methods I've illustrated are the methods best for maintaining the stripes of GJ batts.
'Knotted' GJ batts.As soon as GJ batts come off the drum carder they're folded in half lengthwise and turned into a little knotted bun. This helps to protect the fibers in transit and makes it easier to package and ship the batts.
Begin prepping your GJ batt for spinning by unknotting it.
To prepare a GJ batt for spinning, begin by unknotting the batt. Look for the seam running along the length of the batt and gently unfold it.
Find the seam along the edge of the batt and unfold it.If you're spinning a fine yarn, or you want shorter colour repeats, tear the batt in half width-wise before unfolding it. Hold the batt at either end and gently pull until you have two halves of a batt. The pictures in this tutorial show half of one batt being used.
I tend to spin a lot of lace-weight and fingering yarns so I almost always halve batts before I spin them, making the very fine pre-drafted strips a more manageable length.
Tear the batt in half width-wise by holding at either end and gently pulling.Spinning Strips
I find this to be the simplest method of preparing batts for spinning.
Begin the tear in the middle of the strip.Lay the batt on a flat surface, (or half of the batt if you've divided it), and tear a 1/2" to 1" strip from one edge. Start the tear in the middle of the length and then gently follow the tear through to either end.
Follow the tear through to either end of the strip.Pre-draft the strip and you're reading to spin!
Continue to work your way across the batt, tearing strips, pre-drafting and spinning.
Pre-draft the strip and you're ready to spin!
Continue to work your way across the batt, tearing strips, pre-drafting and spinning.
Pre-draft the strip and you're ready to spin!While the preparation for this method is the simplest, it does mean regular joining in of new strips as you spin. If you prefer to spin with fewer joins and want a longer length of fiber to spin from, read on...
Creating a Longer Strip
Here are a few of methods for creating a longer strip of fiber to spin from; the zig-zag tear,
double V join and spinning from a rolag.
Double V Join
This is my preferred method of joining strips. I find it creates a neater join than the Zig-Zag tear and the set-up is easier.
Here are a few of methods for creating a longer strip of fiber to spin from; the zig-zag tear,
double V join and spinning from a rolag.
Double V Join
This is my preferred method of joining strips. I find it creates a neater join than the Zig-Zag tear and the set-up is easier.
Create a 'V' in each of the ends you wish to join and align with open ends of the 'V's' facing.Simply tear strips from the batt as before, then create a 'V' shape in the ends you wish to join. Align the strips with the open ends of the 'V' facing, one 'V' inside the other.
Smooth the V's together to create a neat join.
Smooth the V's together to create a neat join.Gently smooth the V's together and pre-draft into one continuous length.
Pre-draft into one continuous length.Zig-Zag Tear
Instead of tearing complete strips from the batt, begin at one edge and tear a strip, leaving it joined to the batt at one end. Then, working across the batt, tear another strip leaving it joined to the opposite end of the batt as the last tear, creating a zig-zag pattern.
Instead of tearing complete strips from the batt, begin at one edge and tear a strip, leaving it joined to the batt at one end. Then, working across the batt, tear another strip leaving it joined to the opposite end of the batt as the last tear, creating a zig-zag pattern.
Create tears in a zig-zag pattern across the width of the batt.Continue in this manner across the entire width of the batt, then pre-draft into one continuous piece.
Gently pre-draft the zig-zag strip into one continuous length.Pay special attention to the joins, (the fibers tend to curl and bend into each other as the join is straightened), by gently re-aligning the fibers as you pre-draft.
Spinning from a Rolag
The configuration of a rolag can make some fibers more manageable and easier to spin. It also creates a 'cushier' yarn by trapping more air between the fibers as they're drafted and spun.
Create a rolag by rolling the whole batt, or a section of it, starting at one torn edgeand rolling in the direction the fiber runs.
To create a rolag, simply lay the whole batt, half the batt or just a piece of the batt on a flat surface and roll it up like a Swiss sponge; starting at one torn edge and finishing at the other, so that direction of the fiber is at right angles to the length of the rolag.
The fibers should run at right angles to the length of the rolag.Pre-draft the rolag into a continuous length by gently pulling from one end or spin smaller rolags by drafting straight from one end.
Draft the roving by pulling from one end.Other Methods
There are many ways of preparing batts for spinning. The methods I've illustrated are the best for maintaining the bold stripes of GJ batts, but here are a few other methods for spinning batts that will cause some blending of the colours -
Spinning From the Fold - tear the batt into small pieces, each the length of the fiber's staple. Take one of these staple-length pieces of batt and fold it over the index finger of your fiber-holding hand. Draft the folded fibers from the edge of the fold on your finger.
Spinning From the Fold - tear the batt into small pieces, each the length of the fiber's staple. Take one of these staple-length pieces of batt and fold it over the index finger of your fiber-holding hand. Draft the folded fibers from the edge of the fold on your finger.
This method offers greater control when drafting than spinning from a strip does, making it useful for slippery fibers and fine spinning.
Worsted Rolags - roll the rolag so that the direction of the fiber is paralell to the length of the rolag, torn edges at either end. Draft from either end.
This creates a less airy yarn than the regular 'woollen' rolag described above.
Dizzing - create a long length of roving from one whole batt by pulling it, from one torn edge to the other, through a 'diz'. A diz is a tool with a hole for pulling fiber through. You can adapt objects with holes you have at hand or buy a purpose-made diz.
Worsted Rolags - roll the rolag so that the direction of the fiber is paralell to the length of the rolag, torn edges at either end. Draft from either end.
This creates a less airy yarn than the regular 'woollen' rolag described above.
Dizzing - create a long length of roving from one whole batt by pulling it, from one torn edge to the other, through a 'diz'. A diz is a tool with a hole for pulling fiber through. You can adapt objects with holes you have at hand or buy a purpose-made diz.
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