A Fiber Mill for Handspinners and Fiber Artists: Roving and batts from Your Fine Fibers

ear River FiberWorks is in the fiber preparation business. I have the tools and expertise to clean and card your raw fiber into roving or batts that are ready to spin or to felt or to work in whatever way your fiber muse leads.

The preparation process consists of three or four basic steps. After shearing the fleece is skirted to remove gross contaminants, washed to remove dirt, picked to open the locks, and finally carded to organize the tangle of fibers into roving or batts. [More ...]

While they vary a bit, bumps produced by the carder typically weight about half a pound each. This "half a pound" statement is merely an approximation. Some fibers produce a more dense roving while others make light and fluffy roving. Regardless of weight, these bumps are as wide as they are tall so they are stable on the floor as you spin.

I produce batts that measure eighteen to twenty inches wide and approximately six feet long. Each batt weighs about a pound. Loft will vary according to the fiber type.

After processing, roving is returned to you snugly packaged in individual plastic bags. The bag keeps the roving clean and protects it from abrasion. Batts are returned individually wrapped in tissue paper.

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Last modified: 2010 Feb 15 2326:29 UTC