Great Basin Fiber Arts Fair

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Frequently asked

Glossary

1

Roving

Fiber that has been carded into a continuous rope-like strand with fibers aligned loosely in many directions; easy to draft and popular for beginning spinners.

2

Combed top

Fiber processed with combs so staples lie parallel, giving a smooth, worsted-style yarn; sold in braids or bumps, often hand-dyed.

3

Batt

A flat sheet of carded fiber, usually sold rolled up; batts can blend several breeds, colors or sparkle and are often spun woolen style.

4

Fleece

The shorn coat of a sheep or other fiber animal, sold raw (unwashed), skirted or washed; breed, staple length and vegetable matter content drive price.

5

Staple length

The average length of individual fibers in a fleece or braid. Long staples suit worsted spinning and combing; short staples suit woolen spinning and carding.

6

Carding

Opening and blending fiber with hand cards or a drum carder so it can be spun; carded fiber drafts woolen style with air trapped in the yarn.

7

Hand carders

Pair of curved, cloth-covered paddles used to open and align small amounts of fiber before spinning or felting.

8

Drum carder

Machine with a rotating carding drum that turns fleece and blends into batts; a common large purchase at fiber fairs.

9

Drop spindle

Hand spindle with a whorl and shaft; the lowest-cost way to learn spinning and still used for fine or portable spinning.

10

Spinning wheel

Treadle-driven wheel with flyer and bobbin that adds twist and winds yarn at the same time; single-treadle, double-treadle and double-drive versions are common.

11

E-spinner

Electric spinning wheel with a motorized flyer, often used by spinners with mobility limits or for high-output production.

12

Singles

Yarn spun but not yet plied; singles can be used alone or twisted together to make plied yarn.

13

Plying

Twisting two or more singles together in the opposite direction to balance the yarn, add strength and create barber-pole color effects.

14

WPI (wraps per inch)

A simple measure of yarn thickness made by wrapping yarn around a ruler for one inch; used to match handspun to a pattern gauge.

15

Worsted-spun

Yarn spun from combed, parallel fiber with a smooth surface and high durability; named after Worstead, not the yarn weight.

16

Woolen-spun

Yarn spun from carded fiber with fibers at many angles, producing a warm, fuzzy, airy yarn.

17

Rigid heddle loom

Simple frame loom with a single heddle that creates two sheds; a common first loom for scarves, towels and saori-style cloth.

18

Sett

The spacing of warp ends in a weaving project, usually expressed in ends per inch; matched to yarn size and the intended fabric.

19

Warp and weft

Warp is the lengthwise, tensioned set of threads on a loom; weft is the yarn woven across them.

20

EPI (ends per inch)

Number of warp threads per inch of width; the key number for planning a weaving project along with reed size.

21

Acid dye

Dye class for protein fibers such as wool, alpaca and silk, set with mild acid and heat; sold as powders and liquid concentrates at the fair.

22

Mordant

Metal salt or tannin used before or during natural dyeing to help color bond to fiber and shift the final shade.

23

Dye lot

A single dye batch. Because hand-dyed skeins vary, buy all the yarn for one project from the same dye lot.

24

Needle felting

Dry technique using barbed needles to tangle fiber into shapes or onto fabric surfaces.

25

Wet felting

Technique using soap, water and agitation to mat wool fibers into felt sheets, vessels or garments.

26

Breed-specific fiber

Fleece or yarn sold by sheep breed, such as Merino, Shetland, Cormo or Bluefaced Leicester, each with distinct softness, crimp and elasticity.