A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Alpaca -an animal from the camelid family that produces the luxury fiber called alpaca.
Angora rabbit – the long-haired rabbit who produces a luxurious fiber/wool called angora.
Batts – carded hunks of fiber as it comes off of a drumcarder.
Bench – also called the table. The table of the spinning wheel on which the wheel and spinning mechanism are mounted.
BFL – Blue Faced Leicester wool (sheep).
Bobbin – the shaft of the spool onto which the spun yarn is wound on a spinning wheel.
Carders – (or cards) a pair of brushes used to smooth and straighten fibers for spinning.
Comb – used to process long stapled wool for worsted spinning.
Crimp – amount of curl in a lock of fleece; fine wool is very crimpy.
Distaff – a staff that holds the flax or wool fibers which are drawn from as the spinner needs them when spinning. A distaff can be attached to a belt, mounted on the bench of a spinning wheel, or free-standing.
Draft – the pulling out of fibers to allow only a certain amount of the fiber to twist into thread.
Drafting triangle – the space between the spun yarn and the fibers being drawn out.
Drive band – the cord carrying the power from the large wheel to the spindle or bobbin/pulley.
Drop spindle – (hand spindle) a stick with a weighted whorl that is used to twist fibers into thread.
Fiber – the unspun hair/wool/plant material (as opposed to the thread, which is already spun).
Fleece – the entire coat of wool off of a sheep.
Flyer – the u-shaped device on a treadle spinning wheel that twists the yarn.
Footman – the straight piece of wood or wire that connects the treadle to the axle/crank of a spinning wheel.
Grease wool – (or “wool in the grease”) the unwashed wool as it comes off of a sheep.
Handspinning – is the art of twisting fiber into a continuous thread by using a spinning wheel or drop spindle.
Hank – a 560-yard long skein of wool, usually wound on a niddy-noddy or reel.
Knot – a 40-yard strand skein of yarn wound on a reel or a niddy-noddy that measures 2 yards in circumference = 80 yards.
Maidens – (or sisters) two upright pieces of wood that hold the spinning apparatus in a horizontal position.
Mother-of-all – usually, the entire spinning mechanism on a spinning wheel; maidens, flyer and bobbin.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Navajo ply – a plying technique. Chaining a single thread into a three ply yarn.
Niddy-noddy – double-headed tool used in skeining spun yarn.
Noils – short fibers removed when combing the fleece; can be mixed with other wool and carded and spun.
Orifice – the opening or eye of the spindle on a treadle spinning wheel.
Pencil roving – thinner strips of roving roughly the diameter of a pencil.
Plying – winding two or more yarns together; must be done in the opposite direction to that in which they were spun.
Rolag – finger sized roll of carded wool, ready for spinning to make woolen yarn.
Roving – long tubes of carded wool, produced by carding machines.
S-twist – yarn spun with a counterclockwise twist.
Scour – to wash or clean fibers or spun yarns.
Skeining – winding yarn off the spindle.
Skirted fleece – grease wool that has had the dirty edges removed all the way around.
Sliver – strips of batts in one continuous strip.
Slub – the flaw or fat place in the yarn (sometimes intentionally spun in for novelty yarns) Note: the length of a slub cannot be longer than the staple of a fiber.
Spindle pulley – the small grooved whorl that carries the drive band connecting the spindle to the drive wheel.
Staple – length of a lock of fleece or a single fiber.
Strick – a bundle of flax prepared for spinning after the tow has been removed (long fibers only).
Tops – long fibers straightened by combing.
Tow – the short fibers left after flax is combed out.
Treadle – the foot pedal that turns the main wheel, or the process of pushing the pedal of the main wheel.
Whorl – the weighted part of a drop spindle that helps it to spin. Also the spindle pulley that regulates the speed of a spinning wheel spindle.
Woolen – yarns made from short-stapled wool; has a soft finish and felts well.
Worsted – made from long-stapled wool where the fibers are combed lengthwise and spun from cut end to tip in apparel-type fashion; has a firm finish and does not usually felt (i.e. most tweeds, suit or jacket material)
