The flicker carder is used for preparing long staple fibers for handspinning and looks similar to a dog brush, with wire bristles that separate and lift the fibers.
Hold one end of a staple of fiber firmly in one hand. Brush the ends of the staple very carefully to keep the fibers straight, and gradually work up the length of the staple. Then, turn the staple around to expose the end that you were holding previously, and brush as before.
The flicker carder will remove the shorter fibers from the staple, and leave the longer ones. This preparation keeps the fibers parallel, and is ideal for spinning worsted yarns.
