Woollen vs. Worsted Spinning
One of the questions we get asked most often is "What does 'worsted' and 'woollen spun' mean?" You know we love a good deep dive into the technicalities of spinning yarn, and so are super happy to provide an answer here!
'Worsted' and 'Woollen' are two terms used to describe the two systems how you can spin yarn. They differ in terms of the spinning process itself, and in the properties of the final yarns.
Now, why are there even two different spinning systems? The reason is that different fibres - cotton, wool, alpaca, linen etc, produce different staple lengths of fibre. Some produce really short fibres while others are quite long – and to get the best out of those fibres we need two different spinning systems.
Woollen spinning handles the shorter fibres best while Worsted is fabulous for longer staple lengths. As a rule of thumb, fibres with a staple length below 60 mm are good for Woollen spinning, and those above 60 mm are better suited for Worsted spinning.
Top to bottom: Raw fibre with long, medium and short staple length
The final yarn that comes out of the Woollen spinning process is fuzzy and very airy while yarns that are Worsted spun are smooth and sleek. We here at John Arbon Textiles spin exclusively Worsted yarns – we would need a whole separate set of machinery for Woollen spinning.
Left: Our own Knit by Numbers DK in KBN128 – Worsted spun
Right: Rauwerk DK in Saxifrage / Gravel – Woollen spun
With both Woollen and Worsted spinning, the initial preparation is almost identical. The raw fibre is scoured, a process which removes the dirt, grease, and other contamination out of the fleeces by washing them in a series of baths. The clean fibre is then carded through a machine with a series of rollers covered in fine pins. These work the fibre, opening it and teasing it apart.
In the final step of this carding process, Woollen and Worsted preparations start to differ: In the Woollen spinning system, the fine mesh of fibre that comes out of the carder is divided up into multiple delicate slubbings (or rovings) by being rolled and rubbed together through a series of tape feeds. This makes the short fibres hang together which ensures the finished yarn is not too weak and doesn't separate. At this point, these slubbings are ready to be spun, plied and packaged!
In the Worsted spinning system, the long fibres still require many more steps before they are ready to be spun into yarn. For Worsted yarns, the fibres are delivered from the carder in one long continuous rope of fibre which is called a sliver. They are then further aligned in the same direction and all the shorter fibres are removed using a machine called a comb. Without combing, those short fibres might fall out of the finished yarn like a snowstorm! The longer fibres are now well aligned – they exit the comb in one continuous rope which we call top. This is what we receive here at the Mill – scouring, carding, combing (and dyeing) happen off site in the UK for our products.
When they arrive with us, every top is run through one of our gillboxes. As you might know, we name all our machines, so these Tops are gilled by Cuthbert, Ralph or A2D2. 'Gilling' straightens and aligns the fibres even more by employing a series of pins which rake through the fibre – very similar to a hairbrush! This initial gilling also allows us to open the fibre up a little and to ensure that it is level and even throughout.
Left to right: Laura at Cuthbert, Ralph, A2D2
After this the top is re-gilled (twice or thrice more for even measure) to allow us to blend up those beautiful heathered shades of ours. With every pass the shades of the fibre top become more uniformly blended, and the handle becomes more even, drapey and lustrous!
Left to right: The fibre tops after one, two and three passes through the gillbox
Once the tops are finished gilling, they are finally ready to be spun into a finished yarn – either by machine, like we do here at the Mill, or by hand like a lot of you lovelies do at home on the wheel or drop spindle.
At the Mill, we have two different spinning machines: Butler, our old and steadfast sample spinner, and Kevin, a newer and bigger model. Kevin is a 1980s French double drafting ring spinner and the largest machine here at the Mill! When spinning, the tops are drafted thinner and thinner, with some gentle twist added into them, into what's called 'singles'. Once spun, the singles rest for a week so that the fibres can relax into their new configuration.
Left to right: Butler and Kevin
When resting is complete, the singles are coned on one of our cone winders – either Rupert Lee or Gino – and then plied on Mr. Boyd, our stately folding machine. Finally, the yarn is skeined on one of our Bradford skein winders – Gillian and Piglet, who are both vintage victorian cast iron and wood construction – still going strong after many decades of hard work!
Left to right: Gino, Mr. Boyd and Gillian
And then, last but not least, they are ready to be twisted up into their finished skein form and sent off into your hands, to be made into comforting, cosy accessories or warm, snuggly garments!
