Notes
I’m learning more about how to choose a yarn that suits different kinds of fleece.
Coarse fleece with less crimp probably wants to be spun into a thicker yarn with less twist. Finer fleece with more crimp probably wants to be a thinner yarn with more twist. Roughly, the crimps per inch should be the same as the twists per inch in the finished (washed and plied) yarn. Put more twists for a hardwearing yarn eg for weaving, less twists for a softer, bouncier yarn. Slightly less twist than crimp may be preferable for knitting, as knitting adds twist
Longer staples might indicate coarser fibres, likewise really pointy staples.
Long staples usually prefer worsted spinning, shorter prefer woolen.
Fine fibres would be >10 crimps per inch, medium 6-10, thick < 6. I don’t have a means to actually measure micron count at home.
More crimp usually means more elasticity
Worsted prep (combs or flick carding) probably wants a staple length of 10cm or more
Measure bulk by squishing a handful of fleece, if it springs back a lot it has high bulk. This is important for knowing how your finished yarn will fluff up after finishing
Things I should record about a fleece sample
- Staple length (cm)
- Staple shape (flat/pointed)
- Crimp pattern (crimps/inch)
- fibre diameter (fine/medium/thick)
- colour
- lustre (shininess) (high/medium/low)
- bulk (squishiness) (high//medium/low)
- soundness (sound/slight break/definite break/tender)
- how to spin
- possible end uses