Spinning Corriedale Off a Dog Comb

I would LOVE to have some Forsyth Mini Woolcombs but there is a waiting list and it would be at LEAST 6 weeks until I could get a set.

Well, you know how that is!! I CAIN'T wait THAT long. I gotta get my hands into this corriedale soooo I'm going the 'cheap seat' route.... a dog comb. Hmmmm wonder if it would be better if I had TWO dog combs??

This Silk/Merino Top is a DREAM to spin!

I bought this Silk/Merino top (13 oz) last week at the Yarn Circle in Murphy NC. (Click on the image to get a larger view!)

I LOVE this stuff. It is sooooo schmooth and the colors are Gorgeous!! The 13oz of top cost 27.60. (Is that a typical price??) Anyhoooo, I am attempting to spin this worsted. I hope to 3-ply it and knit up a pair of handspun SOCKS! Yay!! (Oh, three plying is something that Judith taught us to do!)

While in NC I also bought one pound of corriedale fleece, some kid mohair (actually I think it was called something like 'young adult'), and 6 outdated "Spinoff" magazines. Included in the mags I got were articles by Judith MacKenzie McCuin (our teacher) detailing methods of washing fleece and plying yarn.

Anyway, like I said, Judith was our teacher for a week at John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown NC. She was fabulous! She was soooo patient and kind AND I learned so much from her including....

**** once you have your default spinning figured out on your spinning wheel, all you have to do is vary the pulley (sometimes called whorl) in order to get LOTS of different sized yarns. You don't have to adjust your treadle speed at all. Below is a picture of merino top yarns that Judith spun using the pulley changing technique.

Carding Wool - Making Rolags

Woollen Longdraw

Spin Worsted-style - The Short Draw

Wet Felting Wool Over Soap

Here are a few comments by the maker of this video. BTW, she said that she was using wool that had been carded and combed. I THINK she may have meant to ONLY say CARDED.


I would suggest that you try batting rather than roving. Roving has been combed to be fairly fine and smooth so it might be sliding over the soap rather than grabbing onto itself if that makes sense.

The wool will continue to felt more firmly with use and the soap will dwindle and disappear leaving you with a little felted wool bundle that has a hallow core. You can carefully slice it open to make a coin purse, or cut off the top and add a strap to make a necklace pouch or holder of some kind.



In response to someone asking the author if the soap/wool gets moldy, she responded:

I've never had a problem with it getting moldy. Wool is naturally antibacterial and antimicrobal, so maybe that even helps things. As with any bar soap, it's best to keep it out of standing water in between uses (like on a soap dish that drains).

Llama Shearing Time!

Hey, my mom held my brothers by the ears a time or two also when she wanted them to "move (or not move) --- NOW"! Hmmmm... do you think this would help when shearing??? :)

Forsyth 4 pitch super fine woolcombs

I've gotta start my search for combs!!

Forsyth 4 pitch combs, processing Romney fiber

Processing Romney fiber part 2