Spinning Vocabulary

(Concepts, Techniques, Materials)

• Balance – The evenness of twist in yarn; balanced yarn doesn’t kink or curl back on itself.
• Drafting – Pulling fibers out of a mass to prepare them for twisting into yarn.
• Fiber – The raw material spun into yarn, such as wool, alpaca, cotton, or synthetic fibers.
• Filament – A continuous, long fiber, such as silk, used in spinning.
• Folded Ply – A single strand doubled and plied back on itself to create a stronger yarn.
• Fulling – The process of slightly felting wool to make it denser and more durable.
• Ply – Two or more spun singles twisted together in the opposite direction to create balanced yarn.
• Roving – Prepared, continuous lengths of fiber ready for spinning, often slightly carded or combed.
• Singles – Individual strands of yarn spun from fiber before plying.
• Spinning – The act of twisting fibers into yarn using a spindle or spinning wheel.
• Twist – The spiral energy in spun yarn that holds fibers together.
• Wool – Fiber obtained from sheep (or other animals) commonly used for spinning; may vary in softness, length, and crimp.
• Worsted – Yarn spun from long fibers that are combed and aligned, producing a smooth, strong, and dense yarn.
• Woolen – Yarn spun from carded fibers in a more airy, fluffy style for warmth and softness.

Spinning Tools

• Bobbin – A cylindrical spool that holds spun yarn, usually part of a spinning wheel or used in plying.
• Carders (Hand/Carding Brushes or Drum Carder) – Tools used to separate and align fibers before spinning.
  • Hand Carders – Small paddle-like tools with fine teeth for manually carding fibers.
  • Drum Carder – A larger, rotating drum machine that aligns and blends fibers efficiently.
• Drop Spindle – A hand tool with a weighted shaft used to twist fibers into yarn by spinning and letting it hang.
• Distaff – A rod or holder used to keep fibers organized and untangled while spinning.
• Lazy Kate – A stand that holds multiple bobbins for controlled plying.
• Niddy Noddy – A tool used to wind spun yarn into skeins of consistent length.
• Orifice – The hole in a spinning wheel through which yarn passes as it twists onto the bobbin.
• Spinning Wheel – A mechanical device used to twist fibers into yarn with a rotating wheel and flyer system.
• Swift – A collapsible tool that holds a skein of yarn while it is wound into a ball.
• Whorl – A weighted wheel attached to a spindle that controls the speed and tension of spinning.