Your Fiber

• Skirting
• Plying
• Slub
• Noil
• Wraps per Inch
• Yards per Pound

Skirting

Skirting is removing the edges of a fleece once it is laid out. This includes removing the Belly fiber and any other undesirable fibers from the edges. Also removing debris, straw, dung, pinecones, etc.

Top or Sliver

This is a continuous untwisted strand of combed fiber.

Plying

When your fiber is spun, it is called a "single" or 1-ply. Plying is then reverse twisting two or more singles together to create a stronger yarn.

Slub

A lump in the yarn.

Noil

A noil is short bits of fiber that curl into balls. They can come from the second cuts that are in your fleece or from weathered tips or from fiber that is tender and breaks. They show up very quickly in the mill process and become small slubs in the yarn if they do not "fall out" before the spinning process. Some of them do come out in the carding and drafting of the fiber, but if a fleece has them, you will have them in your yarn. They can make a very interesting yarn, giving it a novelty yarn quality.

Wraps per Inch

Wraps/inch (wpi) is an easy way to compare yarn sizes. Take a ruler and wrap your yarn around it, laying each new wrap gently next to the last. You want the yarn smooth, not spaced too far apart nor overlapping. Count the number of strands in the space of one inch.

Yards per Pound

Yards/Pound (ypp) is how long the yarn is in one pound. This can be very inaccurate, since some fiber is more dense than others. e.g.: Suri is denser than Huacaya and will have less yards/pound but more wraps/inch (i.e., it would be finer).

Angelina Fiber

Angelina® is a very fine, unique fiber. Light reflective, as well as light refractive, Angelina gives the yarn a sparkle, while still being extremely soft. It comes in a variety of colors. Ask us about it.