Is there a difference between roving and combed top?

 

ROVING OR COMBED TOP

Is there really a difference?

Yes, there is a distinct difference between roving and combed top.

Let me break it down for you.  Let's say you diz fiber off a drum carder, blending board, or even hand cards, that is called roving.  Do you see the connection?  Roving is dizzed fiber from a tool that has carding cloth. 

Roving dizzed off a drum carder

Watch how I make roving off a drum carder

Roving dizzed off a blending board

See how I diz roving off a blending board

Once can also diz fiber off wool combs or a hackle, this would be called combed top.  You are combing fiber hence combed top.

                                   Fine grade Merino dizzed off wool combs

    

CVM wool dizzed off wool combs

They both look very similar, don't they?  If both dizzed fibers were placed side by side the untrained, and often the trained eye, cannot tell which is which.  The trained eye can tell the difference if they got them in their hands and were able to pull off a staple length.

Let's back up a bit first.  Carding cloth, though one would think it aligns fibers, it does not. It disorients them which puts more air in between each fiber making it lofty.  If this fiber is spun using a woolen draw it produces an airy, fluffy yarn termed woolen yarn.

Wool combs and hackles do align fibers combing them to take out the air and causing the fiber to lie close to each other.  If this fiber is spun using a worsted draw you produce a tight, compact,  sleek yarn termed a worsted yarn.

So your next question is how do I know which is which when I'm buying something like this?  Here lies the confusion, many if not all sellers on Etsy and eBay call their combed top, roving.  Not sure why, maybe it's the classification they need to plug it into, but it's quite confusing for the buyers.  

What if one truly wanted a roving to spin woolen yarn for a warm sweater and what they got was a combed top, but the listing stated roving?  I've seen needle felters complaining because they thought they were buying roving when in fact it was combed top.  See what I mean?

The first thing you can do is ask the seller how was the fiber prepped.  Was it carded or combed? If it's carded it's roving, if combed it is combed top.

If you have some in your possession and there is no one to ask try this.  Grab off a staple length of the fiber and observe the end you just pulled it off of.   If the end is "jagged" it might be roving. Why?  Because carded fibers are often different lengths of fibers.  If the ends are more even it may be combed top. Why?  Because when combing fibers it takes out the shorter pieces and keeps similar fiber lengths.

Another thing you can do is sort of pull the fiber apart and observe the fiber. Are the fibers disoriented and sort of webby or are the fibers straight and closer together?

Learning and using the correct terminology helps us communicate with other fiber folks. Now that you know the difference try out your new terminology with other fiber friends.

Are you new to the fiber arts and anxious to learn all things fiber?  Take my online Spinning & Fiber Extravagazna Workshop and work through sitting properly at your wheel, working the wheel, drafting, spinning consistent yarn, plying correctly, fiber prep, woolen, worsted , scouring, carding, combing, d,yeing and more! 

 

The Camaj School of Fiber Arts

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