Combing vs. Carding vs. Flicking: A Spinner’s Guide to Fibre Preparation Techniques

When your hands meet a freshly washed fleece, still carrying the subtle scent of lanolin and the memory of its sheep, you're holding potential. How you prepare that fibre will shape everything that follows: the texture of your yarn, the clarity of your stitches, the very feeling of the cloth you create. Fibre preparation is more than a technical step; it's a deeply tactile and intentional part of the spinning journey. Among the most beloved techniques are combing, carding, and flicking; each with its own rhythm, character, and results.

Whether you're dreaming of sleek laceweight yarn or a bouncy woollen knit, choosing the right method is key. This guide is here to walk you through the differences, the tools, the textures, and the quiet joy that comes from handling fibre with care and purpose.

What is Fibre Preparation in Spinning?

Fibre preparation refers to the steps taken to prepare raw or processed fibre for spinning. This might involve washing, but more critically, it's about opening up, aligning, or blending fibres to suit the type of yarn you want to make.

Preparation plays a pivotal role in the final yarn's loft, smoothness, strength, and consistency. For worsted spinning (which produces smooth, strong yarns), you'll want long fibres aligned neatly in the same direction. For woollen spinning (which yields airy, warm yarns), fibres should be light, open, and multidirectional.

At its heart, fibre prep is a mindful ritual — a quiet dialogue between hand and fibre. It's a chance to honour the material, slow down, and engage with each lock's unique texture and crimp. Let's explore how each method brings its own magic.

Combing

What is Combing?

Combing is a meticulous method of fibre preparation that separates long fibres from shorter ones and aligns them in a smooth, parallel arrangement. By drawing the fibres through the fine teeth of combs, you remove neps (tiny tangles), vegetable matter, and any short fibres that might cause unevenness or fuzziness in your finished yarn. The result is a sleek, lustrous fibre preparation known as top, which is ideal for worsted spinning.

This precise technique is especially well-suited to long-staple fibres such as Bluefaced Leicester, Wensleydale, or Lincoln, and can also be gentler on fine wools that might be damaged by carding. In addition to processing clean fleece, combing offers the opportunity to create your own custom blends, whether you're mixing different fibres, colours, or both.

Once combed, you can spin directly from the combs or diz the fibre off into continuous lengths of top, ready for worsted spinning..

Combing Tools

For small-scale, hands-on combing, the Louet Mini Combs are a brilliant choice. Their double-row design provides extra control, ensuring even finer alignment and enabling spinners to work with precision. They're especially useful for preparing small batches or rare breed fleeces where nothing should be wasted.

Fibre & Texture

The result of combing is silky, aligned fibre with very little halo. The yarns spun from combed top, particular if spun in a worsted manner (short forward draw), are sleek and structured, with wonderful drape and stitch definition. These are the fibres you turn to when you want sheen, strength, and smoothness.

Best Uses

Combed fibre shines in worsted yarns, laceweight creations, and projects where you want stitches to stand out — such as lace shawls, socks, and fine-gauge garments.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• High fibre alignment = smooth, strong yarn
• Produces a polished finish with minimal fuzz
• Great for detailed knitting and weaving
• You can spin straight from the comb
• Removes vegetable matter

Cons:

• Time-consuming
• Produces fibre waste (short fibres are removed)
• Less suited for short-staple fibres

Carding

What is Carding?

Carding can be a more forgiving and expressive method of preparing fibre. It blends and fluffs wool into a cohesive mass, either as a batt (flat sheet) or rolag (cigar-shaped roll). Instead of aligning fibres precisely, carding encourages openness and air, making it ideal for woollen spinning, where the yarn traps air for warmth and softness.

Carding is versatile—it accommodates a wide range of fibre lengths and types, making it especially valuable for blending breeds or adding fun fibres like silk or sparkle.

Carding Tools

For spinners working in volume, the Ashford Wide Drum Carder is a dream. It processes fleece into large, even batts with ease. For more tactile, small-batch preparation, the Ashford Hand Cards offer the hands-on satisfaction of crafting rolags one pair at a time.

Fibre & Texture

Carded fibre is lofty, soft, and textured. The resulting yarn is typically airy, with a gentle fuzz and a charmingly irregular look. It's less about polish and more about personality.

Best Uses

Perfect for woollen and semi-woolen yarns, textured knitting, and projects that require stretch and warmth, such as jumpers, hats, and mittens. Also ideal for artistic or expressive spinning styles.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Great for creating airy, warm yarns
• Suitable for a wide range of fibres
• Allows blending of colours and fibres

Cons:

• Less fibre alignment = less strength
• Does not remove vegetable matter (may require additional carding or cleaning prior to loading into the carder).
• Yarns can be fuzzier and less defined
• Not ideal for sleek or drapey projects
• Can break fibres and cause nepps if care isn’t taken to use the correct carding cloth or speed.

Flicking

What is Flicking?

Flicking is the simplest of the three techniques — a spot-preparation method that uses a flicker brush to open up the ends of locks without disturbing their length or structure. It's ideal for preparing small amounts of fibre or when you want to spin from the lock.

Flicking is popular among spinners who value minimal intervention and a strong connection to the raw fleece. It's also a great way to test fleece quality before committing to a larger preparation method.

Flicking Tools

The Louet Flicker is a compact, easy-to-use tool perfect for this method. Lightweight and portable, it's especially handy when working directly from washed locks or sampling new fleeces. Ashford and Schacht also offer flick carders.

Fibre & Texture

Flicking retains most of the fibre's original alignment, producing a prep that's cleaner and more open than raw fleece but not as refined as combed top. It's an in-between texture — natural, clean, and authentic.

Best Uses

Ideal for spinning from the lock, sampling fleeces, or prepping small batches of fibre with care. Flicking works wonderfully for spinners who enjoy tactile, meditative processes.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Minimal fibre waste
• Simple and meditative
• Great for direct lock spinning
• Can be used prior to drum carding to remove some vegetable matter and open the locks.
• Retains natural texture

Cons:

• Labour-intensive for large quantities
• Less consistent results than combing or carding
• Not ideal for blending

Comparison of Combing, Carding, and Flicking

To experiment with all three techniques, the Ashford Corriedale Sliver Sampler Packs offer a wonderful entry point. With a variety of colours and textures, it's perfect for learning how different prep methods affect the same base fibre.

How to Choose the Right Method

Choosing between combing, carding, and flicking comes down to personal preference and intention. Ask yourself:

• What yarn do I want to create? Strong and structured? Soft and lofty?
• How much fibre do I need to process? A full fleece or just a handful of locks?
• Am I blending fibres or colours? Carding might suit you best.
• Do I enjoy fine detail or expressive texture?

Sometimes, the answer is simply to try them all. Each method connects you to the fibre in a different way. With time, your hands will learn what they love best.

From Fibre to Feeling – Embracing Your Craft

There's something deeply grounding in the act of preparing wool. It's not just about efficiency or outcome — it's about presence. Combing, carding, and flicking are as much about feel as they are about function.

As you move from raw fleece to yarn, you shape not just a thread, but a story — one of care, intention, and joy. At Thread Collective, we celebrate that story. Whether you're drawn to the precision of mini combs, the versatility of hand carders, the convenience of drum carders, or the simplicity of flickers, we're here to support your path to mindful making.

Explore our curated range of fibre preparation tools and step into your spinning with confidence, curiosity, and connection.

Discover the joy of intentional preparation. Your fibre deserves it and so do you. Browse combs, carders, flickers, and more at Thread Collective today!