We pre-draft prepared fiber in order to separate it a bit and make it easier to draft.
The first step is to take a manageable length of fiber, and "crack the whip" with it several times to begin to separate the fibers (movie one).
Then, split that length of fiber into several skinnier strips.
Finally, take a strip, and grab it with your hands three to six inches apart. (This distance may vary and may actually be a little longer, depending on the actual staple length of individual fibers - you want to grab just a little bit farther than an individual fiber's length.)
Gently tug with your hands until the fibers start to separate (movie two). Then, move your hands a little farther down the strip, keeping them the same three to six inches apart, and tug again. Work your way down the length of the strip, watching the fibers begin to slip past each other. Soon they will be ready to draft effortlessly for you while you spin.
Be careful not to pull the fibers too far apart, so that the strip becomes thin and starts to fall apart in your hands.
Do the same to the other strips. Then, wrap a strip several times around your wrist, and you're ready to spin!
All video footage on this website is copyrighted material.
Fiber shown in this clip was donated by Grafton Fibers. It is Ashland Bay Multicolor Merino in the Mojave colorway.
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