So What is this scary thing? Why it’s the working end of a wool comb! I’ve been wanting to try combing wool for spinning as a change from carding, but I can’t really afford a set of combs right now. But I do have a drill press, and I’m not afaid to use it! It’s pretty down and dirty, but definitely funtional. Well at least enough to let me tell if I like combing enough to buy a proper set when I have the cash.
I think it is most common to use a pair of combs, but I wanted to try a comb and mini-hackle set. Here’s mine partially loaded with some belly wool from a friend’s shearing. I dyed some purple a while back, but I think I overhandled the wool in the dye pot. It’s fairly matted.
BUT….it came out nice didn’t it? Almost half of the total ended up as waste wool, but it won’t really be wasted. I’m saving it up for carding. I guess there would be less waste if: 1. I hadn’t abused the wool while dying, 2. It had been off the TOP of the sheep, lol, and 3. I actually had more than 30 seconds of wool combing experience before this.
Useless trivia fact: St Blaise, patron of throats, was martyred by being attacked by wool combs (and then beheaded for good measure).
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