From Locks to Loft: Carded Roving from a Diz & Hand Card

You’ve just brought home a beautiful fleece, given it a good scour, and now you’re ready to dive into processing. You’re so close to spinning, but which method should you choose? That all depends on the type of fibre prep you want to work with and the end result of the yarn.

Kim McKenna explores this topic in depth in her course Working With Fleece at the School of SweetGeorgia. Whether you’re starting with raw fleece fresh from the farm, a bag of washed locks from a fibre festival, or even some roving you’ve just picked up, this course has something for everyone.

The video below is taken from that course. In it, Kim walks through how she removes trash from washed locks, like second cuts and vegetable matter (VM), and loads the fibre onto her hand card. From there, she uses a diz from the hand card to create a soft, carded roving that, even when spun worsted, still retains a lovely loft.

Below the video, you’ll find step-by-step instructions and a link to join our SweetGeorgia community.

Materials & Tools Shown

  • Hand Card: teeth per inch (TPI) explained below
    • 72 TPI is suitable for medium to fine fibres
    • 56 TPI is best for coarser fibres found more in long wools
  • Lock Pop, dog comb, or a flick carder: remove trash from the locks
  • Diz: cone-shaped if possible
  • Washed locks

More About Kim McKenna

Kim's set up for fibre prep
Kim’s fibre prep setup keeps everything within reach, making the process smooth and efficient.
Print

Carded Roving from A Diz & Hand Card

Equipment

Materials

  • 1 bunch washed locks

Instructions

Cleaning & Loading the Fibre

  • Use the right side of the lock pop to clean the butt end of the fibre. Use the left side to clean the tip end. This method becomes helpful as you work deeper into the staple. Avoid pulling fibre all the way through. Focus just on removing the debris from the ends.
  • Once the fibre is clean, keep the locks straight and lay it onto the hand card. Continue with more locks. You’ll usually fit about four strips across one card. Stop loading the card once the fibre begins to lift or pop off the teeth.

Dizzing the Fibre from the Card

  • To begin, pull a small amount of fibre through the diz and gently start feeding the fibre through.
  • Keep your hands low and close to the card surface. Pulling up too high can lift all the fibre off the card.
  • As you pull, the fibre aligns through the teeth, giving you a smoother, more orderly roving. When you near the end with no fibre near the lip (bottom) of the hand card, lift the diz carefully to pull through the remaining fibre.
  • When you’ve cleared the section, move to a new area on the card to continue.

Notes

The Result

You now have a beautifully prepared roving straight from your hand card. Compared to a combed prep:
  • This carded roving includes some shorter fibres that were not removed.
  • It has more loft and a fluffier structure.
  • Even if you spin it using a worsted draft, it will have more body and airiness than a combed prep, which tends to be smoother and more compact.
 

Need More Help?

Do you have questions about carding fibre with a diz and hand card? If you’re an All-Access School of SweetGeorgia member, join us in our Community Forums! One of the great perks of being an All-Access member is the opportunity to ask Kim McKenna questions about their articles and courses and connect with fellow members.

Not yet a member of the School? We invite you to come and see what it is all about! Use the code: EXPLORETHESCHOOL to save 15% on an All-Access monthly membership!

We welcome you to join us in our SweetGeorgia Community. This is where we share projects that inspire, have fibre-filled conversations, host make-alongs, and participate in a variety of virtual meetings! We discuss all things knitting, crocheting, spinning, weaving, machine knitting, and more!

Together, we share, learn, and grow as a community. We would be happy to have you join us!

Original publication: October 11th, 2022; Refreshed: August 12th, 2025  

The post From Locks to Loft: Carded Roving from a Diz & Hand Card appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.



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