Knit Sisters

Well, I’m so glad you asked, Ellen!  English five-pitch combs look like this:

(Pay no attention to the messy floor/table.)

Combing is actually a very, very old form of fiber preparation.  There used to be guilds devoted to the combing arts.  (No joke.)  Basically, combing takes your messy, dirty fiber and aligns the fibers while getting rid of all the short fibers, second cuts, and what spinners somewhat euphemistically refer to as “vm.”  (VM is “vegetable matter,” in other words all those little bits of hay, burrs, twigs and things of that nature that remind you that sheep are animals and mostly live outdoors.)  Nowadays, handspinners also use combs to do all sorts of fun and fancy color-blending of fiber, as well.

I myself have grown addicted to combing after taking a class from Susan last year.  (I also bought this set of combs from her, in case you’re wondering.)  I now own not only the aforementioned five-pitch combs, but also a set of double row Louet handheld mini-combs.

If you’re thinking that these combs look a bit like weapons, well…you’re right.  They are extremely, extremely sharp and not recommended for use by the clumsy or in households with small children.  Pay close attention while using them!  The consumption of alcoholic beverages is not recommended while combing!  Make sure your tetanus shot is up to date!  (Although that sounds like a joke, it is not.)

But, they produce little bundles of fiber that spin like buttah.  It is a beautiful thing.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 16th, 2006 at 6:09 pm and is filed under Spinning. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.