Three ways to card wool
When working with wool (or other fibers) for spinning or felting, carding is the crucial step that aligns fibers, opens locks, blends colors or breeds, and readies the fiber for drafting. There are many tools for carding, but in this post, we'll cover three of the most common: hand carders, a blending board, and a drum carder. Each has its strengths, limitations, and ideal use cases. You can find all the types of carders mentioned in this post at The Woolery.
Disclaimer: I use affiliate links on occasion in my posts. This means I might make a small commission from the products I discuss at no additional cost to you. I only promote products I trust and use myself that I think you will love too.
1. Hand Carders
What they are
Hand carders (also called hand cards) are a pair of paddles (flat or slightly curved) covered with fine metal carding cloth (wire teeth). You use one in each hand to brush fiber between them, opening, aligning, and blending as you go.
When to use them
For small amounts of fiber (sampling, small batches)
To test blending of different colors or fiber types
When portability matters (hand carders are very compact)
To work “in the grease” (i.e. wool with intact lanolin) — larger drum machines often don’t handle greasy wool well.
How to card with hand carders: step by step
Prepare your fiber
If the wool is in locks, first open the locks (e.g. gentle flicking or teasing) to loosen them.
Pull the fiber into small tufts or “pre-slivers” of a manageable amount.
Load one card
Take one card and gently lay a thin layer of fiber across its surface, roughly parallel to the card’s width (not too densely).
Brush with the second card
Hold the second card in the other hand. Place it overlapping the fiber on the first card and brush in a direction that tends to pull fibers from the first into the second.
Use a controlled, smooth motion (not too aggressive).
Repeat back and forth
Alternate brushing from one card to the other, gradually transferring and mixing fibers.
Each pass helps further open, separate, and align the fibers.
Remove the fiber (make a rolag)
Once it’s well carded (fluffy, even, no big lumps), gently peel or roll the fiber off one card, forming a rolag (a roll of aligned fiber).
The rolag is then ready to spin or further blend.
Tips / caveats:
Use a moderate TPI (teeth per inch) — e.g. 72 TPI
Don’t overload the cards — too thick a layer will hamper alignment and can lead to clumping.
Clean the cards (using a stiff brush or doffer) regularly to remove debris.
Be patient — hand carding is slower than machine methods but gives you tactile control over the fiber.
2. Blending Board
What it is
A blending board is a flat board (rectangular or square) covered with carding cloth. You layer fibers onto it to blend colors, fiber types, or textures, and then draw or roll them off into rolags or punis.
Unlike hand carders or drum carders, a blending board is not typically used to process raw fleece (i.e. long locks) directly — the fiber must already be opened or carded to a degree.
When to use it
To blend colors or breeds that might resist mixing via hand carders
To create layered effects, gradients, or artistic rolags
To incorporate textured bits (lock ends, curls, novelty fibers)
To produce rolags or punis in a large surface area format
How to blend/card with a blending board: step by step
Prepare fiber (pre-opened)
Use hand carders or flicking to open locks or break up clumps.
Pull fiber into manageable, loose tufts.
Layer the fiber on the board
Lay tufts in thin strips or “painted” lines across the board surface, overlapping and mixing colors/types as desired.
Build up a few layers if necessary (e.g. for stronger color blending).
Roll / draw off
Use a dowel, pencil, or your hands to gently roll the fibers off the board into a rolag or puní.
Alternatively, you can “pull” fibers off the board in a continuous strip (drawing) if your board and fiber prep allow.
Spin or further process
The resulting rolags or punis are ready for spinning or additional drafting.
Pros and limitations:
Great for color mixing and creative effects
Can handle odd / textured bits more flexibly
But: cannot process raw fleece directly — fiber must already have some degree of opening.
Requires careful drafting when spinning so the layered fibers don’t slide apart.
3. Drum Carder
What it is
A drum carder is a machine (often hand-cranked) with two cylinders (“drums”) covered in carding cloth. One small drum (the “licker-in”) feeds fiber onto a larger drum, where the fiber is carded and collected as a batt or sliver.
Drum carders are designed for higher throughput and more uniform blending.
When to use it
When you have larger amounts of fiber to prep
When you want a more uniform, consistent batt or sliver
When blending multiple colors or fibers (drum carders are good at mixing)
When you prefer speed and consistency over hands-on control
How to card with a drum carder: step by step
Pre-prepare fiber
Optionally flick or open the locks to reduce large clumps or tangles (especially for longer fleece).
Make tufts or top-quality roving from fiber chunks.
Feed the fiber
Use the “feed tray” or place tufts onto the licker-in drum (the smaller drum).
Feed gently and evenly, avoiding clumps or thick lumps.
Crank the machine
Turn the drum carder handle steadily. The small drum “picks” fibers and feeds them onto the large drum, carding and opening them.
Continue feeding until the large drum has a good coverage of fiber.
Remove the batt/sliver
Once the large drum is loaded, stop cranking and gently lift the fiber off in a coherent piece (a batt).
You can further roll or slice it into roving, rolags, or smaller pieces.
Many spinners “split the batt” or “diz off” to make pencil roving or rolags.
Clean and maintain
Use a doffer or special cleaning brush to remove remaining fibers.
Periodically check belt tension, alignment, and carding cloth condition.
Pros and trade-offs:
Pros: fast, efficient, uniform blending, good throughput
Trade-offs: bulkier, more expensive, less tactile control
Some very greasy fibers may need washing first (drum carders tend not to handle grease well)
Comparison & Choosing the Right Tool
Tools Best for / Strengths Limitations / What it can’t do well
Hand Carders: Small-scale work, portability, sampling, working “in the grease”. Slow when used for large amounts, less throughput
Blending Board Creative layering, color blends, and incorporating unusual fibers. Not for raw fleece — needs pre-opened fiber; must spin carefully
Drum CarderSpeed, uniform results, good for bulk processingCost, size, less hands-on fine control; may resist greasy fiber
Often spinners use a combination: hand-card fiber first, then drum card, or use a blending board for special effects after initial carding.
Practical Tips & Troubleshooting
Don’t rush — especially with hand carders or blending boards, taking your time gives better alignment and fewer neps (small tangles).
Layer thinly — thick layers are tough to card well.
Clean regularly — fiber debris on the teeth reduces efficiency.
Watch for “balling” or neps — sometimes too much fiber or inconsistent feeding causes small fiber balls.
Experiment — try blending color gradients, fuzzier fibers with smooth ones, etc.
Safety — carding cloth is sharp; be careful with fingers, and keep tools away from children or pets.
