One of my personal missions is to help spinners love handcarding. As a new spinner trying out my first pair of handcards, I was dubious that any joy might lie in creating heaps of rolags. Eventually, I found the carding methods that are best for my body, the fibers I use, and the variety of yarns I want to spin. Now as I crisscross the country teaching, I try to shorten the learning arc for others and help spinners enjoy carding wool. Here are the four most frequently asked questions I hear:
Q. What type of handcards should I buy?
A. There are so many great brands of cards available; we are spoiled for choice. There are obvious differences, such as tpi (teeth per inch) and shape (flat or curved). However, other variations can be significant to your carding comfort but are more difficult to experience unless you see them in person. The length of the teeth and gauge of the wire can make some cards feel more aggressive than others. Overall size and weigh vary quite a bit. Mini or student cards tend to be lightweight and easy on tender wrists but typically hold less fiber.
Handle attachment is another personal choice. I hold my cards where the handle meets the wooden card back, and I usually prefer a handle attachment that is horizontal to the carding cloth. You might prefer a handle that attaches to the back of the card at an angle.
Guild meetings, festivals, and workshops are a great time to see and try handcards.
How Kate holds her handcards. These are Schacht 112 tpi curved. Kate also loves flat 112 tpi. Photo by Tiffany Warble
Q. What cloth grade or teeth-per-inch should I buy?
A. This is the hardest question to answer when it comes to handcards! As I mentioned above, it isn’t just about how closely set the teeth are in the carding cloth; it’s also about other attributes of the wire that impact how the cards feel when used. Most standard handcards available today are 72 tpi. This is a great all-purpose density (and the only density that some makers offer). Some makers offer 112 tpi—which means that the teeth are more closely placed together—which I quite like for a broad range of carding. Higher density cloth near 200 tpi is most often found on “cotton cards.” The very close placement of the teeth make preparing short fibers easier. The short answer is that it’s best to try several types before you buy. If that’s not possible, check out the 72–112 tpi range for carding wool and wool blends.
Teeth per inch varies, but so does the length and size of the wire. Kate recommends the 72–112 tpi range for carding wool and wool blends.
Q. Handcards are expensive. Does a dog brush do the same thing?
A. In my years of teaching handspinning from coast to coast, I’ve seen spinners use all manner of tools for fiber prep—dog and cat brushes and even the metal and fiberglass cards used for grooming sheep! None of those tools have the specialized cloth made for handcards. So, I fully support spinners who look around their environment and “make do,” as generations of spinners have before us. However, I also know that a tool made specially for a task—such as a spinner’s handcards—is not only a joy but can in many cases create a better finished product.
A pet brush can be a "make do" tool for carding.
Q. What can I card?
A. Handcards are often thought of as a tool for handling only short fibers, but we can use them in many different ways for fibers long and short. In the handspinning world, we often talk about the 3½-inch threshold: If a fiber is under 3 ½ inches, it can most easily be prepared with handcards into a woolen preparation. If it is over 3½ inches, it can most easily be prepared into a combed, worsted preparation. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but does offer some guidance.
Fibers such as cotton, cashmere, camel down, yak down, and short-stapled wool work best as carded rolags or punis. The difference between rolags and punis are in how the fiber is removed from the carding cloth. Rolags are a loosely rolled tube of fiber, and punis are a tightly rolled tube of fiber, usually created by wrapping the fibers around a dowl or knitting needle.
If you are preparing a long-stapled Leicester or Suri alpaca, using the carding cloth to comb individual locks for a worsted preparation might work much better. To see these methods in more detail, check out my post, Carding Wool Three Ways.
Top: A rolag that has been rolled from the tip of the card toward the handle. Bottom: A puni that has been rolled the same direction but around a knitting needle. Photo by Kate Larson
Q. Where can I learn more about handcarding?
A. There are some great Long Thread Media videos on carding. Watching other people card and practicing what you see is my best advice for developing your own method. There are so many different ways to card, and the only “wrong” way is one that causes you pain. If you are experiencing pain when you card, try watching some other methods to see if adjustments can help you process pain free. Here are a few great resources:
- Norman Kennedy, From Wool to Waulking: Spinning Wool and Creating Cloth
- Judith MacKenzie, Three Bags Full: How to Select, Prepare, and Spin Great Fleece
- Maggie Casey, Start Spinning Part 2
Kate Larson is the editor of Spin Off and spends as many hours as life allows in the barn with her beloved flock of Border Leicesters.
This post was originally published August 7, 2019; updated March 17, 2025.