Do you pre-draft?
Hi, All. Sasha here to talk about a subject which is often debated among Big Name spinners, and that is pre-drafting. Pre-drafting is just what it sounds like—you take a strip of fiber and attenuate, or draft, it in advance of spinning. Some find it to be an extra preparatory step worth taking, as the fiber is not merely attenuated and ready for twist to be added at the wheel or on the spindle, but it can also be stripped into narrow, easy-to-manage parcels. There's now less to think about while actually spinning. Those who protest its use do so because this pre-drafting of fibers changes the original bump of fiber, particularly when it's been hand dyed. Here at Sheepspot, we fully support the use of any tips and tricks which may help spinners feel more in control of their own spinning and their end results, and I believe that pre-drafting is one such tool. By all means, do it if it helps! Let's get to it.
How to pre-draft your fiber for spinning
You can predraft the roving or top without stripping it, but, remembering that this is all about more easily managing a bump of fiber for spinning with greater ease and control (we're going to use combed top from my stash, though technically the steps are the same for roving and batts), the first step is splitting the fiber into more narrow strips. Think about what's easiest for you to manage, because this is personal preference. I don't like to make my strips too narrow, because they start to become equally difficult to handle if the fibers have trouble clinging together. Find what works for you.
Fiber-stripping tip: hold the strip of fiber up vertically, then poke your finger through halfway across, starting a few inches down from the top. Using quick, firm movements, tear up to the top, then all the way to the bottom. You should get two even strips of fiber using this method.
Now, we attenuate the fibers. One strip at a time and with your hands several inches apart, you will gently, sloooowly at first, draft out the fibers ... not so far that it breaks apart, just to the point that your see and feel (and if you listen carefully, perhaps even hear) the fibers begin to slip past one another. Your strip of fiber will become a fluffy pleasure. Carefully roll it into a nest, put it aside for spinning, and continue until you've completed your task.
What to do if you accidentally pull too far? Say "Oops!" and just keep going. It happens. (And it gives you an opportunity to practice your joins.)
Just in case anyone is wondering why someone would hate on such a peaceful method of spinning, I do want to mention that pre-drafting of hand-dyed fiber does slightly alter the intensity of the colors. If you attenuate in advance, you do lose a bit of the coloways' oomph, but frankly, I don't think most people would notice. As for purists' upset over the fact that we're splitting the top and breaking down the color runs, some of the greatest spinners I know do this every day because they want to experiment and play with color!
As always, I say to do what works for you. If pre-drafting is that, do so proudly.
