The carding machine works like a giant comb, straightening the fibres inpreparation for spinning. It converts a continuous web of fibres into individual ribbons known as rovings. One of our original carding machines from 1868 was still in use in 1993. | Johnstons of Elgin

Often fiber is pulled off of drum carders in rectangular batts, but it can also be pulled off into roving using a diz. The benefit of roving is that it is a more manageable continuous piece of fiber that is more enjoyable and quicker to spin for some. This lovely soft lavender roving is a mix of Angora and wool.💗 | Cedar Hill Fiber Farm

The Carding process is one of the main steps in the Harris Tweed®️ production cycle. It is the process which brushes out each and every individual wool fibre, bringing order, consistency and structure to the randomness of the wool after the blending process. The wool passes through a set of rolling drums and brushes, and then onto the “card” itself - where the wool is finely tuned by another set of rolling brushes. The now parallel fibres are then matted together into a fine sheet or ‘web’ of wo