CARDING
Carding is a process by which textile fibres are untangled and simultaneously freed from any foreign bodies, before moving on to spinning.
This operation can be done by hand or mechanically: in both cases, special devices equipped with curved metal tips, called "cardasses", are used.
These tips are fixed on two boards, one of which is movable; by overlapping the boards and moving the upper one, the tips separate the fibre filaments, acting just like the teeth of a comb.
There are some differences between the devices intended for carding different textile fibres.
The term "carding" is also used to indicate the operation of untangling mattress wool fibres and making them softer, and is carried out with special equipment by mattress makers.
Wool mattresses should be carded with subsequent washing of the covers at least once every three years, because this operation eliminates dust and makes the wool last longer. Furthermore, we must not forget the comfort that comes from a compact and elastic mattress kept in perfect condition. Otherwise, the wool splits into lumps and the mattress sags and becomes deformed.
CARDED
This refers to wool fabric or other short
natural fibres of varying quality in length and fineness.
The procedure for preparing carded fabrics is different from that followed to obtain the much finer "combed" fabrics, which we will discuss later. First of all, the wools are freed from waste with a special treatment called "carbonisation", then they are first untangled and then washed in hot water and detergent.
After drying, we proceed with carding, which is very accurate so that the different wools mix perfectly with each other.
The wool web that is formed is then divided into strips, which are pressed and thus appear ready for spinning, without the subsequent operations of combing and ironing of the fibres taking place, which are instead carried out with "combed" fabrics to improve their appearance and quality. Carded fabrics have a slightly fuzzy appearance and are soft to the touch.
florencecashmereyarn.com
