We’ve got a thing for batts — whether you buy one ready to go, or card your own, there’s no limit to the rich colors and textures you can create. It’s not surprising that sometimes, a batt might just seem too beautiful to use (it’s okay to admire them for awhile!). But, once you’re ready to get spinning, here’s what you need to know.
Types of Carded Batts
Blended Batt
This batt is extra-smooth and has a uniform color. No matter which way you spin a blended batt, you’ll pretty much always end up with the same yarn.
Textured Batt
All kinds of textures and colors of fiber show up in textured batts. Each inch of your textured batt might look totally unique, so it’s no surprise that artisans also call these “art batts.” Going through the layers and textures will help you determine the final yarn you spin.
Colorblocked Batt
The chunks and layers of color in colorblocked batts can create a huge variety of yarns when you spin them, depending on the method you use.
How to Spin a Carded Batt
For this tutorial, we’re using an Art Batt from Atomic Blue on Etsy.
1. Spin From the Corner
Use this method if you love knitting with yarns that look organic and a little wild, with lots of random clumps and bumps. The free-form style of the final yarn gives knitting projects the effortless vibe that lots of knitters adore.
This method works best with blended batts and textured batts (aka art batts). If you’re spinning with a colorblocked batt that you want to turn into a colorblocked yarn, you’re better off using the tearing method (see below) to avoid messing up the color striping.
2. Tear Into Strips
This method is ideal for colorblocked batts. It lets you preserve their individual colors and textures, and create a yarn that has clean stripes or blocks of color to knit. The tearing method gives you the most control over the yarn as you spin, too.
This method also works as a way to pre-draft your batt fiber and spin a more even yarn. Many spinners who work with blended batts use the tearing method to achieve a consistent, traditional feel.
3. Split in Two
This is basically a combo of the two techniques above, and it works well with the most textured art batts. If you’re spinning those batts from the corner, the textures can clump together — so you might end up spinning an even yarn with two yards of bulky texture right in the middle. Tearing the batt into 2 to 4 mini batts instead helps spread out all that texture and color, so your final yarn has consistent bumps of texture from beginning to end.
Every batt is unique, and so is the yarn you’ll create from it. Experiment with the different methods to find one that works for you… and your batt.
I taught myself, and intuitively went with the tear method. I break my batts very carefully down the middle, then continue to split down the middle of each strip. Finally, when I have the width of a strip that will make the desired weight of yarn (thinner strips for fingering weight, wider strips for worsted) I pre-draft, gently pulling a little to loosen the wool into one long, feathery strip. I hope this is helpful.