Pre-drafting your spinning fiber: a contentious subject

If you ever want to drop a conversational bomb into a group of spinners, ask the group if you should be pre-drafting your fiber. This is one of those hobbyist topics that can move people from zero to "furious" in about two seconds flat.

First of all, I think it should be said that your decision whether or not to pre-draft does not actually, in any meaningful sense of the word, matter. No one will live or die based on your decision. Worst case scenario, you end up with yarn that isn't entirely what you intended it to be. Maybe you're out a few dollars for the fiber and a few hours of your time. Perspective, people!

Part of the problem with the term "pre-drafting" is that it encompasses two different activities. One which most experienced spinners frown upon, and one which most experienced spinners do all the time.

Pre-drafting, definition 1: drafting out your fiber so thin that all you have to do is add twist and it's ready to go on your bobbin. This kind of pre-drafting is done without any tension on the fiber, and is most common amongst beginning drop spindlers.

This is generally frowned upon by experienced spinners. And I agree that, having tried it myself when I was still learning, it did not work out very well - even though it seems like it would be the easiest way to do it.

Pre-drafting, definition 2: pulling, fluffing, even splitting your rope of fiber so that you are working from a more manageable handful. This is "legal," even encouraged. It is particularly helpful if you are spinning dyed fiber that has become a little compacted, or from an unusually thick rope of fiber.

But once again I feel the need to emphasize that regardless of whether you do or don't do either of these two things, the Spinning Police are not going to arrest you for Crimes Against Wool.

Image courtesy Flickr/Hedgehog Fibres