Spin-Off – September 2019

48 Spin Off • http://www.interweave.com

I have tried several “gauges” of tulle, from very fine

(small holes) to medium (holes a bit larger). I have had

the best luck with tulle that is not extremely fine, but

more importantly, the tulle should be rather stiff. If it is

stiff, then you can use it over and over again. If the tulle

is flimsy or stretchy, it tends to rip as it is applied to the

blending board, making it more of a single-use accessory.

Brushes

I am of the opinion that the greater the variety of

brushes you have, the better. Sometimes if you aren’t

getting the effect you want, a simple change of brushing

tool will help.

For applying fiber to the blending board, a very stiff

paintbrush about three inches wide works well. A flick

carder is also helpful for applying fiber to the blending

board. Because of the orientation of the tines on a

standard flick carder, you will need to brush the fiber

from the top of the blending board toward the bottom

(as usual), with the handle of the flick carder pointing

toward the top of the blending board.

For applying tulle to the blending board, I have

found that a plain old scrub brush works beautifully.

Indeed, any brush with stiff bristles will work: nail

brushes, grout brushes, or other small scrub brushes.

(These are the same type of brushes I use for fuzzing up

yarn when I am preparing to make tweed yarns.)

For applying fiber for wet-felt “painting,” I’ve found

that art paintbrushes work well. I have a variety of sizes

on hand. You don’t need to get high-end paintbrushes, but

those with stiff bristles tend to work best for me. I have

even used a toothbrush with firm bristles successfully.

Other Useful Accessories

When using a blending board on a tabletop, nonskid shelf

liner is great for stabilizing the board while you work.

If you have new wooden dowels, fine-grit sandpaper

will help smooth the surface of the dowel so that the

rolags slide off easily.

You might find that having several dowels with a

variety of diameters can be beneficial. Clemes & Clemes

has dowel sets available; Henry Clemes told me that the

larger dowels work well for long-staple fibers, while the

small dowels are best for short-staple fibers.

Batts on the Blending Board

To get started, cut the tulle so that it is larger than the

carding cloth on the blending board; a border of about

two inches works well. I use a scrub brush with very stiff

bristles to apply the tulle. First, lay the tulle over the

carding cloth, being careful to center the tulle over the

board, then press directly down very firmly with the scrub

brush. This pushes the tulle to the base of the tines on the

blending board. I typically start in the middle of the board

and work outward until all the tulle is at the base of the

1. Press the brush down fi rmly, pushing the tulle against
   the base of the carding cloth. 2. Beginning at the bottom
   edge, lift the tulle to remove a batt. 3. After removing the
   batt, you can spin it in any way you choose.

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