The Natural Spinner

Valkyrie Combs & Hackles

I have been a fan of these combs since 2012. I started with one ExtraFine comb and the matching 12″ hackle. Yes, just one comb…I was such silly to think I could make one comb work with the hackle. I soon learned better and ordered the second one.
After using the EFs for a while, I realized that since I so strongly gravitate to very fine fibers, the EFs were only so effective on those fibers, so I bought the SuperFines. Then I was on a quest to buy the matching SF hackle. This was elusive. There was possibly only one made at the time. I requested, nagged really, and eventually I got my SF hackle. I now have my combing table set up perfectly to suit my combing needs. One side is for the SFs and one side for the EFs. I have not come across any 2.5″+ fiber that can’t be combed on one of them. Combed top is ooooh soooooo amazing!

From this…

To this…

My favorite way to wash fleece is in these baskets. They fit perfectly in a 3.5 gallon bucket. The handle slots make them easy to lift out, they stack for efficient storage and as long as they’re not dropped, they should last for many, many years. I bought them from Dollar Tree (they aren’t currently available as far as I can find, as of 19 Feb 2024). I wash from 4–8 ounces in each, depending on the fiber. Someday I’d like to have a larger setup with one of those multi-basin sinks that you see in commercial kitchens…that would be sweet! Along with an on demand hot water heater! Oh, and an electric spin dryer! Eventually…

That green thing above is a 2.5 gallon salad spinner. It does a pretty good job as a manual way of getting even more water out of the fleece than just squeezing with my hands. I have also used a large laundry net bag and let centrifugal force do the work. Let me just say, the salad spinner is much easier on my arms.

Have you ever used a purposely made flicker brush? I have and I find them to be too large and they also draw blood if you’re not careful and catch your finger while flicking. I went on a search for something different. In the pet isle of the local grocery store was this little cat brush. I bought a bunch of them over a few months. If I find something I like, chances are it won’t be made for very long, as has been my luck. I wanted them for myself as well as for use by students in my classes. I also have the idea to maybe even make some, in a smaller size like this cat brush, if my woodworker husband will help me. We have the wood and I can source the carding cloth…but to find some that won’t draw blood…hmmm. For now, I have enough of them to last me quite a few years.
The downside is that they are not as durable as a “real” flicker. That’s ok, I don’t use them that much and they were less than $5 each.

Another inexpensive pet tool! This is just another way of opening up a lock, like the above cat brush. This is a set of dog combs. One is a flea comb, a little too tightly spaced to do a good job, but maybe on certain fleeces. They came as a set. Again, I don’t use this much, but it’s nice to have choices.