I know I am late to the game. I bought a blending board earlier this year. I have 3 drum carders and some hand cards, I did not see a need for a blending board. That is until I for what ever reason decided I wanted one because if the portability. I had some felting ideas as well.

I know it sounds a little crazy that I have 3 drum carders. But each has a distinct purpose. My big ass expensive triple drum super card is for my fine fibers. It makes buttery smooth batts ideal for alpaca, silks, and merinos without any neps and lots of subtle loft. My Louet is a sturdy workhorse for chunky art batts. And I have a basic Strauch petit carder. I am able to make both art and fine batts on this carder. It is also the carder I recommend if you are buying your first carder since it is reasonably priced and often you can fine one used.

So I suppose if you were considering a drum carder or even hand cards and a blending board Here are a couple of things I would consider.

What kind of yarn are you spinning? Smooth and perfect, plied or wild chunky art yarns. Or maybe something in between? If you are spinning mostly art yarns the go with <72tpi (or smaller if you can find it). If you are making fine yarns, I would go with >72tpi. Just remember the more teeth on the cloth the winner the batt/rolag/yarn. If you are spinning both 72tpi is the middle of the road and the most common.

How long have you been spinning? I know this is a crazy question, and maybe a little off putting. But Honestly, I though I would be all chunky batts and art yarn all the time. But you know what, there is something crazy gratifying about spinning a smooth colorful 2 ply yarn. Never say never. So if you are somewhat new to spinning consider getting a middle of the road carder. You can always sell or add to your carder collection as you begin to shake out your style of yarns. I mentioned the Strauch. Here is a video where I make an art batt on that basic drum carder.

Don’t overlook simple cheaper options. I learned on hand cards. It may take a long time to make a skeins’ worth of rolags, But there is something so gratifying in carding in such small batches. It is portable enough for me to be able to card anywhere. And blending boards are the bomb! It really does not take too many  batts to get a skeins’s worth of yarn. Again super portable.

Of course you can totally spin straight from the locks, or buy only roving. But if you are looking to  really dive into exploring spinning and especially if you want to process your own fleece, getting a carder can be a game changer.