When it comes to keeping the amount of twist even over the entire length of fiber to be spun for a project, a lap cloth is an invaluable tool. Some spinners regularly use a piece of cloth or wear an apron to keep fibers from clinging to their clothing and a lap cloth will serve this function but its main value lies in its use as a measuring device.

Lap cloths, such as the Mabel Ross* cloth, are clearly marked with a series of ½ inch (1.25cm) and 1 inch (2.5cm) sections. By combining different sections, the spinner can control the length of the draft throughout an entire spinning project. The cloths have the markings repeated on each side so can be used with equal ease by right and left handed spinners.

Here’s how they work:

First, you need to know the ratio of your spinning wheel. That can be easily figured by tying a piece of yarn around one spoke of the drive wheel (or by sticking a Post-It flag to the drive wheel if your wheel doesn’t have spokes) and tying another piece of yarn to one arm of the flyer. Position the markers so they line up at the 12:00 position, then turn the drive wheel once while counting the number of times the marked are of the flyer passes 12:00. If the marked arm hits the 12:00 position 10 times, then the ratio is 10:1. This means that every time the wheel is treadled once, the drive wheel will rotate once, and the flyer will rotate 10 times and 10 twists will be inserted into the yarn.

Second, you need to know how many twists per inch you want in your yarn. Since this depends on your project, your personal preferences, the type of fiber you’re spinning, and the type of yarn you’re making, it is best to spend a bit of time sampling at this point. Once you have a sample of the yarn you wish to make, carefully count the twists per inch (tpi). Once you know how many tpi you want, the next step is to figure the length of draft you need to achieve that number.

With a wheel ratio of 10:1, drafting one inch of fiber per treadling will insert 10 tpi into the fiber.
If you want only 5 twists per inch, then draft 2 inches of fiber per treadling. If you want 20 tpi, then draft ½ inch per treadling or treadle twice for each inch of fiber drafted.

With the lap cloth on your lap it is very easy to see exactly how long each draft is and to keep the length of your draft consistent. Consistent treadling and consistent drafting equal consistent yarn.

Personally, I tend to lose track of exactly which markings I’m using on my lap cloth. To counter this, I always start at the first mark on the cloth and insert a pin at my “end of draft” point. If I have to break off spinning in the middle of a project, my notes will tell me where to insert the pin before picking that project up again.

* Mabel Ross Lap Cloths are produced under license in Coos Bay, Oregon, USA by: Integrity Sewing (541-266-9206)