BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Spinning Drum Carder tip, thanks to jaquiew

I found J-cloth on an American site when I googled it- its a woven paper cleaning cloth that survives being put through the washing machine. It is also used for nappy liners here in OZ - thats if you still use cloth nappies. Its nice and stretchy, which makes it ideal for the drum carder.
No wonder non-English speakers get confused, when us English speakers from opposite sides of the globe cannot find the correct word to describe a product we all probably use, lol! Over to you Llyn, to see if you can find what I am talking about!
I would guess a soft knitted cotton fabric would also do the job; the kind I'm thinking of is also sold in our supermarkets as a car cleaning rag and comes knitted in a tube, rather like a cheap kind of T-shirt material. The main factor to consider is whether it stretches slightly, and has holes that will easily go over the wire. Sheeting and calico didn't do the job.
Cheers, Caroline from Australia

Well, nylon netting would certainly fit down over the carding teeth. But it's doubtful that it would help keep the carding cloth very clean. I do recall that it is a non-woven cloth.

I can see the product we're trying to name in my mind - I just can't come up with the name. Handi-wipes, maybe?

I believe they're called Handi-wipes. That's the Clorox brand name for them...not sure what the generic name would be.

Pam in VA

The brand name for these in the US is Handi Wipes. They're a non-woven re-usable cleaning cloth that can be machine washed. To see a picture, take a look at this Amazon link, although you should be able to find them at your local dollar store if they're not stocked at your regular grocery.

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Thanks, thats exactly what they are!
Handy wipes over here are those little pre-moistened cloths you get in round plastic containers for wiping hands, babies, etc. You'd think the marketing and advertising gurus would get their names straight around the world these days, !
Cheers, Caroline in Australia

Handi-Wipes! That's what I thought they were called but didn't want to say for sure until I could actually see some and give them a try.

Glad I was able to help... I have a used drum carder on its way to me and was thrilled to see this tip. Anything that simplifies clean-up increases the odds that I'll really use the drum carder. I can't wait. I've got a closet full of fiber awaiting my attention. I'm wondering if the local fiber shop might be interested in carrying some carded batts... They don't have any at this time, but that doesn't mean that they wouldn't carry them if someone were willing to supply them. (Daydreaming already about how to finance an upgrade to a Pat Greene Supercarder.)

Why not? It sounds like a great idea to make your hobby self-supporting, and you can go out and get more fibre with the profits, hehe! What an excuse to go out shopping again! There is a demand for OOAK batts on Ebay and according to some of the groups I belong to. And its great fun getting adventurous and spinning feral yarns. Not that I have managed to actually put up any of my batts or yarns for sale - how could I pick what I would be happy to part with? Which is why I have a yarn mountain, hehe!
Cheers, Caroline, who is meant to be stash-busting - really!!

What is an OOAK batt?

And, Caroline - I have a fleece mountain for the same reason you have a yarn mountain

OOAK = one of a kind, which means you can put anything and everything including the kitchen sink into them. In fact there are some sellers on Etsy who specialise in this kind of batt It sort of turns left-overs into designer products! Seriously, its a good way to get an accent yarn with a little luxury, but I don't think they come cheap. They certainly sell quickly!
They are quite easy to make. You need your base tops or roving, divide it up (a spare coffee table is good for this, I have a large tray), and then start adding bits to it, from alpaca, or silk, to 6 inch lengths of that cheap nasty nylon yarn you got on special last year - it all goes in, and gets carded together. How many times depends on how you want the finished product to look. I also garnett any ends of homespun, and add bits of felt. Depending on what you put in it, depends on how classy it is - my recipe is a bit feral, but the top of the range batts use buffalo, cashmere, etc and the colours probably all blend together nicely without clashing.
Its great fun, and you can never be quite sure how its going to turn out, hehe!
My mountains are rather static at the moment; the youngest and newest fur baby is teething, so anything wood has been put out of the way - the end result is I don't know what to do with my hands as I watch TV,