How To Use a Hackle for Fiber Prep and Blending
Why I consider my hackle the most versatile tool in my studio for fiber prep
When I started spinning, like most new spinners, I would purchase pre-dyed wool usually in the form of a roving. When I started processing fleece from raw and subsequently dyeing my own fiber, it was necessary to invest in a blending tool. I enjoyed my combs, especially my St. Blaise Combs, but you can only do small amounts at once, and with a bad shoulder it was really wearing out my body.
So I bought the cheapest drum carder I could find, and as you probably know, a basic drum carder will still cost several hundred dollars. I processed much of my raw fleece via combs and drum carder and blended some fun and colorful batts that way as well. I loved the drum carder for batt making, but I didn’t like it for processing raw wool. I felt that I should have a coarser cloth to do this.
Enter…the Hackle
Somehow, I stumbled upon a hackle, and I can’t remember where. It may have been something I saw online or from my frequent trips to Vermont. I don’t find Canada had/has a big fiber arts scene and I lived in Quebec at the time, so I could get my fiber fix easily south of the border in New England. Either way, I figured it would be a good solution to my dilemma, and thank goodness this happened before I bought a new carding cloth for my drum carder!
I started using my hackle with little knowledge. Like most things I tackle in life, I like to have minimal knowledge at first so I can figure things out on my own. Honestly, I wish I had known about these hackle things years before. I think I would have delayed buying a drum carder (or not bought one at all).
There are two ways I like to use my hackle: for processing raw fiber before spinning, and for color/texture blending fibers before spinning.
Whether or not a hackle is a good choice for processing raw fleece and fiber would depend on the quality and texture. In the video, I am using raw alpaca fibers that, although unwashed, is fairly clean and not at all heavily compacted. If you have a really dense and dirty fleece then a picker and/or combs would probably be a better option.
For blending fibers, which is what I use my hackle for the most, I’ve never had any negative experiences, to date. Usually I am using roving or top that I have hand dyed so that’s a breeze to use with a hackle. I love the control you get blending on a hackle. I also like a chunkier – or blocks of color – roving, and that is easier to achieve than on a drum carder (from my experience, anyway!). You can always remove and re-blend fibers over and over again if you want your fibers and colors to be blended more evenly throughout.
How To Use a Hackle – Step By Step (My Method)
My disclaimer is, as a self taught spinner and fiber processer, I learned to use my hackle the way I found works for me. I’m not sure if this is the “proper” or traditional way to use one. I’ve always been one to find my own way no matter what I do. Hopefully this video is helpful to get you started using a hackle, but I wouldn’t be surprised if someone disagrees with my method either. 
I appreciate that there are many ways to make traditional tools and methods your own in fiber work, and fairly inexpensively, as well! If you’re handy, you could construct a hackle and save even more money. That’s what drew me to the craft of preparing fibers yourself for spinning. So many ways to achieve what you want done for any budget, and the waste can always be repurposed, if only for compost for the garden. 
In the video, I show a simple two-sided color blending, as well as an example of how I would process raw fiber to get it ready for spinning. I’ve taken a mental note to show more ways of blending color on a hackle, so hopefully that will be in a future video. But don’t be scared to experiment and push the envelope of what can be done with this versatile tool.
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I am a jewelry artist, spinner, and indie dyer in Nova Scotia, Canada, self-taught in all areas. I hope these posts help encourage and inspire you along your creative journey, no matter if you approach your craft my way or not. Check out my About Me page for more info and the Fiber Arts/Spinning/Dyeing Category for more content like this.