Why batts for spinning?  Why not rovigs?

A good question.  It has to do with the way the fibers are handled and what you aim to do with your fiber.  For a “fuzzy” fleece like mohair, you can still do either process, but you will end up with very different looking fabric in the end.  First, let’s talk about rovigs.  Sometimes that word is used to refer to small rolled batts, and they have been carded just as much as our mohair is carded…but they’ve been done on carding brushes.  When I first started working with our mohair, I was aghast at how much some things cost, and I was determined to do everything I could with an eye to our budget!  However, if “time is money”, then I  found that trying to brush the fleeces of our (then) five goats was going to be VERY expensive in time!  I looked around online, and found a drum carder roughly half the price of the most advertised carders, and I jumped at it.  I have a 120 TPI (tines per inch) carder drum, and it does a pretty good job of opening up the tight curls and making it possible for the little bits of VM to fall out. This included making the decision that rather than processing the fiber as worsted, but rather as “woolen”.   

A rovig, particularly if purchased commercially, is not carded but is rather combed, and produces worsted fibers.  That use of the word has nothing to do with how yarn is weighed in a yarn shop (aka “worsted weight”) but rather, how the fibers are processed, while carded fibers are a mix of straight, horizontal fibers and fibers that may run on the bias or even crosswise.  This gives a fuzzier, more open, and warmer, yarn and thus a fuzzier, more open, warmer garment product in the end.  Woolen fibers will not last as long as worsted fibers, generally, though of course that has as much to do with care of the product as it does as the type of fiber in it.  Worsted fiber is run through a set of combs, which produces a parallel fiber only.  That parallel structure makes for a longer wearing, smoother, and less insulating garment than does carding.  There are tons of videos on YouTube, and I would direct you there to hear more about this from experts.  

I opted for carding because of two factors:  first, I have an autoimmune issue which makes it VERY uncomfortable for me to be outside in cold weather.  Of course, those are my favorite months of the year, so this is a problem.  I already have some orders for scarves and such and I have a DEFINITE intent to make myself a very warm pair of mittens.  Those mittens will probably have a blend of alpaca and corriedale or merino wool in with the mohair, to maximize the warmth.    The second factor is that mohair is meant to be fuzzy, in my mind, much like cashmere.  If I make a sweater or ruana, I would opt for open over straight and closed for the fabric.  It’s a matter of taste, and you yourself may decide to learn both so that you can be able to do anything at all, or because you like the ease with which rovig fibers can be separated off for spinning.  Either way, our batts will provide all the warm fuzzies any fabric short of quiviuk can do!