Worsted spinning is the conversion of combed top into yarn. The top sliver is progressively thinned by drafting the strand by a larger amount than the number of input slivers (doubling). The doublings help to reduce any irregularity present in the input material or introduced in the drafting process. When the sliver is thick the control of fibres is achieved using pins and as it thins better control is provided by balloon rollers and/or aprons. A minimum of 3, and up to 7, gilling stages are used. The drawing stages are followed by one or two roving stages. A flyer rover consolidates the output strand by inserting a small amount of twist. A rubbing rover consolidates the strand by rubbing between reciprocating aprons.

The roving packages are mounted (creeled) on the spinning frame and drafted (by a factor of 14 to 30) before twist is inserted. For pure wool strands the drafting is achieved using 3 pairs of rollers with the middle pair having a central recess and driving a pair of aprons which lightly grip the strand. Twist is inserted in the drafted strand by having the forming yarn pass through and pull a metal loop (traveller) which slides around a lubricated ring. The whole package rotates within the balloon formed by the yarn. Each turn of twist in the yarn requires a complete rotation of the package (bobbin) and, for a fine weaving yarn, it is typical for 500 to 1000 turns/m to be inserted. The speed of rotation is limited by the tension that the forming yarn can withstand, with the tension coming from the friction of the traveller. Higher speeds require smaller rings and lighter travellers but the tension must also be enough to control the balloon.

Full yarn packages are removed (doffed) and fed to a winder either directly or after a steaming operation to reduce the twist-liveliness of the yarn. During the winding operation the yarn from successive small bobbins is joined to form a large package and thick, thin and coloured places can be removed (cleared). The clearer sensors cut the yarn when a fault is detected and then the two ends are located, overlayed and rejoined with a splice (or knot). In order to produce a yarn that can survive weaving it is normal to twist two singles yarns about each other in the opposite direction (or the same direction if a stiffer crepe yarn is desired). Two or more yarns can be assembly wound onto the one package in preparation for this twisting operation or several packages can be directly mounted on the twister. For knitting a number of yarns may be wound and twisted together to produce a bulkier or torque-balanced yarn. The older method was to use another ring/traveller machine (ring twisting) but it is now more common to use a 2-for-1 twister in which the component yarns rotate around the suspended package(s) and 2 turns of twist result for each rotation. The final yarn may be steamed or conditioned before dispatch to the weaver or knitter.