When used as a preparation for spinning it is called a roving instead. A roving is often used to spin woolen yarn, and many hand spinners buy their fiber in roving form. The term 'tow' is not often heard, except when dealing with linen.'Pencil roving' is roving that has been stretched out until it is the size of a pencil. It is bought by spinners as well as knitters. Spinners find it easier to work with as they no longer have to thin the roving as much to make yarn, and with care knitters can use it as a very fluffy yarn.A tow is an untwisted bundle of continuous filaments. It often refers to flax, hemp or jute in the textile industry, and to human-made fibers, particularly carbon fibers (also called graphite), in the composites industry. Flax tows are often used as upholstery stuffing, and tows in general are frequently cut up to produce staple fibers.
