When you are first learning to spin, don't be tempted by those beautifully colored braids of combed top. Well, you can definitely be tempted and it's perfectly fine to add them to your future stash because...beautiful. I just don't recommend trying to learn to spin with one of those.
I'm not saying you can't learn to spin with them, but if you are trying and you are getting frustrated and not having fun, switch to roving.
What is the difference between combed top and roving? Combed top has been...combed...and roving has been carded, which is more like brushed.
Top is all the same length with all the super smooth fibers lined up side by side all matchy matchy. At home I make that with actual metal tined wool combs. I'm not sure how the commercial mills process it...now that I think about it.
Roving is all mixed together and can be different lengths and the fibers are all swirled around in less organized fluffy...fluffy-ness. This brushing can be done by a commercial mill with huge multi-drum machines or at home with a hand cranked drum carder or even using hand cards.
The picture above is roving. See how it's fuzzy and airy and even a little messy looking? This is Mini Moose and not only has it been processed as roving, but his wool is what I think of as a perfect medium wool. Medium length, medium amount of crimp, medium fiber strand thickness, medium softness...
A perfect learn to spin wool :-).
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