Here is the next portion to be cleaned. In separating out this section, I purposely selected a part that was mostly white. Just because when the white cleans up, it is such. a. rush!
And I am all about those rush-y endorphins.
Add Dawn. Enough that the water is a little slippy. Hot hot hot tap water combined with almost boiling water from the hot water dispenser. Too hot to keep hands in comfortably for long. Fleece in a netty-type lingerie bag.
Into the water. Lid on the pot. Timer set for 20 minutes. No swishy swishy.
Lift the bag to drain a bit. Set the bag on the lid. Dump the icky water(see above) in the mulchy, unplanted area of the yard. Repeat with less Dawn for 20 more minutes.
Repeat the drain/dump action. Prepare a vinegar solution by dumping a glug of white vinegar into the pot with hot hot hot water.
Add the bag of fleece. Lid on the pot. Timer set for 10 minutes. Never with the swishy swishy.
Repeat the drain action. This solution I dump down the drain. Rinse a last time in clear hot water for 5-ish minutes.
(before towel drying)
Lift the bag and let drain in the sink. Dump the water down the drain. Gently remove the fleece from the bag in one piece, and lift onto an old towel.Spread it out to it's former shape, sort of, and roll it up to towel dry. I spread it out on another, dry towel overnight, picking out the obvious veggie matter, as I go.
(after towel drying)
I will flip it over from time to time. I took the first couple of portions outside in the afternoons when I got home from work, when it was so so nice out. Being small portions, these dried quickly.I teased them, dislodging a bit more VM from the locks. This was really a pretty clean fleece, in my mind. Now it is ready for carding!
I have to admit that after working up the alpaca, I was hesitant to embark on this fleece with lanolin. There was so much VM in the baby alpaca, it was hard, hard work. I had it in my mind to eventually work up or get rid of the two raw fleeces (this and a partial alpaca) I had left and just stick with prepped stuff to spin.
Now I am not sure. Now I am thinking about the wool market, and what I might find there. I am spinning some BFL (blue face leicester) on Molly, and it is going really nicely. Really nicely. I am loving spinning on Molly the marvelous Matchless. (She might be my new boyfriend.)
(some washed, dried, and teased...ready for carding)
The other thing? I spun some Jacob roving I picked up at the farmer's market last summer, and the stuff was a bit...not so soft as merino. This seems softer. One other thing. This fleece? 2 pounds for $25. I know that I am cleaning alot of the weight off in lanolin, but still. A bargain.
Also, Jacob's sheep are multi-colored, so the fleece is all mixed grey, black-ish, and white.
Anyway. Whole worlds are opening up.
(Clicky on any of the photos to see them rilly up close)
9 comments:
I was so tempted at the wool festival last year and you make it look so easy. You're such an enabler. And it that a hot water faucet? Love it!
Ooooooh! It does clean up shiny brite! But don't blame the baby alpaca for wanting to play in the vegetable matter! He was only a baby!
Thanks for the photos. Looks like you did a great job with the Jacob. I love the multi colors. I found that a 24 hour soak in plain cold water gets out most of the initial yuck and then the hot dawn solution works even better on the lanolin. Not that I am an expert or anything!
This was such an interesting post -- I had no idea what was involved in preparing fleece for spinning. I can see how it would be very satisfying, and one of those good projects to tackle when husbands are away.
They sell fiber at your farmer's market? I'm jealous. The fleece looks so lovely! It's like it's saying "spin me".
This is cool. I'm not a spinner, so I've never seen this process. That the wool goes from a dirty tan to that pristine white is so cool! And with the black, it should make a pretty pretty yarn - please post the final result.
Thank you for the tutorial! I wondered how you got from fleece to yarn! (I know, this is only part way!)
Wow. Thanks for going through all the steps. I've always been interested and always wanted to give it a try one day. So it's fun to see what you have to do before you have actual yarn between your fingers.
Once while hiking up a 14er, I saw a woman collecting mountain goat hair from the bushes. I asked her what she was doing, and she said she was carding it. So now, after reading through your process, I know she was making dirty yarn. Ha ha ha!!!
I had no idea that the fleece was actually "cooked" in the cleaning process! I am so intrigued by the spinning process, but intimidated also! I love wool - My baby blanket was pale green wool! I have taught myself to hook a rug/pillow with wool strips and yarn because there aren't many "hookers" here in central ArkansaS! lol Are you selling any bulky yarn or fleece that might be good for hooking? I want to tell you about this wonderful site:www.hookingrugs.com - It is Deanne Fitzpatrick who lives in Nova Scotia. She is a wonderful fibre artist and sells supplies and has a great blog. You might want to visit her as well as Heidi Wulfrat
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