Teasing Fiber

In this example, the CVM/Corriedale (2 different links) fleece.

I can’t wait to see how this spins. I wonder what I will end up wearing this as. It may be sweater.

Let’s review, shall we? (And we shall, since I am in charge of these here parts…)

5 ½ pounds of CVM/Corriedale (link) fleece purchased at the Estes Park Wool Market from a young woman who, with her sister, raise their critters in south central Colorado at a place called Heart Cross Ranch. They call them by name. Or so they say...this ones name is Oreo.  Or so they say....

After scouring and teasing, I will weigh it again.  It had a bit of lanolin, and some vegetable matter but mostly was pretty clean, being a coated fleece.  That means the sheep wore a coat, like a blanket, that 'buckled' underneath it's tummy, to keep the best part of the fleece the best part of the fleece.  Coated (and skirted)fleece bring premium dollars from spinners.  So much easier to clean.

I enjoyed teasing this fleece. Picking up a clump, I just start opening up the locks.

 It is such nice wool and cleaned up so well.

It pulls apart cleanly and softly and holds such promise! I am anxious to see it carded up.

See all the little bits?  And the not so little bit?  And the fuzz ball? Those are the rejects from the teasing process.  Like I mentioned before, it's dirty work, but I think worth it.

Carding Fiber (By Drum Carder)

One reason I was inclined to seek out the spinner’s/weaver’s guild was their equipment rental policy for members. Of course, after visiting the monthly meetings, I discovered there was going to be much, much more to membership, but this past weekend, I took advantage of my first inclination.

I rented a drum carder.

I have some cleaned fleeces, and some even teased, from the summer needing to be carded. I have cleaned a couple more recently. It’s a little overwhelming to think about hand carding it all. I also have a whole lot of other stuff needing to be done and hand carding doesn't seem as appealing or necessary. And I also want to try my hand with one of those things.

Here is how it went.

Really fast! That’s how it went!

I took on the Strauch for fine wool, and it worked well for my purposes. I started with some rose grey alpaca already teased (which is the process after scouring and drying of pulling apart the locks, loosening any remaining veggie matter, etc).

In hardly anytime at all, I had myself carded alpaca. Done…and done!

Well, that was pretty sweet, I must say. So I went to work on the Jacob, deciding to blend the colors together with this fleece. Also documenting with photos.

Feeding the uptake…

Removing the batt…

Recarding the batt (which I did twice after the initial carding)…

I then rolled up the batts and weighed them. The alpaca lost very little, not having any lanolin. The Jacob I lost half its weight. This sort of documentation is valuable in the education it holds for me.

Anyway. Alpaca done. Jacob done. The CVM/Corriedale is up next. I have thought in the past that I surely coveted my own drum carder, but now have different thinking.

First, I will try the different ones the guild rents (there are 3, I think). And then…for the price I can rent one for a month? I am not sure I need to #1 make the investment myself, or #2 take up the space in my craft room to store one.

Fiber Prep Tutorial

Soaking and scouring

Two Icelandic (wiki link) fleeces were given to me, and I purchased a Baby Doll  fleece in August, too. All of these were admittedly full of vegetable and priced accordingly. The Icelandics were free, if that paints a clearer picture.

My research has led me to believe that an overnight soak is just the thing for a really dirty fleece, and I realized last week that unless I wanted to wake up with a skim of ice on the top of my soak water, I better get those fleeces processing.

Getting fleece clean is not a pretty sight. While the finished product is (hopefully) soft yarn that smells of ...well....nothing, shorn fleece is straight from the barnyard. And all that that implies. It’s the first true reality show, with no edits, and all the smells.

I took photos anyway. Someone might be interested. This follows the Babydoll fleece...

Skirted fleece (skirted by me, so we will use that term loosely). I learned everything I know about skirting fleeces from the book, In Sheep’s Clothing, by the Fourniers. See. I am an expert.

Overnight soak in water from the hose, floating freely.

I have previously scoured fleece in lingerie bags (pillow case sized), but that doesn’t allow for the ‘haystacks’ to float away, and hay! these fleeces have plenty. Research and advice from the experts led me to buy these baskets (on sale at Target) and drill some holes in the bottom. I split each fleece in half and scoured as follows:

Hot H20 (140F) with plenty of Dawn (water should be slippy) for 20 minutes
Hot H20 (140F) with less Dawn for 20 minutes (possibly additional if req)
Hot H20 (140F) with vinegar (a couple of good glugs) for 20 minutes
Hot H2O (140F) for some minutes (repeat clean rinse until clear)

(This was during the third soap wash...the water was much cleaner at this point...I know...)

Important! Keep hands off during the above steps! I so want to do just a little swishing..but at the least manipulation at this point will mat the fleece, and at the worst, felt it. I push the fleece down gently (because wool will float until wet). I slowly re-arrange the baskets to drain, and to wash out the tub between steps. But I really have to keep my hands off!!!

[This did not remove all the grass/seeds/hay from the Icelandic, but I am processing these fleeces for the experience of working with Icelandic. Icelandic is a primitive sheep with a short undercoat (called the thel) and a longer outer coat (the thog). The undercoat is much softer than the outer, and often is separated before using.  When it is spun together, it is called lopi yarn.  According to my resources.  I am looking forward to the carding and spinning experience.  Even if it means fighting the VM.  It's for free...]

After scouring, I gently press the excess water out of the fleece, lift it to towels and roll it up for more drying, and lay it out on the patio, in these cases, overnight.

All the lanolin is gone (Icelandics are not lanolin heavy). The nastiest veggie matter is gone. The dust is gone. It is mostly clean. Washing after spinning will help with the remainder of the dirt.  Most importantly, the barnyard odor is completely gone. I will spend some time picking through for removing the grass and seeds and hay in this case, then teasing before carding.

In the past, as I mentioned, I have not used the overnight soak, and I don't think it is particularly necessary for cleaner fleeces.  I have also used lingerie bags, and I don't know which I like better, baskets or bags.  I am thinking maybe baskets.

What I love?  Is my tankless hot water heater that I can crank up to 140F on demand without hassle, and never ever ever run out of hot water during this process.  Then I just go press the button again to return the device to our normal temp.  Then off for a shower!

That was one sweet investment!

Fleeced

But in a good way.

I cleaned the Jacob’s fleece (bought from a weaving/spinng Guild member in May) and the CVM/Corriedale fleece I bought at the wool market this weekend. I also had 8 oz of an alpaca fleece that I needed to clean, too. I am not telling how long that’s been around.

Well. That was a job and a half.

I did some things differently from before. No soup pot this time. I cranked up the temperature on the hot water heater and used the bathtub, considering the quantity. I have been assured that the soapy lanolin water won’t plug up the drain. It didn’t.

Hasn’t.

Yet.

I was able to lay the fleeces out on the patio after towel drying for some nice, airy, drying in the sun. The Cat Who Is Queen watched them carefully.  Best Dog Ever protected them from the squirrels.

I used lingerie bags, which worked very well, but think before I do this again, I will get some medium sized plastic baskets to keep the locks intact and prevent the little matting that occurred.

So. The alpaca was exceptionally clean, and is almost ready for carding. The Jacob is now mostly teased and I was a bit surprised with it. The last Jacob I had must have been very well skirted. I am still learning from my experiences. They are sheep after all, and barnyard animals!

The difference between the Jacob and CVM/Corriedale fleeces in texture and staple and feel is remarkable. I know about both from reading. The C/C is a ‘fine wool’, while the Jacob usually falls under the heading of ‘other’. But I have spun Jacob roving, and prepped 2 bs of Jacobs before. I know Jacob better.

I can’t wait to get to know the CVM/Corriedale better. I think I will have about five pounds to do so. I hope we get along.

The plan is to card by hand, practicing the technique learned at the workshop at the wool market. And when bored with that, I may rent a drum carder from the Weaver's/Spinner's Guild. But again, there is something to be said about getting to know wool by working with it.

It feels good to have all the raw fleeces cleaned. It was a lot of work.

Seriously.

An Edit and A Few Answers

First off, my Jacob's fleece cost on $16 for 2 pounds.  Even more excellent!

Liz - I had read about the 24 hour cold water soak.  I didn't want to have the muck sitting around while I was gone and the pets were home alone!  The 2-20 minutes soapy soaks do a bang-up job.

Thea - There is a vendor of roving and yarn at our local farmer's market.  We have a wonderful market indeed!

I have just about completed cleaning the fleece and started on the carding.  Next up is the partial alpaca fleece that requires cleaning.  There shan't be a dirty fleece in this house!

In the meantime...snow.  At least until Sunday. Then back to the 50's.  Springtime in Colorado!

Want to see

The miraculously successful scouring of the kept way too long Jacob's fleece? (scouring is the technical term, and does not mean any scrubbing of the fibers by steel wool occurs...)

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)

Not The Flower Show

The Guy has been down in the city this week.  I have had cereal, a grilled cheese, and corn dogs for dinner so far.

The calendar held a couple of events that required my attention but other than that, I have been figuring out ways to occupy myself.

Monday was a day of waiting for others to tell me what were my priorities.  I was worn through from doing not much and thought 'When I get home, I am going to do nothin (but on my own terms)' !'

And by nothin', I mean getting out Maggie Casey's Start Spinning and seeing about starting to scour that Jacob's fleece I have had since way too long.  I had put it off being all fearful of the dreaded lanolin and what to do with disposing of it and the potential smell and on and on and on...

With the Guy gone, and checking out some Ravelry groups on fiber prep, I decided to go for it.

And by going for it, I mean I was hugely successful in the results.  Magically successful, one might say.  Portion #2 was scoured on Tuesday, and #3 is working as I write this.  I might have the whole fleece done before the Guy comes home.

(photos were taken on Saturday)