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I fancy having a go at spinning my own wool, but when I mention to OH I was buying a fleece he said that there is no way he was having it in the house because it woiuld be full of ticks etc.
Would it? If so, how would i clean it? Sorry if these are really obvious questions
You can clean fleece in stale urine, just google there is loads about this. i have researched a little because my mum had a couple of fleeces, cant remember the details though, but it did include stale urine. Hugh Fernely-Whittingstall did it during the origional River Cottage days.
I've scoured seven fleeces over the past couple of years and not found a single tick - if there were any I guess they would have been snipped in the shearing.
There were fly larvae and eggs - but the scouring killed them off.
Basic cleaning of fleece (the number of washes/rinses will depend on how dirty and/or greasy the fleece is) - very hot water and dishwashing detergent, (not soap flakes) put a portion of fleece in a mesh bag of some type, (I use log nets) put detergent into the very hot water, stir lightly, add fleece gently pushing it into the water, allow to sit for 15 minutes or so, lift out gently, empty container (sink/bath) refill container with water of similar heat return wet fleece to rinse water.
I can point you to a fuller instruction on american websites if you like.
If you want to scour in stale urine you will need a large barrel - or plastic dustbin full, it might take some time to fill (unless you have a lot of generous friends?)
Say what you mean and be who you are, Those who mind don't matter, and those that matter don't mind
not found anything alive in our fleeces yet.
they can smell a little sheepy.. but its not that bad, and that's before you clean them.
what we do is:
tear off a lump of fleece about the size of a washing up bowl. Pick over it pulling out twigs and seeds etc.
Then get a washing up bowl full of hot water. just bareable to stick your hands in, and shake in some washing soda (half a handful?) and a squirt of washing up liquid, mix it round but don't make bubbles.
the trick to washing the fleece is not to felt it.. washing requires hot water and soap, felting requires hot water soap and agitation.. so as little moving about as possible.
Gently push the fleece into the water, then just prod at it gently with your fingertips. if there is a particularly muddy bit, carefully work that with fingers. The water will go murky.. thats the lanolin rushing out.
Lift the fleece out and drain a bit, the repeat the soap water bit if its still mucky, then rince in same temperature water (with nothing added) again being careful to move it as little as possible
Then drain it.
we then bung it in a pillowcase, tie the end and spin it in the washing machine, then dry it off on a rack.
now ready for carding.
I know some people do the whole fleece in the bath... not tried that myself. you could keep the fleece in the shed, and just wash a bit at a time as above, for your use, (some people reckon it keeps better in the grease anyway...) then OH need never complain about manky insect ridden fleece coming into your house (not that it ever is in my experience)
oh and you will have lovely soft hands from all that lanolin :)
Red
I like like minded people... a bit like minded anyway.. well people with bits of their minds that are like the bits of my mind that I like...
yay go for it - you could find it addictive
some of mine have been as little as £1 and so far I have a sweater out of one of those - still lots and lots to do - I really must organise
Say what you mean and be who you are, Those who mind don't matter, and those that matter don't mind
I got my first fleece from a local organic farm with a stall on the market - he has half a dozen Jacob's sheep, so the wool is a lovely dark brown. I got it three or four years ago, and some of it is still on the top of my wardrobe in its raw state, and I've never had any problems with anything living in it. I use it very slowly because I mainly take it to historical re-enactment events and into schools, so I spin little bits at a time, just to demonstrate the technique. I get the kids to handle the raw fleece, and they usually complain about the smell and the greasiness of it, caused by the lanolin.
Some of it I've washed once, just to get the mud out, in the bath and a big bucket. It tends to take several days to dry properly.
I've bought other fleece, and alpaca, which is not for re-enactment use (alpaca is wonderful - it's like spinning a cloud, it's so soft). That was all already clean. I got most of that from a big show at the Royal Welsh Showground, called Wonderwool. I haven't looked lately, but they do have a website which lists all the suppliers of wool, llama, alpaca, spindles, looms, and anything else yarn related.
I use a pair of antique carders. For re-enactment purposes, they can't look too modern. They cost somewhere around £25 on ebay, and have curved backs. The curve is useful for when you are making a rolag from the wool you have just carded, which is then ready to spin. I also use a pair of dog combs, which are more or less the same shape, only smaller, and better for a child to use. Kids love carding wool. Some of my wool has been carded over 20 times by different schoolkids!
"The best way to get real enjoyment out of the garden isto put on a wide straw hat, hold a little trowel in one hand and a cool drink in the other, and tell the man where to dig."
Charles Barr
gigglybug wrote:I have been looking at buying carders.
Are the curved ones good?
What kind do you use?
The curved ones are what most people use - I use small flat ones - but rarely, in general I brush each lock out with a dog brush (the sort that has lots of tines like a carder) and
however my Yule pressie(/birthday/next yule/next birthday cos it was lots) was a drum carder (ebay)
So what fleece did you buy Gigglybug?
Say what you mean and be who you are, Those who mind don't matter, and those that matter don't mind
Helsbells wrote:Incidentally, how does one approach a farmer about buying a fleece?
Do you get their number from the yellow pages?
just keep asking I reckon.. might be worth contacting local small holders association and asking there.
but yeh if you can find the number of the farmer.. why not just ask.
hmmm maybe there is a market for ready washed small portions of fleece....
Red
I like like minded people... a bit like minded anyway.. well people with bits of their minds that are like the bits of my mind that I like...
I still have over a day to wait to see if I have got it, but its a Dorset Poll x Charolais Sheep fleece. That doesn't mean much to me , but they said it was suitable for spinning. Very exciting
I still have over a day to wait to see if I have got it, but its a Dorset Poll x Charolais Sheep fleece. That doesn't mean much to me , but they said it was suitable for spinning. Very exciting
Sounds lovely! My mum keeps a few Charolais sheep, they are really lovely, nice white wool, real sweeties. (If that makes any differance to how you feel about the wool?!?)
