Entry for August 18, 2008
This is what I was doing all weekend - skirting, sorting, washing wool! there are several pounds of very white BFL on my drying rack now. It will head out to Stonehedge to be made into roving as soon as its dry. I have one more bag of wool to sort through - about 5# of dirty fleeces that should have some usable sections. I've got a couple batches of nice locks to dye this week, too, and will post results here. Not sure of the colors yet - whatever jumps out at me when I look at the dyes. :^)
2008-08-18 12:35:53 GMT
Comments (2 total)
Author:Anonymous
Hi, Lisa. Do you have a good method for sorting and washing fleeces? It looks like you have plenty of experience. I just bought a Targhee fleece (7 1/2 lb!!) and I have no idea what to do with it. I bought a Rambouillet fleece once years ago and made a complete mess of it. Any tips from the expert would be greatly appreciated.
Penny in Kentucky
--Penny in Kentucky
<mailto:penny@landenfamily.com>
2008-08-18 17:23:09 GMT
Penny in Kentucky
--Penny in Kentucky
<mailto:penny@landenfamily.com>
Author:Anonymous
The seller may already have done the skirting for you. If so, you'll just be checking for anything they may have missed. Also, you'll want to take a lock from 2-3 areas of the fleece, and check to be sure it does not have a weak point, or the tip does not break off.
Its easier to show than to type. :^) Try laying the fleece out on a flat surface, cut side down, tips up. It should look like a big sheepskin. Go around the outside edge, "skirting" off any dung tags, dirty bits, etc. If the area at the head/neck is contaminated with hay chaff, pull that off and discard. Sometimes there is an area down the backbone that is contaminated, or has weathered wool you'll want to remove. If the fleece along the lower legs is especially coarse or even hairy, remove it to use for something else.
Pick any bits of hay that are laying on the tips of the fleece off.
What you should be left with is clean fleece that is fairly close in length and fiber diameter (nothing really coarse or fine compared with the rest of the fleece) Now you are ready to begin washing.
2008-08-19 15:54:10 GMT
Its easier to show than to type. :^) Try laying the fleece out on a flat surface, cut side down, tips up. It should look like a big sheepskin. Go around the outside edge, "skirting" off any dung tags, dirty bits, etc. If the area at the head/neck is contaminated with hay chaff, pull that off and discard. Sometimes there is an area down the backbone that is contaminated, or has weathered wool you'll want to remove. If the fleece along the lower legs is especially coarse or even hairy, remove it to use for something else.
Pick any bits of hay that are laying on the tips of the fleece off.
What you should be left with is clean fleece that is fairly close in length and fiber diameter (nothing really coarse or fine compared with the rest of the fleece) Now you are ready to begin washing.
