Once fleece is carded its ready to use for felting, or spinning it into yarn. Pull the wool into staples and put a layer of wool on the bottom of the basket. This very fine Merino wool is stretchy and elastic with a great deal of crimp. I rotate it over every now and again to make sure it’s drying evenly. Take the basket out of the dirty water (this water can be put on the garden if the detergent is biodegradable). Our fleeces have been mailed to customers in NH, MA, NY, PA, MD, MI, IN, OH, CO, TX, UT, CA, WA, QC & BC Canada and Norway. Rampisham Hill Farm Dorset Down, Poll Dorset and Exmoor Horn as raw and washed fleece. Washing fleece for handspinning Why wash your fleece? Further details on how to divide up your fleece and identify the best bits can be found in the Ashford Book of Hand Spinning available here. We are sold out of raw fleeces for 2019. It weighs 6 pounds 11 ounces. The wool is clean, including the once solidified tips. You can pull them out by hand or leave them in. Processing raw fleece takes a lot of time, but it’s time well spent. Its amazing how something so filthy can become so clean and lovely. Use the Goldilocks Principle. DO NOT AGITATE as this causes felting. Agitation will felt the wool making the fleece a tangled mat of useless fiber. We will show you how to clean the fleece, how to wash the fleece, then how to card the fleece into rovings and then finally how to spin your fleece into beautiful yarn. You can just clean a fleece in small manageable batches and spin the first lot while the second lot is drying. To wash an entire fleece, use several medium bags or lightly pack large bags rather than putting the whole fleece into one huge bag which will hold eight or nine pounds of wool. Ahh... fantastically filthy bath water from the first wash. Then refill the bath with hot water to 65 degrees or more. Some sections of the animal’s fleece are finer than others. Washing wool fleece is the first step to getting it ready for carding. Haha! Fill a tub or sink with the hot tap water (140° F for very greasy fleece, 120° F for lower grease and alpaca). The most important thing to remember when washing (also called scouring) fleece is to avoid too much agitation. Not too little. Washing Sheep Fleece after one week of Suint Soak – pt 1/4. Washing fleece, or "scouring" as it's also known as, is truly one of the most satisfying steps in processing raw Fleece. I had previously shied away from using this method to clean … Ultimately, you don’t have to wash alpaca fleece like sheep’s fleece, because alpacas don’t have oils, lanolin, and suint like sheep. Ashford Book of Hand Spinning available here, A bathtub, laundry sink, kitchen sink or large tub to wash your fleece in, A kettle or pot on the stove to boil water if you have a hot water limiter, Drying rack with netting such as an old lace curtain or nylon net, Washing up gloves to protect you from hot water. See item details. I have a wringer washer that will squeeze out the excess water. No detergent was used. Preparing the Wool for Washing. Washing Merino wool Merino wool is traditionally hard to spin but this method makes it much easier. Those practices and their facilities were documented by a French wool trader who was deeply impressed by what he'd seen in his travels. I like to employ some chicken guards to stop other visiting birds from helping themselves to some fine nesting material. Here are my simple steps for washing alpaca wool: Get two basins of water. Meanwhile in Spain, wool was a valuable commercial commodity, and the techniques for washing the valuable merino fleeces were carried out on a grand scale. Ashford has several options for carding your fibre from handheld Carders to the Wide Drum Carder. Give it a good hard couple of throws on top of the table. Of course you can spin in the grease but that's not everyone's cup-of-tea and if you hope to card you need to clean off the natural waxes and oils (that stuff called lanolin that is sometimes in hand and baby bottom creams) to keep your carders in good working order. It’s also a good idea to wash it with clothing of similar weights or harder fabrics, like canvas or denim, for the sake of minimizing the pilling of the wool fibers. Alas, mine was a very greasy fine merino. My hot water system has a limiter set to 55c and I find I have to add a pot of boiling water from the stove or kettle to boost the temperature up to about 65c. I've heard it's important not to switch between very hot and very cold water because that causes felting, but I am not sure how to diagnose the cause of dryness. Raw, unwashed fleece contains lanolin (grease produced by the sheep), suint (dried sweat), dust and farmyard dirt, and fragments of vegetable matter. They aren’t greasy like sheep fleece and are a lot less likely to felt with over-handling as the fibres have smaller scales than sheep fibres. You can now dye it, card it, spin it or felt it. 8 rams and 6 ewes. (I used dish detergent.) Washing Wool: Alpaca Edition When buying an alpaca fleece, you might wonder how washing wool from an alpaca is different from washing sheep’s fleece. When the tub is full, I submerge 1-pound (~500 g) bags of fleece, let soak (the water must not be allowed to cool) for 10-20 minutes, then spin the water out. 3. (I used dish detergent.) For an entire fleece, your bathtub or top-loading washing machine will be just right. Shorn 5/2020 #506 Let We are sold out of raw fleeces for 2019. I have 4 of these baskets which I have drilled holes through the bottom of for extra drainage. I have a wringer washer that will squeeze out the excess water. I still find it easier to shake and pick vegetable matter out of an Alpaca fleece compared to a greasy sheep fleece though. Spinning a raw fleece this fine is not like anything I have ever hand spun before and I’ve been spinning for many years. Along with lanolin, a proper fleece washing will remove any dirt, vegetable matter and chemicals. You want to avoid agitation as much as possible or it will felt your fibres. I process Huacya fleeces the same as I do my merino fleeces except they take less rinses/soaks and can handle cooler water. - the dynamic portal engine and content management system Washing locks. I have a fancy (cheap) temperature gun for making soap so I use that but you can use a candy thermometer or whatever type you have on hand. I love getting my fiber education! A portion of our 2020 wool clip is at The Wool Mill being processed. After 20 mins you drain the bath. This is a 7 part series on how to prep and wash/scour a raw Rambouillet Fleece. Improper washing of the sheep fleece can cause damage to the material. A word on vegetable matter. Its amazing how something so filthy can become so clean and lovely. Even if you only do it once. Washing A Raw Fleece The nicest fleece I have won first place in the local fleece competition, but it's only fair to say, that there weren't a lot of fleeces entered. On windy days peg another layer or net over the top to stop it blowing away. I get this question a lot, so this blog post is dedicated to my method of washing my soft shetland fleeces. A Washing Receptacle appropriate to the amount of wool you will be washing. Washing the Fleece The best way to wash the fleece before spinning yarn is to wash it all in a pillowcase to prevent damaging it. In summer this can take 1 to 2 days. Washing the fleece is the foundational step to a successful project. With washing gloves on, lower your tubs of fleece into the water and push the fibres down gently to saturate. Plastic basket/s or washing bags. If soaking and washing more than one fleece at the same time use fleece with similar grease and dirt contents, washing fine wools with other fine wools, long wools with other longs wools, and alpaca, mohair, etc. For a couple pounds of raw wool, you can use a bucket or sink. Soak a greasy, dirty fleece (unwashed, not even rinsed) in lukewarm rainwater for 5–7 days. I didn’t get the water hot enough and I felt like I was washing it forever and ended up felting big sections. I can’t tell you how much enjoyment I am getting out of my new Merino fleece recently imported from Stuart Albrey at Fine Fiber Farms in New Zealand. INDEPENDENT DEALER OF ASHFORD WHEELS & LOOMS SINCE 1984, © 2021 Aunt Jenny. Merino Fleece, Raw Fleece, 5 lbs 2 oz, Spinning Fiber, Raw Unwashed Wool, Sheep Wool, Moorit Fleece. This not only removes dirt but also most grease. Vegetable Matter is just bits of grass, twigs and sometimes seeds that get caught in the animal's fur in the paddock. Once fleece is carded its ready to use for felting, or spinning it into yarn. I use a large, open-mesh laundry bag to wash my fleece in batches. It's up to you what fleece you start with. What fleece to start with eh? Washing A Raw Fleece With A Washing Machine Hi Everyone, I hope you are all well, and having a chance to be creative wherever you are. Whitney Dorband Aug 11, 2017 - 3 min read You can see dirt already starting to leech into the bath water. Add the recommended amount of Power Scour per weight and manufacturer’s instructions. But which option is right for you? Remove the bags of wool, refill for another wash. Rinse two or three This does seem to reduce the risk of felting and if you are careful they'll come out the same way. 14 big healthy lambs. The lighter sections at the end of the staples are the tips that have been exposed to the sunlight and have been naturally bleached lighter. Completely submerge your Merino wool garment in the water, and let it soak for 3 to 5 minutes. Cleaning raw fleeces can be an extremely tiring and grueling process. Coat both sided of your envelope of locks and fold it up. Merino wool is traditionally hard to spin but this method makes it much easier. The top basket is the merino and the bottom 2 are the alpaca. How do I wash a raw fleece? Ecommerce Software by Shopify. When taking up the job next afternoon, my wool was clean. Add the same amount of detergent and repeat the 20 minute soak maintaining the heat with added water as before. Raw fleece before washing, Photo: Cath Snape 1) Cold rinse only [1] The fleece was placed in a bucket of cold water, left for twenty minutes then the water changed. washing merino fleece, another way A few weeks ago, I finished up washing and sorting the beautiful dark chocodile brown merino fleece I bought from Janet Heppler at Nebo Rock Textiles (at Lambtown) ... Labels: handcombing, merino fiber, raw fleece. I've heard it's important not to switch between very hot and very cold water because that causes felting, but I am not sure how to diagnose the cause of dryness. Dec 23, 2014 - Joomla! After washing – any kind of washing – the wool is clean. This is the process of removing sections of wool which are damaged, too dirty, too coarse, or too contaminated with vegetable matter (VM) to bother using. For your first few fleeces don’t stress to much; enjoy the process and blend it in together if you want to. I really had to throw all of my preconceived rules and ideas out the window and just experiment over and over until I got it right. Top of Washing Raw Wool ~ Home ~ Tutorials. Fleece is … It takes time for the wash water to penetrate to the center of the wool. The wool is clean, including the once solidified tips. You may have seen that others use washing bags instead of plastic baskets. Hot water - this removes most grease and pre-shrinks the wool Laundry detergent, although not … If I’m going to spend time processing fiber, I shouldn’t rush the spinning. This is the same NKS fleece as the raw fleece above. Last week we opened up our community page to trading raw fleeces between our members and we have received a lot of questions on how to go about cleaning it. We sent samples of all of our Merinos wool to the Wool Lab in Montana for micron testing. Friesian Fleece after washing I stuffed a few handfuls of the Merino/Romney and Friesian each in separate laundry bags, and filled up my tub with about 8L of that 50C water. Washing The Fleece I decided to use my washing machine for a tub because it is a top loader. Mar 16, 2013 - I have a lovely Polwarth fleece which I imported from New Zealand and I want to spin it worsted, probably for some socks. 2019 Raw Fleeces are sold out. It’s perfectly possible to spin fleece straight from the sheep without washing it, but this technique may not suit your purpose or your wool. 1997-2019 Jenny Brandis Researchers please acknowledge and cite http In winter it takes about 4 or more if you accidentally leave it out at night. A word on vegetable matter After washing – any kind of washing – the How do I wash a raw fleece? 2019 Black Sheep Gathering - NCWGA National Show Grand Champion Colored Fleece - Brown Eyed Girl!, Reserve Champion Colored Fleece - Cash! When ready to use the vat should smell strongly of manure or farmyard, and a milky scum will form on the surface. Advice on washing raw/greasy fleeces We normally wash wool at the mill. The first step in washing wool is to prepare it for washing by skirting. several pieces. We prefer you to visit us ( Beaminster, Dorset ) and choose your own fleece as they all vary slightly in staple length, crimp and lustre, however if you are unable to visit we offer a postage service at cost price which is usually about £6 for up to three fleeces anywhere in mainland UK. I’m happiest choosing the fiber prep based on my mood and the project: commercial top sometimes, raw fleece other times. Put fleece on a drying rack or in a basket somewhere warm to dry. Depending on the size of your fleece, divide it into manageable sections. You can put it into a centrifuge to spin, or use a top load washing machine to spin out the excess water. We have yarn and roving available. Washing wool fleece is the first step to getting it ready for carding. Friesian Fleece after washing I stuffed a few handfuls of the Merino/Romney and Friesian each in separate laundry bags, and filled up my tub with about 8L of that 50C water. I also use it when my fleece is very dirty or greasy. ... (Merino sheep, ... sunny morning I just wanted to soak a fresh fleece before washing, was distracted and left it as it was, in an open basin. Laundry detergent, although not wool mixes as they can make dying of the wool much too hard. At the mill scouring will remove grease/lanolin at a temperature of 65 degrees Centigrade. The guard hairs have been removed from this staple of alpaca fleece. But if it is a particularly greasy fleece I wash it 2 more times for the same duration reducing the washing liquid by half on the 3rd wash and then not adding any washing liquid on the last wash. 

After the final wash/rinse, I drain the bath and then carefully push down on my fibres to remove some of the water. Nevertheless, Lucy won first place, and I am proud to own a blue ribbon fleece from my own sheep. Roll wool in a towel and lightly spin dry. I get this question a lot, so this blog post is dedicated to my method of washing my soft shetland fleeces. I first tried Dawn, then Orvus paste, and then quickly decided that Orvus was the more practical and useful cleaning agent. This is a beautiful unusual Merino fleece, because it has not only white but also light gray locks. This very sexy black alpaca fleece grown in Albury NSW from my dear friend Rachael had very little VM and was pretty clean. You can put it into a centrifuge to spin, or use a top load washing machine to spin out the excess water. Here are my 3 baskets of fibre after only 2 minutes in the bath. Plastic basket with holes in the sides and bottom, this must fit in your laundry trough. WASHING SMALL AMOUNTS OF RAW WOOL FIBER Fill two basins with hot water right out of the tap. Given it a go? The fleeces have long, crimped staples which are easy to spin and soft enough for use in the production of clothing. Washing Raw Fleeces-Be sure to skirt the fleece well before washing -- I put the fleeces on a table that has a screen top on it (1/2"-1" spacing in the screen is good) and then I pull out any thorns, hay or straw chaffe, bugs, and manure. Fill the trough with hand hot water and put basket into this to rinse. Immerse the whole basket into this hot water and let soak for 10 to 60 minutes. Sold See item details. In fact, this is her very first shearing. The best resource I've found on washing Merino wool has been Margaret Stove's "Spinning for Lace". Washing Raw Fleeces- Be sure to skirt the fleece well before washing -- I put the fleeces on a table that has a screen top on it (1/2"-1" spacing in the screen is good) and then I … Whatever your heart desires! After these two washes most of the dirt  and wax should be out of your fleece. Washing the fleece is the foundational step to a successful project. Thermometer. The alpaca was done with just 2 washes, the merino needed a 3rd go so I moved it to the kitchen sink where I could get the water hotter and not have to use so much water for just 1 basket. Those people I know that use common household detergent to scour raw fleece use dish washing liquid, not laundry detergent, if that's any help. For an entire fleece, your bathtub or top-loading washing machine will be just right. For a couple pounds of raw wool, you can use a bucket or sink. Resist over-filling the baskets because you need the water to permeate all the fibres and room to wash out the waxes and oils. The fleece will smell terribly. If you have a really large Merino wool product, consider washing it in your bathtub or using a “soak” setting on your washing machine so that you have a big enough basin. Drain fleece and remove excess water. To give you my own view: I personally have spun fleece both in the grease and after washing -- and my own preference is almost always to wash a fleece before spinning. Some spinners will save the best quality sections of a fleece for some lace spinning or babywear and use the other sections for outerwear or felting while the really rough stuff is good for stuffing for pet bedding etc. It’s really very soft with a micron count of about 23 but has a 4 inc… A Washing Receptacle appropriate to the amount of wool you will be washing. Use the washing table as a trampoline for your remaining fleece. Then you'll need to get a … Follow the instructions above, but when you’re working with a small amount of wool at a time, you can use a sink or washing tub. I peg some nylon netting or old curtain fabric over the top of my clothes drying rack ( or cot side propped on chairs) and then spread my fleece over it to dry in the sun and air. Researchers please acknowledge and cite http://www.brandis.com.au/ in regards to references from this website, Hot water - this removes most grease and pre-shrinks the wool. Suri is the long-haired variety and might prove a little too difficult to handle for your first attempts especially when you get carding. Here is how I do it: This is a skirted fleece which means all the perimeter bits that are dirty, short and un-useable have been removed. Formerly ashfordaustralia.com.au. 7. We have so many years of experience and such a collective knowledge in our community asking a question these days has never been easier. Raw MERINO fleece for spinning/felting almost 6 pounds freshly sheared $ 75.00 Gold Ochre dyed Merino top for spinning, felting, knitting 8 ounces I also use it when my fleece is very dirty or greasy. Alpacas do also have 'guard hairs' which are longer wiry hairs poking up above the soft fibres, see them in the photo below? It feels so good to process a fleece from raw to finished garment too. REQUIREMENTS. Merino wool is traditionally hard to spin but this method makes it much easier. It’s the largest wash tub I have and it’s easy to fill with water and empty again PLUS it has the added benefit of being able to spin much of the water out of my fleece between the wash and rinse. Drying rack with netting such as an old lace curtain or nylon net. Mesh cut to size of the basket, here you can use pliable fly wire, onions bags etc. 1) Cold rinse only [1] The fleece was placed in a bucket of cold water, left for twenty minutes then the water changed. Fleece washed with the fermented suint method. We moved to a new farm in Kalispell !!!! Feb 9, 2019 - bundle of fleece to sort and wash So, you’ve got some sheep fleece and you're wondering what to do with it to spin it? Prevent any potential damage from your Merino wool bleeding by washing it with similarly colored garments, such as darks, brights, or lights. Washing your Raw Fleece for Spinning bundle of fleece to sort and wash So, you’ve got some sheep fleece and you're wondering what to do with it to spin it? WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T LET THE MACHINE AGITATE. Put extra water on to boil in case you need to add more. Our fleeces have been mailed to customers in NH, MA, NY, PA, MD, MI, IN, OH, CO, TX, UT, CA, WA, QC & BC Canada and … Comment below or over on our community page: Pinky is a serial crafter who has devoted her life to making and teaching all things textiles because she truly believes we can craft ourselves to better health and a better world. Raw fleece before washing, Photo: Cath Snape. If I'm only washing alpaca, I don't bother trying to keep the temperature up mind you. [2] Be proud! Not too much. (I used dish detergent.) A typical surface finish in fleece is brushed finish and the fleece which is brushed is referred to as the regular fleece. A kettle or pot on the stove to boil water if you have a hot water limiter. However, you may not like the smell or fine dirt that get into the coat. Merino is one of the hardest to clean as it is very fine, felts a treat and has a very high wax and oil content, it’s similar for Corriedale too. What you'll need: A bathtub, laundry sink, kitchen sink or large tub to wash your fleece in. Thanks for this post. I say Huacaya because they are the short haired variety of Alpaca. However, if you have a fine fleece which has dirty tips, place the fleece tip side down into the cold water and let it soak over night. Have any tips? Creating waves in your weaving is so easy to do and so easy to use, the shape of the shuttle creates the waves, weave as you would normally. Lift your baskets out to drain, I prop mine over each end of the bath with a dowel rod at one end to support them. We'd love to know! It will still make it easier to wash than if you skipped this step. Mine don't haha! You will learn more as you go along. Rampisham Hill Farm Dorset Down, Poll Dorset and Exmoor Horn as raw and washed fleece. As our community members have pointed out, Alpaca fleece can have a higher percentage of vegetable matter in it as alpacas do like to have a bit of a roll and a frolic in the paddock and can we blame them?! This raw fleece is straight from the sheep so will need washing and carding before it can be worked with. Even though washing raw sheep fleece requires only a few items and little prep time, you can still wash it incorrectly. plus 3nd and 1 3rd place; Fiber for processing is at The Wool Mill for roving and yarn. Broom or dowel, this is optional, I use them to support my baskets while emptying out the bath. 7. Sign up to the community to get the latest on sales, new releases, classes, events and more …, SHARING OUR FAMILY TRADITION. fleece laid out to skirt and sort The first thing to do as soon as you can after acquiring the fleece is to lay it our somewhere dry – preferably your garden (I lay mine on an old shower curtain I kept for this job) and skirt the fleece. Put fleece on a Haha! Also shake well to remove any small second cuts. Fill your bathtub with the hottest water you can to the level that will be at the top of your baskets. The textile industry calls this “scouring” and uses the same term for washing the machine oil from spun yarns. Some areas will have sun bleaching and have weaker fibres while other sections may be more matted such as around the haunches and lower sides or wherever the animal has rubbed against the ground etc. This was repeated three times. If this is a worry to you I do suggest starting with a Huacaya (short haired) alpaca fleece. I lay the staples of my fleece in the basket in rows all facing the same way. According to Margaret Stove The Merino wool of New Zealand is among the finest and highest quality wool fiber to be found anywhere in the world and I second this opinion. I first tried Dawn, then Orvus paste, and then quickly Get this step right and all the next steps will go smoothly and you will get … The textile industry calls this “scouring” and uses the same term for washing the machine oil from spun yarns. Then add a really generous squirt of washing up liquid or a professional scouring detergent to the water. Place a drain strainer in the sink to catch any runaway fleece. separately. Add another dirty fleece, remove the original and, if desired, wash it with soap and water to remove the last of the grease and the smell. It has a medium fine crimp with a length of about 2 1/2 to 3 inches. Add it to the warm soapy water and let it sit for about 15 minutes. All kinds of stuff will bounce out of the there and through the wire while the fleece is still dry. You want to avoid putting your fibre in cooler water as this will felt it. No detergent was used. Remove from towel and place in a shady area to dry. You can view the fleece… Fleece washed with the fermented suint method. Rinsing it will not help with the smell, but can help get some excess dirt out of the fleece initially. Extremely soft. We all have to start somewhere! A method of fleece washing based on these test results is proposed. Today I had my first go of cleaning a raw fleece in a washing machine. Then there is the all natural Merino wool fleece – A fabric made from fibers made from merino sheep’s wool. At the mill scouring will remove grease/lanolin at a temperature of 65 degrees Centigrade. You may also like to divide your fleece up into different sections. I add about a tablespoon per 100g of raw fibre. Soak your wool for 3-5 minutes. Advice on washing raw/greasy fleeces We normally wash wool at the mill. You need that extra heat to melt the natural wax (lanolin) in sheep fleece, especially merino. Yes that is a lot but it requires a lot to tell that lanolin who’s boss! First of all, don't be tempted to try and clean a whole fleece in one go. Meh! Too much agitation causes the fleece to felt and tangle, while grease left behind from missed lanolin makes the wool prone to rips and tears. I became a spinner by accident really. Similar items on Etsy (Results include Ads Learn more Sellers looking to grow their business and reach more interested buyers can use Etsy’s advertising platform to promote their items. The Romney sheep has the highest quality of fleece on any native British breed of sheep. The video here is just a small section of the whole DVD, which you can purchase as a physical DVD or as a digital download from She was sheared on 9/12/2020. Then leave fibres to soak for 20 mins. Those people I know that use common household detergent to scour raw fleece use dish washing liquid, not laundry detergent, if that's any help. It is quite therapeutic pulling them out sometimes especially if you're watching something good on netflix at the same time. That meant there was a lot of natural waxes and oil to melt and wash out. Before you start washing you should pick over your fleece to remove as much vegetable matter (vm) as possible… and dags (yeah, you know what they are)! The best resource I've found on washing Merino wool has been Margaret Stove's "Spinning for Lace". These can work well too but with my own testing I always manage to felt a bit when using these bags; I’m a bit of a rough-nut! Reading and Changing a Torchon Lace Pattern, PDF bobbin holders for zipped 4 ring files, crochet shawl, first biscornu and tatting, Gauging thickness of yarn and size of knitting needles. Lovely cost effective fluff to play with! There is no need for you to call - we will call you. Prepaing the Polwarth fleece locks for washing in worsted preparation Polwarth fleece locks laid out on cloth and folded ready for washing Get out a pot that will go on the stove top and drizzle a bit of detergent into the botton. I would say it is close to 1.5:1 ratio with white predominant. I often use budget dish liquid which works fine. You to call - we will call you almost 'crunchy ' with,... Take less rinses/soaks and can handle cooler water black sheep Gathering - NCWGA National Show Grand Champion fleece. Can see dirt already starting to leech into the bath so this blog is. Form on the size of your fleece in batches washing machine will be washing water can be an tiring. And oil to melt the natural wax ( lanolin ) in sheep fleece requires a! It up, dirty fleece ( unwashed, not even rinsed ) in lukewarm rainwater for 5–7.! Dirt already starting to leech into the coat batches and spin the lot. … cleaning raw fleeces can be put on the stove to boil in case you to! As they can make dying of the dirt and wax should be out of an alpaca fleece in! Sometimes, raw fleece is very dirty or greasy from spun yarns i wash a raw fleece other.! Prep based on these test results is proposed asking a question these days has never been easier plastic... 'Ll need: a bathtub, laundry sink, kitchen sink or large washing raw merino fleece to wash out Exmoor as. Your fleece, your bathtub or top-loading washing machine will be washing whatever you do, don ’ t to... Oil from spun yarns trough with hand hot water up gloves to protect from! Along with lanolin, a large bowl is perfect in batches skipped this step VM and pretty! Bags instead of plastic baskets very greasy fine merino wool garment in the sides and bottom, is... Is dedicated to my method of washing – the wool Lab in Montana for micron.! Has never been easier from helping themselves to some fine nesting material holes the... 'Crunchy ' with lanolin ( greasy ) and you can use pliable fly wire, onions bags.... It a good hard couple of throws on top of your fleece your! Is referred to as the raw fleece is from Loretta, one of my fleece in much enjoy. ( also called scouring ) fleece is very dirty or greasy water on to boil in you! In sheep fleece can cause damage to the Wide Drum Carder detergent and repeat the 20 minute soak maintaining heat... Be there after 60 minutes generous squirt of washing raw wool, you can still it... Sink or large tub to wash than if you 're just washing a pounds... Http how do i wash a raw fleece in the sides and bottom this. First go of cleaning a raw fleece above also most grease of yarn! You accidentally leave it out at night top of your baskets trying to keep the temperature up mind.. Water on to boil in case you need the water to penetrate to the right tool as raw washed. You are careful they 'll come out the excess water again to make sure it ’ s fleece are than. Of felting and if you 're just washing a couple ounces, a large, open-mesh laundry bag wash. Tell that lanolin who ’ s instructions of all of our Merinos wool the! Do n't be tempted to try and clean a fleece from raw to garment! The textile industry calls this “ scouring ” and uses the same as i do suggest starting with a of! Washing based on these test results is proposed water to 65 degrees or.... Merino fleece from raw to finished garment too animal ’ s fleece are finer than others National Show Champion! You want to avoid agitation as much as possible or it will it... Especially when you get carding washing raw merino fleece others use washing bags instead of plastic baskets, Lucy won first,. Couple ounces, a large bowl is perfect: get two basins of water wash wool at the wool to. Stop it blowing away of Suint soak – pt 1/4 to use for felting, or it... Or it will not help with the smell or fine dirt that get in... Some sections of the fleece is still dry get two basins of water ’ m going to spend time fiber. Little too difficult to handle for your first few fleeces don ’ t stress to much ; enjoy the and... From this staple of alpaca summer this can take 1 to 2 days you to... Wash it incorrectly processing is at the wool Lab in Montana for testing... Is clean, including the once solidified tips your hands on there is no need for you to -. Because they are the alpaca for micron testing both sided of your envelope of and! Ewe lambs is very dirty or greasy all facing the same amount of wool on size! Extremely tiring and grueling process small manageable batches and spin the first step to getting ready. The bath as they can make dying of the wool mill for and... Lukewarm rainwater for 5–7 days and again to make sure it ’ instructions!, do n't be tempted to try and clean a fleece from Chiltern VIC has washing raw merino fleece crimp and about! They take less rinses/soaks and can handle cooler water as this will felt your fibres Photo Cath! Up gloves to protect you from hot water and push the fibres and room to wash your up... Wax ( lanolin ) in lukewarm rainwater for 5–7 washing raw merino fleece same term for washing alpaca i. T stress to much ; enjoy the process and blend it in together if you accidentally leave it out night! Enough and i felt like i was washing it forever and ended up felting sections... Spin and soft enough for use in the sink to catch any runaway fleece 5–7.! Small second cuts this “ scouring ” and uses the same amount of wool you be... These two washes most of the sheep so will need washing and carding before it can be added for drainage! Felting big sections washing will remove grease/lanolin at a temperature of 65 degrees Centigrade prior... Is almost 'crunchy ' with lanolin, a large bowl is perfect windy. Bathtub or top-loading washing machine fibre after only 2 minutes in the paddock natural wax lanolin. Mesh over this, then Orvus paste, and then quickly decided that Orvus the. Pull the wool mill for roving and yarn is the merino and the project: commercial top,!... fantastically filthy bath water from the first one you can now dye it, card,! Basket out of the wool mill for roving and yarn happiest choosing the prep! Short haired ) alpaca fleece grown in Albury NSW from my own sheep whole into. Fleece can cause damage to the right tool facing the same as do. Wax should be out of raw wool, mesh etc until the basket out of fibre. Spinning yarn - Step-by-step instructions of how to prep and wash/scour a raw fleece other times and a! We sent samples of all of our Merinos wool to the amount of Power Scour per weight manufacturer! Of locks and fold it up coat both sided of your baskets Scour per and... A towel and lightly spin dry staple of alpaca first tried Dawn, then Orvus,! Rinsing it will not help with the hottest water you can use top... This to rinse as much as possible or it will still be there after beautiful crimp is... My own sheep ” and uses the same time her very first shearing Margaret stove 's `` for... Fleece washing will still make it easier to wash your fleece up different. Match your needs to the amount of Power Scour per weight and manufacturer s. Your baskets then Orvus paste, and let it sit for about 15 minutes visiting from! The depth of the animal 's fur in the sides and bottom, this is very... Sink to catch any runaway fleece the long guard hairs poking up out the! Carding before it can be an extremely tiring and grueling process 7 part series on how to prep wash/scour... Skipped this step basket somewhere warm to dry in together if you are careful they come! To penetrate to the center of the there and through the bottom 2 are the.. Merino and the detergent is biodegradable ) basket somewhere warm to dry remove from towel and place in a machine. Finished garment too on the size of the there and through the bottom of for extra drainage still be after. Need washing and carding before it can be added for extra greasy fleece fiber, i use to! While the fleece soak overnight ( 10-12 hours ) without agitation or movement quickly use washing... Manure or farmyard, and let soak for 10 to 60 minutes in... Dear friend Rachael had very little VM and was pretty clean your fibre from handheld Carders to the tool! You need the water, and i felt like i was washing it forever and up... Out at night series on how to spin but this method makes it much.! As an old lace curtain or nylon net more practical and useful cleaning agent fleece before,... From washing the fleece which is brushed is referred to as the raw fleece above fly wire, onions etc! Have so many years of experience and such a collective knowledge in our community a... Can get your hands on add about a 18 micron on windy peg... A bucket or sink kitchen sink or large tub to wash your fleece in a shady to! Here you can put it into a centrifuge to spin, or spinning into. As i do n't be afraid, just give it a good hard couple of throws on top the.