Spinning some very dirty wool
Last time I told you about our demo at the Log Farm shearing day. When they seared the first sheep they brought over the fleece and laid it out under the tent so people could see it. I used some dog brushes to make small rolags from the fleece and then used my drop spindle to spin some yarn.
Being me, I didn’t take any pictures of the carding or rolags so when I went to the guild I took a bit from one of the fleeces still waiting for a new owner and made some more and both Jan and I took pictures.
You can see all the debris from carding, so much falls out. Then my sort of rolags. The dog brushes are small so it’s hard to make a real roll.
I added the wool to the yarn on my spindle, then I plyed it and wound it off to be washed.
A nice close-up so you can see how dirty it is.
At the demo, people had lots of questions about how to wash it, when to wash it and did we have to wash it. The answer to when is at any stage along the way or not at all. I don’t suppose a fisherman in the North Atlantic is too fussed about his waterproof sweater smelling sheepy.
About how to get it clean. These fleeces are dirty and full of hay bits and other dirt. Carding them takes out some, spinning it takes out some and washing it takes out more.
I wash in a dishpan with Dawn dish soap. It is a good degreaser and most of the dirt is stuck in the grease ( lanolin).
Here is the water after the first wash
and the second wash
Then I rinsed it and let it dry. Once it was dry I shook the skein over the dish pan to see how much more would come out. I was surprised by the amount that just shook out. There is hardly any debris left in the yarn and what there is would pick out easily as you were knitting or weaving.
Here is the result, with a small amount of unwashed yarn I kept for comparison.
Spinning in the grease is enjoyable on a warm day. The lanolin helps it slide. It’s not so fun on a cold day when the lanolin gets sticky and doesn’t like to slide. Washing fleeces is not one of my favourite things but a little yarn is fun.
14 thoughts on “Spinning some very dirty wool”
Ann, the difference after washing never ceases to amaze me and your lovely white yarn looks soooo inviting.
In my early enthusiastic, but oh so naive, days I’ve washed about 8 fleeces of different breeds….oh boy, never again. Whilst the skirting and washing is a chore (although it is very rewarding seeing how clean the fleeces are afterwards) it is the carding that is the ‘killer’….to remove the vm requires so many passes through the carder. Hours later, you realise you’ve only done a few staples of the enormous fleece!!! I’m now much older and oh so much wiser 😜
I don’t think I’d like to card any unwashed fleece….there’d be no sliding through the fingers, everything would be clogged up, particularly in our UK weather.
I agree a whole fleece is a big job to wash and to card. Once I get my big carder up and running again I may have a go. that is a project I hope to get done this summer. Antje you would have to sit by the fire to warm the fleece.
I so agree with Antje. As far as I’m concerned washing fleeces takes up too much time between imagining what the fleece will look like when all it’s lovely locks are made into something beautiful and getting on with making that something.
I applaud your efforts though Ann. Is the yarn as soft and fluffy as it looks in the last image?
Ann
thank you for the tutorial.
I am glad you liked it
Oh dear – my comment vanished – something to with akismet not liking it!
Very sensible to spin and wash just a bit of the fleece – a whole fleece is a marathon! What a lovely difference between the washed and unwashed.
Back in the 70’s I knitted an Aran sweater for my fisherman brother and the lanolin from the yarn kept my hands nice and soft.
It is amazing that it can change so much in the washing. I have heard of stomping on a fleece in a shallow stream to get the dirt out but leave the lanolin in. I have no handy streams so I won’t be finding out. I like my wool already prepped for me too.
What a difference between the washed and unwashed fibre!
I hate to admit it but I’m afraid I don’t have the stomach, or the patience, for washing fleece! I’m guessing it’s easier to wash once it’s been spun, rather than washing as loose fibre? I’ve had a few attempts but each time I’ve thrown in the towel and it’s ended up on my garden rather than being used in felting projects.
It is a big job and not one I am fond of either. It is much easier to was the spun yarn because you are not worried about felting it. I gave it a good swish around. I would never do that with loose wool.
I agree with everyone else, what a difference the washing makes. I never thought of carding and spinning before washing.
It is amazing to see all the dirt that comes out. The carding took out a lot of the little bits of debris. I was surprised at how much came out in the spinning a washing. I did’t think either would do that.
I’ve been reading everyone’s comments and silently chuckling to myself at all the “I could never wash a whole fleece” thoughts – as I write, I can see a whole new fleece I just ordered that will need my attention soon! I don’t love washing them but I do love seeing the amazing fibre afterwards…
Loved seeing the difference between the unwashed and the washed yarn. It’s nice to know women might have been cosy for being close to the fireplace “in the olden times” so they could soften the lanolin and keep spinning…
I like to keep my fibre still ever so slightly tacky with lanolin to prevent static electricity, and I’m always amazed how soft my hands feel after I’ve handled fleeces…
What are you making with this bit of yarn, Ann?
Wow Ann. I initially thought that the grey/brown colour might be the breed’s natural colour and then, like a magician, revealed its true beauty. How satisfying.
I was at a rural fair last week (with my eldest – the apprentice beekeeper). I picked up a bit of raw fibre from a newly sheared sheep and washed it when I got home. I think he was a bit speechless when he saw the result.
I have just learned so much about lanolin, thank you for that. Great article!
Helene
I am happy to help you prove moms still knows things the kids don’t.