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Stitching & Crafting Room:  I just washed my first sheep fleece  |
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smoothiejuice
True Blue Farmgirl
6309 Posts
Jessica
Bloomington
Indiana
USA
6309 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 19 2007 : 08:47:57 AM
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| So, about a month ago I sheered to wool from my little Lambykins, and the bag of his wool has been staring at me...for a month! Well, I read a bunch of websites, and some of the threads from here, and my first fleece washing just occurred. My hands are very so soft. i think I did it correctly. It is not dry all the way, but looks good. I am very excited...now, what to do with my very clean wool?...jess |
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BackyardTreasures
True Blue Farmgirl
189 Posts
Anne
Connecticut
USA
189 Posts |
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FlipFlopFarmer
True Blue Farmgirl
198 Posts
Carla
Molalla
Oregon
198 Posts |
Posted - Jun 19 2007 : 08:54:44 AM
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What sites did you find most helpful? My neighbor gave me all the fleece from her 2 sheep and I need to get started on washing it.
 Carla
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly. |
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Maryjane Lee
True Blue Farmgirl
2195 Posts
Maryjane
CA
USA
2195 Posts |
Posted - Jun 19 2007 : 08:55:45 AM
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Wow! That is awesome Jessica! I am sooooooo impressed! Let us know what you do with the wool!
Hugs,
Maryjane Lee
"Cherish the memories and in our hearts they shall live forever! |
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smoothiejuice
True Blue Farmgirl
6309 Posts
Jessica
Bloomington
Indiana
USA
6309 Posts |
Posted - Jun 19 2007 : 09:02:19 AM
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Carla, here is a site that I thought was good for those of us who just like to try things out and are not too anal http://www.mielkesfarm.com/woolwash_instr.htm. I did not use mesh bags, I used tule(sp?), you know from making ballerina tutus...layed out a long yardage of it, layed my wool in a straight row, handful or two at a time, rolled it up inside, like a tube, and every 6 inches or so put in a rubberband, so it sort of looked like a tule and wool sausage rope.
What to use it for? MJL? I have no ideas, just elated I did not wreck it. |
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ktknits
True Blue Farmgirl
582 Posts
Kathy
Northwest Indiana
USA
582 Posts |
Posted - Jun 19 2007 : 09:17:42 AM
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How Exciting! Are you going to spin it? If so, next, you will card or comb it. If you don't have hand cards, you can use doggie brushes. I'm sure there are tutorials on hand carding on the internet, but I'm at work, so can't look around for one. If nothing else, you can just comb or brush through both the tip ends and the butt ends and spin your little fluffy rolag of fiber! The yarn store on the south side of the courthouse in B'ton also (used to when Chrissy was in college there) sells spinning wheels and hand cards, etc. They could probably help you, or get you in touch with someone who could give you a little "hands-on" help. There is also a group of spinners in Rockville, and I know some people in Spencer too. I'm a member of the Indiana Spinners group, so I can get you names & phone numbers of local people if you want - just let me know!
http://ktknits.blogspot.com |
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BotanicalBath
True Blue Farmgirl
1014 Posts
Elizabeth
Ohio
1014 Posts |
Posted - Jun 19 2007 : 09:23:37 AM
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This is good to know. My SIL lives on a sheep farm, and they dont do anything with the wool. They told us when we come to visit, they will have bags of wool for me. What to do with it... Who knows. Maybe dye it and felt it.
E-
BotanicalBath@peoplepc.com www.Botanical-Bath.com www.BotanicalBath.etsy.com http://botanicalbath.blogspot.com/
"I do my housework in the nude. It gives me an incentive to clean the mirrors as quickly as possible." |
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smoothiejuice
True Blue Farmgirl
6309 Posts
Jessica
Bloomington
Indiana
USA
6309 Posts |
Posted - Jun 19 2007 : 09:25:36 AM
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| kt...My, that certainly sounds like a dream to me, yes...Yarns Unlimited can be a fount of knowledge for me. I should try them out for cards...my daughter crochets with a kids group there on Saturdays. I am so shy sometimes, especially around people I find to be extrordinarilly talented. i need to get over that. i have it laying out to dry, it should be dry fairly soon, judging from how it started out. i am so nervous about this whole process..I am trying to relax, and this is a trial thing, not like I am trying to save the farm with my wool. I do not have a wheel, maybe I can learn to drop spindle, my daughter is preparing to take lessons starting in July, maybe I will go with her. thanks kt, i knew someone here would know something!! |
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smoothiejuice
True Blue Farmgirl
6309 Posts
Jessica
Bloomington
Indiana
USA
6309 Posts |
Posted - Jun 19 2007 : 09:32:01 AM
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| what a great gift for you Elizabeth, you should try this, it is fun...so far! |
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queenofdreamsz4u
True Blue Farmgirl
3845 Posts
Stephanie Suzanne
Smoky Mountains Tennessee
USA
3845 Posts |
Posted - Jun 19 2007 : 3:00:58 PM
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Hey Jess,
That's great!....now pass on how you washed it...I'm staring at a pound of unwashed mohair from an angora goat for those that don't know about the different fibers....I'm still in the learning curve...I never knew there were so many types of Sheep...LOL
I've got the Janome Needlefelting machine so I am now using the different wools and novelty fibers to make my own felt...you can see my machine here, http://www.dreamkingdomdesigns.com/needlefelting.html if you've never seen one before.
I was real lucky and caught this machine on a good promotion several months back...it is so much fun to use..
Jess or Kathie or anyone out there how do I wash this Mohair?
Stephanie
"hold close your inner child and always listen to the gentle whispers" ~queenofdreamsz
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shmeg
True Blue Farmgirl
222 Posts
Megan
Granville
Ohio
USA
222 Posts |
Posted - Jun 19 2007 : 3:57:47 PM
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That sounds fun. Hey Elizabeth, if you end up with all that wool and would be willing to get rid of some, I'd like to buy some from you. I'm in the Columbus area as well. Let me know!
-Megan |
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BotanicalBath
True Blue Farmgirl
1014 Posts
Elizabeth
Ohio
1014 Posts |
Posted - Jun 19 2007 : 6:14:58 PM
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Stephanie, that is one very cool machine.
Megan, I am sure I will have plenty of extra....
They were telling me that you just stick the whole thing in the washing machine ... just dump the whole thing in to wash it before you card it. I have no clue... I have never done anything like it before.
E-
BotanicalBath@peoplepc.com www.Botanical-Bath.com www.BotanicalBath.etsy.com http://botanicalbath.blogspot.com/
"I do my housework in the nude. It gives me an incentive to clean the mirrors as quickly as possible." |
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Bluewrenn
True Blue Farmgirl
1122 Posts
Erin
Texas
USA
1122 Posts |
Posted - Jun 19 2007 : 10:34:44 PM
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Stephanie - I just washed my first Mohair a few weeks ago and this is what I did. It worked very well.
You need a few things, most of which I found at the dollar store.
1) One large plastic dishpan (deep square tub)
2) A basket with small holes (as small as you can find) that fits inside the deep tub (I used a basket from Dollar General with tiny holes in it.)
The trick is to get a basket that is the same shape as the tub, only a bit smaller. (Like a colander inside a pot.) You want the water to have enough room to get into the basket but not so much that it washes out the wool or mohair itself.
3) A sweater drying rack with a mesh cloth (the kind that fit over a bathtub - looks like a square trampoline) for drying the mohair.
4) A good drain strainer on your bathtub (again I found one with tiny holes at the dollar store)
5) Tide or some other washing detergent, unscented if you are selling it, although I did mine scented
I also have two mesh laundry bags which I use to store the final product in...again from one of the dollar stores, I think, or maybe Target but they were not very expensive.
I used lots and lots of hot water and added detergent a bit at a time, as needed. You don't want to be too agressive in the handling of the fiber, and do small amounts at a time, but just swish the water around. Believe me, the dirt will come streaming off. Rinse and repeat until it's done. I didn't rub or scrub the fiber but did get my hands into it. The point is to remove as much of the dirt and the vegetation as possible. Make sure the vegetation doesn't go down the drain of your tub. It takes lots of water and soap.
There were some yellow streaks on the tips of the wool that I was not able to remove on some of the fiber. If really bad, I just removed it and tossed it. I've still got 3/4 of my fiber to wash and I may experiment with some blueing to see if it brightens the white up. If you use the blueing, make sure you are wearing rubber gloves.
Jess - It took me a while but I got some really nice wool carders on ebay. They are really popular and I got sniped a LOT but eventually persevered and got three pair in various stages of age and condition. On ebay they run about $20-$30 a pair for antiques, closer to $50-$60 a pair for new ones.
If anyone knows of a site that has carding instructions, please post it. I'm winging it right now and it seems to be working but I have no idea what I'm doing.
Jess, please let me know how the drop spindle classes go... I'm not doing well with mine. Need to find a class here.
My Homesteading Journal http://toomyvara.livejournal.com
My craft journal http://bluewrenn.livejournal.com
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queenofdreamsz4u
True Blue Farmgirl
3845 Posts
Stephanie Suzanne
Smoky Mountains Tennessee
USA
3845 Posts |
Posted - Jun 20 2007 : 02:47:56 AM
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Hey there Erin, Thanks for the detailed instructions!! I will buy the sweater dryer for over the tub...did you find that at Dollar General also??
I love my drop spindle and have taught myself through experimentation...however, all I am spinning are chunky singles that I can ply 2 together for an "extra chunky" weight for use in the Mixed Media projects, Needlefelting designs, etc.....so my end result I'm sure isn't as perfect as if spinning for garment use
If you are having trouble with it doubling back on itself that's ok, it will be taken care of when you ply a few singles together..which is referred to as balancing the twist.
Plying is easy..I turned my husband holding a paper towel core with my singles wrapped around it into a "lazy kate" LOL....hey, it worked great...he just kept a bit of tension on the singles as I spun them together.
Other ideas for plying are to use a shoebox and punch holes in the side of the box for the single to pull through, clay pots (pull single through drainage hole and use large nuts on each single to add some weight.
Someone put it to me like this.....it's like rubbing your head and belly at the same time...LOL And it's so true....
I'm trying find anyone close to me that has a spinning wheel so I can try it out...Otherwise, I guess I'm gonna have to go to Birmingham (95 miles).
I'll let you know how my washing goes...
Thanks again,
Stephanie
www.dreamkingdomdesigns.com
"hold close your inner child and always listen to the gentle whispers" ~queenofdreamsz
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Mumof3
True Blue Farmgirl
3890 Posts
Karin
Ellenwood
GA
USA
3890 Posts |
Posted - Jun 20 2007 : 05:38:46 AM
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Jess- That is so cool! I have a beautiful washed fleece in my craft room from Shepherdess (Robin). I use it to stuff toys and pin cushions, etc. I love how it looks and feels. Congratulations!!
Karin
Wherever you go, there you are.
Come visit me at:
www.madrekarin.etsy.com
www.madrekarin.blogspot.com |
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Jun 20 2007 : 7:52:58 PM
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More help! This is a link I used to learn how to wash raw wool in my washing machine.
http://www.hjsstudio.com/wash.html
I'm a one girl revolution. |
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smoothiejuice
True Blue Farmgirl
6309 Posts
Jessica
Bloomington
Indiana
USA
6309 Posts |
Posted - Jun 20 2007 : 8:14:21 PM
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Rhonda...Yes, I have read that one! I was not sure what would be left in my washing machine, so I thought I would try that one next time! I am so glad you have tried it and may track you down to answer questions, next time!! thanks so much!! Oh, and you are close by..sort of!!!
Karin...Yes, i was thinking if I could not make something beautiful with the wool, then stuffing toys and perhaps hair for dolls would be a good choice too.
Never washed Mohair stephanie, glad Erin was there for the assist!
Erin...How are you, haven't talked to you in a while, you know how Carmen is, we will see how drop spindling goes! Meanwhile she is neck deep in current doll swap, and book writing, I may have overloaded her poor little head!
Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and sugestions, maybe when i am old and grey, I will have a good amount of fiber knowledge, but as of now, I am just playing and getting ideas from all of you!! I really appreciate all your insights!! |
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Bluewrenn
True Blue Farmgirl
1122 Posts
Erin
Texas
USA
1122 Posts |
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Bluewrenn
True Blue Farmgirl
1122 Posts
Erin
Texas
USA
1122 Posts |
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smoothiejuice
True Blue Farmgirl
6309 Posts
Jessica
Bloomington
Indiana
USA
6309 Posts |
Posted - Jun 20 2007 : 8:58:48 PM
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| She will love it, you know Erin, She is working on goat girl for you right now, she is rolling a few different names around... |
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Stitching & Crafting Room: I just washed my first sheep fleece |
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I just washed my first sheep fleece
