Lovely sack of woolstraight off the sheep

[ejano]

A friend gifted me with a lovely feed sack of wool straight off the sheep (sheared yesterday). I'm frantically "googling" to review the steps in the order that she told me to clean the wool -- I've heard of bathtub gin but never bathtub wool >

 

 

Can anyone offer guidance?

 

Liz

[Tea]

Right off the sheep store in open paper sack in dry area.

Skirt it by removing tags and any bad bits. Shake out second cuts.

 

To wash- fill tub with hot water and a dash of Dawn dish soap.

 

Put wool in tub. Gently tap down until submerged. Don't agitate- it will felt

 

Let it soak an hour

 

Take it out and gently squeeze out excess water.

 

Refill tub with water temp THE SAME as what you just poured out

 

let soak in rinse water a while- repeat til water is clear.

 

You can spin the water out in your washer- but spin only don't agitate.

 

Then spread out to dry on towel in sun- turning every so often.

 

Then pick

card and spin

 

and CREATE!!!!

[ejano]

Right off the sheep store in open paper sack in dry area.

Skirt it by removing tags and any bad bits. Shake out second cuts.

 

To wash- fill tub with hot water and a dash of Dawn dish soap.

 

Put wool in tub. Gently tap down until submerged. Don't agitate- it will felt

 

Let it soak an hour

 

Take it out and gently squeeze out excess water.

 

Refill tub with water temp THE SAME as what you just poured out

 

let soak in rinse water a while- repeat til water is clear.

 

You can spin the water out in your washer- but spin only don't agitate.

 

Then spread out to dry on towel in sun- turning every so often.

 

Then pick

card and spin

 

and CREATE!!!!

 

Yup, that's about what she said...Thanks, Tea!

 

It's delightful to work with wool from sheep I know personally - I know I sound like "city folk" but in reality for me it's all about Aldo Leopold and sustainable agriculture - and using my great grandmother's spinning wheel if I can figure the darned thing out!

 

I'll be back for tips on dying .

 

Liz

[Tea]

Do you have photo of wheel?

 

Are you not sure how to rig it or just spin?

 

There are spinning guilds all over. I am sure you could find someone to help you.

 

Alot of spinners at Sat Markets

 

Good for you doing this!

[ejano]

Do you have photo of wheel?

 

Are you not sure how to rig it or just spin?

 

There are spinning guilds all over. I am sure you could find someone to help you.

 

Alot of spinners at Sat Markets

 

Good for you doing this!

 

Tea, a little of both -- There is a wonderful lady in our town who spins - she gives lessons, works at the museum - she'll be my first stop.

 

There were two muddy sheep in that sack of wool (rained yesterday) - one of them named Dolly >. I did the first sorting, but I need to go through it again tomorrow; I think I gave up too much.

 

Thanks for your help.

[Alchemist]

I know I sound like "city folk" but in reality for me it's all about Aldo Leopold and sustainable agriculture

Liz

 

No tips on washing or dyeing or spinninng of wool here, but one of Aldo's sons co-wrote a book with a cherished colleague of mine who, sadly, passed this spring.

 

If you don't feel like spinning it all - consider looking into "felting" or "wet felting" or "needle felting" or "felted scarves". You can make very attractive objects (scarves, flower pins, "stuffed animals", etc.) with wool ("roving", or else carded wool) that hasn't even been spun. (I saw a jacket to die for at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this year - but it was priced in excess of $900 - not within my clothing allowance!!!).

[ejano]

No tips on washing or dyeing or spinninng of wool here, but one of Aldo's sons co-wrote a book with a cherished colleague of mine who, sadly, passed this spring.

 

If you don't feel like spinning it all - consider looking into "felting" or "wet felting" or "needle felting" or "felted scarves". You can make very attractive objects (scarves, flower pins, "stuffed animals", etc.) with wool ("roving", or else carded wool) that hasn't even been spun. (I saw a jacket to die for at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this year - but it was priced in excess of $900 - not within my clothing allowance!!!).

 

I might split it as I've been thinking of doing some felting as well....the wife of the college president where I last worked was sporting one of those deceptively simple felted jackets though she bought hers in a shop in New Jersey and I've coveted one ever since...at any rate, this being my first experience I'm sure that some of it at least will end up felt .

 

I am sorry for the loss of your colleague. What is the name of the book?

 

Liz

 

PS - Robin did great with all the animals by the way, very soft with all the sheep, goats and calves -- first time he'd seen calves. Still obsessed with chickens, but I could call him off them at least. Progress. He'll be okay at his first lesson, I think.

[Tea]

The only thing I would warn you about is storing damp wool. That is a very bad thing.

 

We often make felted slippers for the farmers market that sell very well.

 

Make the soles twice as thick as the tops.

 

Glad its going well

[Alchemist]

We often make felted slippers for the farmers market that sell very well.

 

Make the soles twice as thing as the tops.

 

I second Tea's suggestion. I have knit, and then felted, quite a few pairs of felted clogs, for myself and for gifts. They're the most comfortable slippers I've ever owned. You can keep felting them until they exactly fit your feet. When they're dry, I go over them with a wire brush to make them softer (I typically use a wool/mohair blend - "Lamb's Pride"). The pattern is available from Fiber Trends here.

 

I didn't sew leather soles on mine, just used a double thickness for the soles. They've lasted just fine.

 

I'll be sad when our old top-loading washing machine dies and we replace it with a more energy-efficient front-loading washer. No more machine felting...

[NorthfieldNick]

I'll be sad when our old top-loading washing machine dies and we replace it with a more energy-efficient front-loading washer. No more machine felting...

 

I know several people who plumbed in an old top-loader solely for felting I even know one person who retro-fitted theirs with a removable beater so they can wash wool in it, too.

[Alchemist]

I know several people who plumbed in an old top-loader solely for felting I even know one person who retro-fitted theirs with a removable beater so they can wash wool in it, too.

 

I mentioned to DH that I might need to do something like this when the time arose, and he gave me this horrified "you've GOT to be kidding, right?" look.

 

Hah. We'll see.

[pammyd]

Oh useful thread guys - I am getting a few fleeces soon and wondered how to cope!!

I needle felt mine - tried wet and nuno felting but I like craft I can d while wathcing the TV

[trailrider]

I`m keen on some of these ideas. I have made plain felt, cut to shape, and sewed mits. I`m interested in how to make that felt jacket, or even a vest. I`m getting too lazy to spin and knit.

[sjones]

I'm no expert at dyeing, but I've been having fun using Kool-aid and Rit dye and have come up with some really pretty colors. I got the recipe for using Kool-aid off the net. Its super easy and smells good too, especially the grape. I bought a natural dye kit, but haven't had time to experiment with it yet.

 

Samantha

[Maralynn]

I'm no expert at dyeing, but I've been having fun using Kool-aid and Rit dye and have come up with some really pretty colors. I got the recipe for using Kool-aid off the net. Its super easy and smells good too, especially the grape. I bought a natural dye kit, but haven't had time to experiment with it yet.

 

Samantha

 

Any sort of food dye will work - regular food coloring, Easter egg dyes, Wilton paste food coloring (used mainly for coloring frosting).

 

Here are a couple of tutorials Knitty - dyed in the wool Knitty - color to dye for

[ejano]

Any sort of food dye will work - regular food coloring, Easter egg dyes, Wilton paste food coloring (used mainly for coloring frosting).

 

Here are a couple of tutorials Knitty - dyed in the wool Knitty - color to dye for

 

Thanks, Maralynn -- what an enjoyable and peaceful project this will be -- even if it ends up brown felt because if my mistakes, it will just look like Dolly . I've got it all sorted and waiting for a dependable sunny day to wash it and leave it out to dry -- I've sewn up some "make do" laundry bags out of old net curtains to protect it from the cat, dogs, and birds...our bluebird boxes are full this year and the swallows and goldfinches are buzzing around as well. (Tiger Lily thankfully only goes after mice and just in case, I keep her in on "launching days")

[Alchemist]

Any sort of food dye will work - regular food coloring, Easter egg dyes, Wilton paste food coloring (used mainly for coloring frosting).

 

Here are a couple of tutorials Knitty - dyed in the wool Knitty - color to dye for

 

I really love Knitty - one of my favorite resources for all things related to knitting. If you want to try your hand with natural dyes (not covered in these two Knitty tutorials), though, KnitPicks covers some of the safer dye/mordant combinations: http://www.knitpicks.com/tutorials/Dyeing__L100503.html

 

I've only used Rit dye for tie-dyeing (never for yarn), with poor success, as it isn't wash fast (and so it gradually bleaches, "baptizing" everything in the wash in the process). Fiber-reactive dyes work much better for that purpose. Haven't used fiber reactive dyes on yarn, either, though. (For that matter - I've never dyed my own yarn at all, though I've given it some thought).

[Maralynn]

I really love Knitty - one of my favorite resources for all things related to knitting. If you want to try your hand with natural dyes (not covered in these two Knitty tutorials), though, KnitPicks covers some of the safer dye/mordant combinations: http://www.knitpicks.com/tutorials/Dyeing__L100503.html

 

I've only used Rit dye for tie-dyeing (never for yarn), with poor success, as it isn't wash fast (and so it gradually bleaches, "baptizing" everything in the wash in the process). Fiber-reactive dyes work much better for that purpose. Haven't used fiber reactive dyes on yarn, either, though. (For that matter - I've never dyed my own yarn at all, though I've given it some thought).

 

Fiber reactive dye works for plant fibers such as cotton, bamboo and basket caning. For wool and other protein fibers you need acid dye. Plant fibers need a slightly alkaline environment for dyeing and protein fiber need it hot and slightly acidic. I've dyed some wool/bamboo and wool/tencel blended yarn and it turns out heathery as the wool takes the dye, but the plant fiber only gets a bit stained.

 

I started out with Jaquard acid dyes(simple to find/use the right amount for hobby dyeing) , but then moved on to Pro Chem lanaset dye for my yarn as it was much more cost effective when doing quantity dyeing. It is very simple to use, and very safe. I wear a mask when working with the powder due to the fine particles, but after it's dissolved into the dye stock it's very safe/simple to use - the biggest problem is that it will stain!! All you need to add is a splash of something to bring up the acidity just a bit- either vinegar or citric acid work fine. One the fibers are steamed/heated for 20-30 minutes the color is pretty well set and should be washfast/lightfast.