The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Food & crafts => Crafts => Topic started by: Blackbird on April 15, 2016, 07:11:57 pm
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I didn't get much fleece washed last summer as there weren't many periods of warm sunny days. So, I've spent the winter spinning unwashed fleece (Shetland) and some I washed in 2015. The washed fleece has gone quite dry and is more lumpy and more difficult to spin than the unwashed - which wants to stick together nicely and produces lovely smooth singles. I don't think I'll wash any more fleece - though I may have a go at the "suint" (Spellling?) method.
Unconnected, but I had my first go at spinning from prepared tops at a Guild workshop and can't believe how easy it is compared to my own fleece rolags! It did feel like cheating though....
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I think it depends a lot on breed and fibre prep ie if you card/comb. Some breeds you can spin straight from the sheep (well, after cutting it off of course :eyelashes:). I've had very few sheep like that. When the fleece has been stored for a while, warm it up before using so the grease runs more easily. If you've washed it before storing and it's lumpy by the time you get to it, could it be due to your washing method? I don't think I've found a problem with washed fleece, but I spray with oil and I card or comb before I spin. I wonder if spraying with oil after washing but before storing would help? Or putting oil in the final rinse, which is easier.
I never used to wash fleece, always spun in the grease, but it makes a big mess of the wheel, and when I treated myself to the Lendrum Saxony I started washing fleece. I'm way behind with last year's crop too, for mostly the same reason - horrible wet weather :raining: and it will soon be shearing time again.
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I've only ever once washed a fleece before spinning and that was because it was very muddy. Despite being very careful to handle it as little as possible and to keep the water temperature the same, it started to felt. I'm sticking to spinning in the grease in future.
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I used to spin in the grease but started washing and combing last year having watched people at guild spinning top.
My spinning has improved hugely.
I love hand combed top and you can't comb greasy fleece.
I think the secret to not felting is to put in net bags, use really hot water with lots of washing up liquid, dunk it in and walk away for a few minutes, lift out and repeat with 3 rinses. Don't touch
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I do card before spinning - though I do have one sheep whose fleece I can spin straight off her back (as it were) - almost spins itself! I don't seem to be making too much of a mess of my wheel so far - though I'll look out for this - perhaps my Shetlands aren't especially greasy.
For washing fleece, I use a variant of your technique Dogwalker, with fruit netting and a baby bath, then onto the rotary clothes dryer to dry. I like the idea of oil in the final rinse FW, or perhaps spraying with a plant mister with water and some moth repellent essential oils - I make my own moth repellent with cedarwood, camphor and lavender oils.
Anyway, let's all hope for a better summer - looked up the other day to see a swallow circling the stable block, hopefully to return to the regular nests - and this morning it is trying quite hard to snow!
I tried to spin at least 30 minutes a day over winter - in the gap between putting the chooks away and starting to prepare dinner , but am still daunted by the bags of fleece I've still got and as you say FW, not too long till shearing time! :spin: :spin:
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I mostly prefer to spin 'in the grease' but always give everything an overnight cold soak, which removes a huge amount of dirt, even from a fleece which looked clean.
You can comb greasy fleece, but you need to be sure that the grease is not solid, so as FW says, warm the fleece up if it's cold. And if you're using large combs, as you would for a longwool, you can heat the tines, too, which makes the job a delight.
Some fleeces are just more greasy than others though. Shetland is usually not especially greasy, so many many people spin this in the grease. At the other end of the spectrum, merino is extremely greasy and also extremely fine, so probably would be a challenge if not washed.
When washing, as well as not agitating, my three top tips are:
- always cold soak overnight
- to remove grease, use scalding hot water (grease melts at 72C, so cooler than this will not remove grease) and do not leave in longer than 15 minutes. Rinse at same temperature and do not leave in, either. Rinse several times, until the water is clear.
- use non-sudsing detergent - I use Ecover washing up liquid - and plenty of it
Fleece I've washed myself has been fine after storage, but I have had fleece washed by others that's been horrible - too dry, sometimes a bit brittle. (And wasn't a brittle fleece before washing.). I've put this down to over-washing and/or inadequate rinsing.
If your fleece preparation, be it combing or carding, is other than top notch, it's much easier to prep and spin washed fleece. Greasy fleece will find out the weaknesses in your carding technique! ;)
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I should mention Power Scour. Deb Robson recommends this, and it is very good indeed. It can remove grease at low temperature, and you only need a little of the product to do a good job. Used exactly as per the instructions, fleece is not over-washed and is clean with the grease removed.
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<<< I like the idea of oil in the final rinse FW, or perhaps spraying with a plant mister with water and some moth repellent essential oils - I make my own moth repellent with cedarwood, camphor and lavender oils.>>>
I have those essential oils Blackbird. Does this combination work well as a moth repellent? Adding them to the final oil rinse is brilliant :thumbsup: Guess what I'll be doing with my next washed fleece. :spin: :spin: :spin:
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Mmm... thanks all, food for thought. Think I'll just soak fleeces in future to get the worst of the dirt out - as you say, Sally, Shetland doesn't seem to be particularly greasy and they are girls and not particularly smelly (or maybe I'm biased - I think they smell quite nice!).
FW, my moth repellent approach is to sprinkle cotton wool pads with a few drops of each of the oils and put several in with each paper bag or pillowcase of fleece (washed or unwashed). I also put the cotton wool pads in with washed sweaters stored over summer and in little bags (the gauzy sort you sometimes get with jewellery) which I hang from drawer and door handles. You can also use the oils to refresh cedarwood discs and balls. (Not that I'm paranoid about moths at all :D). Seems to work have worked so far :fc:
Btw, Holland & Barrett have essential oils on buy one, get one for a penny at the moment - well worth it when they are £4 or £5 a bottle.
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FW, my moth repellent approach is to sprinkle cotton wool pads with a few drops of each of the oils and put several in with each paper bag or pillowcase of fleece (washed or unwashed). I also put the cotton wool pads in with washed sweaters stored over summer and in little bags (the gauzy sort you sometimes get with jewellery) which I hang from drawer and door handles. You can also use the oils to refresh cedarwood discs and balls. (Not that I'm paranoid about moths at all :D). Seems to work have worked so far :fc:
Btw, Holland & Barrett have essential oils on buy one, get one for a penny at the moment - well worth it when they are £4 or £5 a bottle.
What essential oils do you use?
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Bionic, I use cedarwood, camphor and lavender - also keeps everything smelling lovely to us as well as keeping moths at bay!
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Thanks BB,
That's 3 essences so I will need to find another one if I want 2 deals of the buy one get one for a penny type. :-)
As I child I had very bad asthma and the Dr advised mum to rub my chest with camphor. I have grown up to love the smell
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I think I need a trip to Holland and Barrett.