Raw wool seems to come with few directions (except: don’t agitate! and beware the moth!–oh and that old story about spontaneous combustion . . . .) Indeed, there seem to be as many ways to handle raw wool as there are spinners. I have tried a bunch of methods, including working in the grease, and while I like them all for different reasons, I have realized that I am a sorter: I like things neat and orderly.
This may be because I am relatively new to this enterprise and sometimes a new raw fleece is like a new language: the only way to make sense is to create and inhabit a grammar–to learn in a controlled environment. I did this with the Texel (for the purpose of color preservation) and with the Corriedale (for the purpose of maintianing lock formation). I thought I might move on from this technique . . . and I did go a bit wilder with the Icelandic (truth be told), but I do come back to my comfort zone quite often.
Thus, this organized tub of Gulf Coast Native or this one of Romeldale.
I’d be curious to know what other folks do with their fleeces . . . I kinda like those full bathtub preppers who are ‘all in,’ so to speak. Terrifying for me (the consummate sorter), but, damn, that looks like fun 🙂
I am getting page not found when I try to comment…
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Should be working now, Debbie! The blog uploaded too early yesterday and I had to squash it!
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I just rip off chunks, shake em out, pick out what I can and stuff into lingerie bags.. I might do some vague attempt to sort by color in the chunks. I soak in buckets outside for a couple of hours, changing the water 3 times. Then into a new bucket of water to soak overnight. I scour in my kitchen sink, one lingerie bag at a time, heating water on my stove. Scouring is a necessary evil to me, to be done as quickly as possible so I can get to the fun parts of processing and spinning,
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🙂 I like the bucket method!! Less water!
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I sort some of my fleeces like this. I’m doing a cormo right now because I have to be so careful with it. But, mosty, I think the sorting is a way to be able to play with it and touch it even more! Fiber junkies!
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yes! playing in the fiber is definitely part of the fun!
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