Raw Shetland Fleece
Many people ask me about what is involved in the process of going from the fleece that comes off a sheep's back (or llama, alpaca or rabbit) to the lovely yarns that they see on the shelves here at Greenberry House. There are several steps involved in hand processing and handspinning a locally produced, special fleece into yarn. Pictured is a beautiful Shetland fleece I brought home from Thistle Cove Farm after Sheep Shearing Day a couple of years ago.
Wash Water after first rinse of wool
Shetland isn't a particularly greasy fleece and I have spun a couple of fleeces that I didn't even wash beforehand. I had decided to wash this one, though, because I intended to dye part of the handspun yarn and I wanted a very clean yarn to produce even, predictable colors. Any existing grease in the yarn is trapped there by spinning and doesn't wash out easily. People often spin "in the grease" yarns on purpose to produce garments that will shed water. Even though Shetland is a clean fleece, the sheep are out in the fields. Sandra's fields at Thistle Cove Farm are very clean; there is a little bit of straw in the fleece which comes out quite easily. I wash fleece like this in hot water from the tap and dishwashing liquid. The first pot is quite brown, even with a low grease fleece like this. I pour the water out onto my flower garden; I figure it's better for the soil than for my septic system!
One Rinse
The Shetland, although it looked clean to being with, is already whiter after one rinse. I usually rinse until the water runs clear, keeping the water temperature about the same for each pot. This should prevent felting. I also don't handle the wool a lot while its wet. I merely push it under the surface of the water and don't agitate it. If I just can't stand to let it lie there, I just squeeze the locks of the wool a bit, to get the water through them.
I use the same big enamel pot that I use with acid dyes. I wash small amounts of the fleece at a time, usually what I think I will be spinning soon. It's easier to manage the amount of water I have in the pot, since I want to lug it outside, and I can get the fleece cleaner in small amounts. Some people successfully use a washing machine for washing wool but I've never tried it.
Shetland Fleece Drying
After I've rinsed the fleece as much as I think it needs, I dump the final rinse water outside and press as much water as I can manage from the washed wool. Hopefully being careful with the water temperatures and handling means that the wool isn't felted, and will soon be light and fluffy and ready to card or spin. Generally I like to dry washed wool outside, and I have an empty rabbit cage set out in the barn for drying wool. Watch for rust if you're laying fleece on metal, though. There are all sorts of drying racks available.
A few times I've put washed wool in a net bag and taken it outside to "spin" dry. I'm sure it causes comment in the neighborhood. Clean net onion bags work well for this. Just put some wool in it and swing the closed bag around over your head. Water will fly everywhere, so outside is the best place to do this. Add a few dance steps if you're brave!
In the interest of full disclosure, I do not often wash my own fleeces. As I tell people, I'm not going to live long enough to wash, card and spin all this wool myself. I pick my favorite special fleeces for hand washing, generally a lovely colored Jacob, a soft, soft Shetland or beautiful Corriedale. These fleeces are generally spun for demonstrations, when I want to show the entire process of spinning a fleece by hand.
If I don't plan to process the fleece myself, I have three favorite fiber processors. These folks own small mills and will take my fiber, wash and turn it into roving ready to be spun, and then send it back to me. I know that I can trust these mills to send my own fiber back, and it will be as lovely as it was the day it left me. Only better! There are many more wonderful mills out there...these just happen to be my personal favorites.
Fiber processing:
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