This was very helpful! I had gotten a x-bred fleece (1/2 Teeswater) with beautiful long locks, but washing it in the usual way turned it into a tangled mess. So, I tried your method and have had great success with it. Instead of a bathtub, I do one plastic basket at a time in a dishpan in my sink. Am using the same method to keep the locks intact when hand painting them. As a homeowner, I appreciate the advice about not pouring lanolin-rich water down the drain, too. Glad I found this. Thanks!
You have such a beautiful home! Thank you for sharing this information!! This video has inspired me to try my hand at washing and spinning my own art yarn. You're a great teacher and I appreciate that theres no loud or irritating music playing over your instructions! Your hubs is excellent and I think it's amazing how happy he is to step in and help with your passion! :) hope you are doing well since you made this video!
Perfect. Thank you. I was about to send mine to a mill and wait at least 4 months to get it back and you have been such an encourager, I think I can do it myself
I just wanted to say thank you for making such a good, clearly instructed video! I had to sift through a lot of the opposite type of video before I got to this one!
I would love to see a video of you separating the fleece into those nice little lock packages. Skirting and picking or whatever else you do would be nice too. Basically, I would really like a whole series from raw fleece to yarn or maybe even garment.
Glad i came across this vid. My experience was not a good one. My husband surprised me 2 yrs ago with some unskirted, raw fleece that a kind famer gave him. It was so dirty ( very wet and muddy summer) I didn’t really know what i was doing and it felt like my back was breaking! I was very happy to get it thought and give it a shot. A lot of work that was. I have also been reading your answers to peoples questions...👍🏼👍🏼 and then some for all you do❣️
Thanks, Suzi! Those first fleece can be doozies! I remember trying to wash mine in a small pail in the sink and feeling like I was failing miserably, but still determined!
knittingthestash I believe she is a South Down Ewe Lamb very light, nearly white fleece I was given by a wonderful woman so that I could give it a whorl. The woman who gave it to me breeds Sheep and Rabbits along with some other things. She gave me enough to try it sheared to FO, I love the whole process. Today I was trying to spin some of it on a drop spindle ( my second time ever.. Lol)
I wish I watched your video earlier.. my first washed fleece turned out a felted mess. Luckily I have some more wool, which I'm definitely going to wash your way! Love your work, thank you!
Excellent video, thank you. Washed a bunch like this yesterday to see whether this systeem suits me and it does. Now I know what to do with the rest of my fleece. 👍
Very helpful. Thank you., My daughter has offered me wool - three bags full- from her sheep. I trying to decide if I want to take on this project. One suggestion: if you run your water and add the dawn after the water is still and gently stir it in, you may find fewer suds. It will still mix with the water. Thank you again. Of the suggestions I've seen, I like yours for my purposes. You may be convincing me to try.
Good video, thanks. I used to use the mesh bags, but I found that even with care, there was some minor felting. I've taken the advice of posters here and drilled holes in the washing baskets: excellent tip! The only issue I see with this process is that you can only wash a very small quantity of fleece at any one time. I might try to layer the locks in the basket to speed up the process.
Thanks and yes, I've loved seeing all of the tips on this comment thread. If you layer the locks, don't go too deep, as you'll want to be sure there is enough water all around to allow the dirt and lanolin to get away from the fleece :)
outstanding video, finally found a great way to wash fleece, I have done it numerous times, perfect everytime. I was wondering if you might have a suggestion, I have a lot of fleeces to wash, how can I use your method on a larger scale. Thank you
Hi Bonnie . . . that is the BIG question, eh? I have not found a way to scale this up any larger because of water issues (not wanting to send lanolin down the drain); but I'm guessing the bigger mills have a method! It would be fun to find out more.
I flick the staple tips with a dog comb to remove the dirt. Then leave my staples, soaking for 3 days then rinse in the same temperature as the first wash - Hot water, till clear.
I'm from the Uk Gloucestershire, it was lovely seeing you was the fleece, was that a wading up liquid that you used to soak the fleece in called Dawn ? I don't think we can get that n Uk, what would you recommend please in place of it. Thank you in advance Gerri
I am about to wash my first fleece. I loved your video. You make it look so neat and organized. I have some questions that I would like for you to answer, if you would be so kind. I am wondering if one could capture the lanolin? Is there a lot of fiber that is not in lock form and what do you do with it? I assume you want to process as much as possible. I have heard the phrase "unless your fleece is coated" used in some videos and cannot find a definition that explains to my satisfaction what this means. Thank you so much for all you do. You are so smart about knitting and spinning. At 71 I will never know as much as you but I am having a lot of fun learning.
Hi Mary! So nice to hear from you. And you are too kind. I bet if we hung out, I would have so much to learn from you! Most of my guild mates are in their 50s and 60s and I LOVE hanging out with them and learn something every time :) Here are a few answers to your questions (at least my 2 cents--let me know if you have others!: 1. Capturing lanolin is tricky in a home operation. My podcaster friend, Anna (of the Dunkelgrun) podcast has an entire episode about lanolin, which is wonderful! One of the things she mentions is that the captured lanolin may not be useful (depending on what your plans are) because it has so many potential chemicals in it. Check it out and you can learn more--Anna is wonderful! 2. If my wool is not in lock form, I wash it basically the same way and then you can card it once it's dry into nice fluffy batts! 3. a coated fleece it likely the same as a jacketed fleece, meaning the sheep wore a coat or jacket over most of its fleece to keep out vegtable matter etc. Coated or jacketed fleece are usually cleaner, but that will not affect the lanolin levels. Happy spinning!
Great video. I just had my sheep sheared and put all the fleeces in a big burlap bag! Can you wash them together and then separate or is it best to keep each fleece separate the whole time until sold or processed?
Hi Carlton! It all depends on what you're going for: if you plan to sell individual, washed fleece, I would wash them separately. Many hand spinners want to wash their own fleece, and in that case, they buy raw (unwashed) fleece--as you likely know! Others who are planning to process their fleece into mixed roving do wash all of fleece together and then process it together or send it to a mill for the entire process (washing and combing/carding). It's really about what you plan to do with the fleece in the end!
Can you, please, comment on the size of the containers you are using? I’ve looked on Amazon and there is an “overwhelming” amount of choices for similar items. =)
Excellent video. When you've got it all washed, do you dye it next or do you dye it after you've spun it? I always end up with some felting somewhere along the process
Hi Gillian--You could dye it when it's wet--better than drying it twice! or you could dye it after spinning. It depends on the effect you want! Arg, felting! This method is the best I've found to avoid that little problem :)
Welcome to the fold! You could spin directly from the locks, if you flick them open a bit. Or you could comb or card the fleece and spin from the batts, rolags, or top that you create!
It depends on the amount of dirt, but I wouldn't want to overwhelm the fleece with soap, as you then have to rinse it out multiple times . . . so, i usually go for a few "squigs" (I would guess it's about 2 Tbs per batch)
Hello! I saw your video and I was wondering two things: 1. What kind of soap did you use? Any regular soap to wash hands will do or is it better if I use a soap to clean clothes? 2. Do you think your method would work on dog fur? I want to make a pillow out of my dog's hair, but I need to clean it first. Thank you!
Nice tutorial! I like how involved your bf is in. Mine wouldn't even let me bring raw fleece into the house.... 😀 btw. did you consider drilling tiny holes into the baskets so the water runs out easier? you said holes on the bottom would make the fleece go through them, but if they were small, it might not be a problem..... (and not to nag, but the link to your blog doesn't work. it misses an "i" )
Lucia, Thanks for catching the typo--it's never nagging when one offers helpful advice! Great suggestion about drilling some more holes in the baskets. I may try it with one and see how the fleece behaves. And thanks for recognizing my sweet husband who has been putting up with fleece on the kitchen floor for many, many years now :) He's the one who got me into this whole TH-cam thing in the first place!
It's necessary to maintain the lock structure for finer fleece so that no felting occurs. Some folks like this technique because it keeps the fiber more uniform for prep and/or allows them to spin directly from the lock once the fleece is clean. I hope that helps! I have heard of people washing merino by sewing individual packets for the locks to reduce agitation!
Hi Jinja--yes, this has been suggested. My concern would be that the fiber would/could get stuck in the holes and felt more easily . . . but I have yet to try! Maybe it'll be another video!
Ted, we dudes-of-wool-lovers gotta stick together! Watch out man. Soon furniture will disappear in your house and be replaced with looms and spinning wheels.
Oh my freakin God !!! Somebody bought me a wool sweater and i totally ruined it !!! I just threw it into the washing machine and then threw it into a dryer.It's totally flucked up now.It's a gift,i should take care of it better !!!!
This was very helpful! I had gotten a x-bred fleece (1/2 Teeswater) with beautiful long locks, but washing it in the usual way turned it into a tangled mess. So, I tried your method and have had great success with it. Instead of a bathtub, I do one plastic basket at a time in a dishpan in my sink. Am using the same method to keep the locks intact when hand painting them. As a homeowner, I appreciate the advice about not pouring lanolin-rich water down the drain, too. Glad I found this. Thanks!
Thanks, Marilee! I hope your fleece adventures are fun and fiber-y :)
I just purchased my first raw fleece, just 8 oz. Your demo made to most sense for me since i want my locks to look like yours. Thanks
Cool! So glad it was helpful!
You have such a beautiful home! Thank you for sharing this information!! This video has inspired me to try my hand at washing and spinning my own art yarn. You're a great teacher and I appreciate that theres no loud or irritating music playing over your instructions! Your hubs is excellent and I think it's amazing how happy he is to step in and help with your passion! :) hope you are doing well since you made this video!
Perfect. Thank you. I was about to send mine to a mill and wait at least 4 months to get it back and you have been such an encourager, I think I can do it myself
Oh excellent! You've got this! Go for it!
Thank you my darling .
I just wanted to say thank you for making such a good, clearly instructed video! I had to sift through a lot of the opposite type of video before I got to this one!
Thanks so much, Sophie! And I hope your own fleece washing goes well!!
I would love to see a video of you separating the fleece into those nice little lock packages. Skirting and picking or whatever else you do would be nice too. Basically, I would really like a whole series from raw fleece to yarn or maybe even garment.
Great idea! I'll see what I can do :)
Glad i came across this vid. My experience was not a good one. My husband surprised me 2 yrs ago with some unskirted, raw fleece that a kind famer gave him. It was so dirty ( very wet and muddy summer) I didn’t really know what i was doing and it felt like my back was breaking! I was very happy to get it thought and give it a shot. A lot of work that was. I have also been reading your answers to peoples questions...👍🏼👍🏼 and then some for all you do❣️
Thanks, Suzi! Those first fleece can be doozies! I remember trying to wash mine in a small pail in the sink and feeling like I was failing miserably, but still determined!
Thank you so much Melissa, it's great that your husband helps and does all of this with you. Your video helped a lot, again thank you so much.
Hi Michele! He is a trooper :) And thanks for watching. What kind of raw fleece are you working on??
knittingthestash I believe she is a South Down Ewe Lamb very light, nearly white fleece I was given by a wonderful woman so that I could give it a whorl. The woman who gave it to me breeds Sheep and Rabbits along with some other things. She gave me enough to try it sheared to FO, I love the whole process. Today I was trying to spin some of it on a drop spindle ( my second time ever.. Lol)
I wish I watched your video earlier.. my first washed fleece turned out a felted mess. Luckily I have some more wool, which I'm definitely going to wash your way! Love your work, thank you!
Best of luck!!
Excellent video, thank you. Washed a bunch like this yesterday to see whether this systeem suits me and it does. Now I know what to do with the rest of my fleece. 👍
Oh good! Glad to be of help!
Thank you! From Baudette Minnesota USA ❤
Best wool prep video ever!
Thanks, Carrie! :)
Thank you! :) I bought 4 oz of merino to try washing my own fleece and this makes me feel a lot better about attempting to wash it!
Oh that's great, Sharon! Sometimes folks take even more care with merino (using little mesh bags and the like). Let me know how it all turns out!
Great video. I am being gifted a couple of fleeces from a petting zoo and this information will definitely come in handy!!!!
Oh good!
Very helpful. Thank you., My daughter has offered me wool - three bags full- from her sheep. I trying to decide if I want to take on this project. One suggestion: if you run your water and add the dawn after the water is still and gently stir it in, you may find fewer suds. It will still mix with the water. Thank you again. Of the suggestions I've seen, I like yours for my purposes. You may be convincing me to try.
Oh good! How did the fleece turn out?
This is so cool! I just got some free raw wool for a project I've never done this before so researching before I start this was super informative
Oohh fun! Enjoy! And thanks for your kind comment
wicked ! made my day this dude came along and did some rinsing he was funny ! what a lovely couple . :)
Good video, thanks. I used to use the mesh bags, but I found that even with care, there was some minor felting. I've taken the advice of posters here and drilled holes in the washing baskets: excellent tip! The only issue I see with this process is that you can only wash a very small quantity of fleece at any one time. I might try to layer the locks in the basket to speed up the process.
Thanks and yes, I've loved seeing all of the tips on this comment thread. If you layer the locks, don't go too deep, as you'll want to be sure there is enough water all around to allow the dirt and lanolin to get away from the fleece :)
Thanks for such a great video! Do you have another video that shows how to skirt and prepare the fleece into the locks prior to washing?
I do not . . . but what a great idea for the next shearing season!
Thanks!
Your method has really helped me with scouring my raw fleeces. I don’t follow it exactly but I’ve adapted it into my own process. Thank you!
Hi Kayla! Thanks for letting me know! Adaption is the name of the game! So happy to hear you have found a method that works best for you!
This video is very helpful. Thank you! Plus, I love the floor of one of your rooms with the red grate :)
Thank you for a very understandable tutorial. I'm a first timer and it has been very helpful.
You're very welcome!
Very nice tutorial! Thank you, Melissa.
Thanks so much, Barbara!
Thank you for the video. Is it the same to clean cotton?
outstanding video, finally found a great way to wash fleece, I have done it numerous times, perfect everytime. I was wondering if you might have a suggestion, I have a lot of fleeces to wash, how can I use your method on a larger scale. Thank you
Hi Bonnie . . . that is the BIG question, eh? I have not found a way to scale this up any larger because of water issues (not wanting to send lanolin down the drain); but I'm guessing the bigger mills have a method! It would be fun to find out more.
I flick the staple tips with a dog comb to remove the dirt. Then leave my staples, soaking for 3 days then rinse in the same temperature as the first wash - Hot water, till clear.
Perfect. thank you so much ❤❤❤
Thanks, Jacqui!
I'm from the Uk Gloucestershire, it was lovely seeing you was the fleece, was that a wading up liquid that you used to soak the fleece in called Dawn ? I don't think we can get that n Uk, what would you recommend please in place of it. Thank you in advance Gerri
Hi Gerri, Not sure what the equivalent would be in the UK. Dawn is advertised as being great at "cutting grease" on dishes . . . Best of luck to you!
I am about to wash my first fleece. I loved your video. You make it look so neat and organized. I have some questions that I would like for you to answer, if you would be so kind. I am wondering if one could capture the lanolin? Is there a lot of fiber that is not in lock form and what do you do with it? I assume you want to process as much as possible. I have heard the phrase "unless your fleece is coated" used in some videos and cannot find a definition that explains to my satisfaction what this means. Thank you so much for all you do. You are so smart about knitting and spinning. At 71 I will never know as much as you but I am having a lot of fun learning.
Hi Mary! So nice to hear from you. And you are too kind. I bet if we hung out, I would have so much to learn from you! Most of my guild mates are in their 50s and 60s and I LOVE hanging out with them and learn something every time :) Here are a few answers to your questions (at least my 2 cents--let me know if you have others!:
1. Capturing lanolin is tricky in a home operation. My podcaster friend, Anna (of the Dunkelgrun) podcast has an entire episode about lanolin, which is wonderful! One of the things she mentions is that the captured lanolin may not be useful (depending on what your plans are) because it has so many potential chemicals in it. Check it out and you can learn more--Anna is wonderful!
2. If my wool is not in lock form, I wash it basically the same way and then you can card it once it's dry into nice fluffy batts!
3. a coated fleece it likely the same as a jacketed fleece, meaning the sheep wore a coat or jacket over most of its fleece to keep out vegtable matter etc. Coated or jacketed fleece are usually cleaner, but that will not affect the lanolin levels.
Happy spinning!
Thank you for the quick reply. I will check out Anna's video.
Great video. I just had my sheep sheared and put all the fleeces in a big burlap bag! Can you wash them together and then separate or is it best to keep each fleece separate the whole time until sold or processed?
Hi Carlton! It all depends on what you're going for: if you plan to sell individual, washed fleece, I would wash them separately. Many hand spinners want to wash their own fleece, and in that case, they buy raw (unwashed) fleece--as you likely know! Others who are planning to process their fleece into mixed roving do wash all of fleece together and then process it together or send it to a mill for the entire process (washing and combing/carding). It's really about what you plan to do with the fleece in the end!
Can you, please, comment on the size of the containers you are using? I’ve looked on Amazon and there is an “overwhelming” amount of choices for similar items. =)
Thank you sorry for spelling predicted text changed word. I have since found a shop in U.K. that does a cleaning fluid for fleeces.
Good idea. Thank u.😊
would you ever spin from those dried hunks? It seems you've kept them really in line with one another, almost rolag like.
Yes, you could spin from the lock with these, if you wanted to!
Excellent video. When you've got it all washed, do you dye it next or do you dye it after you've spun it? I always end up with some felting somewhere along the process
Hi Gillian--You could dye it when it's wet--better than drying it twice! or you could dye it after spinning. It depends on the effect you want! Arg, felting! This method is the best I've found to avoid that little problem :)
I just started learning about wool and spinning. Would you need to card it before you can spin it?
Welcome to the fold! You could spin directly from the locks, if you flick them open a bit. Or you could comb or card the fleece and spin from the batts, rolags, or top that you create!
melissa, the 2 rinses were also with the same temp hot water?
Yes, I try to avoid any temperature changes. So, all rinses use the same temp. Great question.
What
if you nested a second plastic bin on top of the bin with fleece in it. Would that help hold the fleece in the water?
Could be a great tip--I'll try it next time around!
My friend has a stockpile of raw fleece because they don't know what to do with it (sheep farm!). Do you think I could use it for quilt batting??
Yes, likely! You'd want to wash it first, though :)
I was wondering if you could tell me how much dawn do you put in the water.
It depends on the amount of dirt, but I wouldn't want to overwhelm the fleece with soap, as you then have to rinse it out multiple times . . . so, i usually go for a few "squigs" (I would guess it's about 2 Tbs per batch)
thank you-wonderful video!
Excellent!
Ugh that spinning wheel is so gorgeous
:)
Hello! I saw your video and I was wondering two things: 1. What kind of soap did you use? Any regular soap to wash hands will do or is it better if I use a soap to clean clothes? 2. Do you think your method would work on dog fur? I want to make a pillow out of my dog's hair, but I need to clean it first.
Thank you!
Hi Javier. I use blue Dawn . . . not sure about dog fur, tho!
Nice tutorial! I like how involved your bf is in. Mine wouldn't even let me bring raw fleece into the house.... 😀 btw. did you consider drilling tiny holes into the baskets so the water runs out easier? you said holes on the bottom would make the fleece go through them, but if they were small, it might not be a problem..... (and not to nag, but the link to your blog doesn't work. it misses an "i" )
Lucia, Thanks for catching the typo--it's never nagging when one offers helpful advice! Great suggestion about drilling some more holes in the baskets. I may try it with one and see how the fleece behaves. And thanks for recognizing my sweet husband who has been putting up with fleece on the kitchen floor for many, many years now :) He's the one who got me into this whole TH-cam thing in the first place!
Why is it necessary to keep the locks together\cohesive?
It's necessary to maintain the lock structure for finer fleece so that no felting occurs. Some folks like this technique because it keeps the fiber more uniform for prep and/or allows them to spin directly from the lock once the fleece is clean. I hope that helps! I have heard of people washing merino by sewing individual packets for the locks to reduce agitation!
I think i would be temped to drill a series of little holes in the bottom of the baskets to encourage the dirt to drain off with the water
Hi Jinja--yes, this has been suggested. My concern would be that the fiber would/could get stuck in the holes and felt more easily . . . but I have yet to try! Maybe it'll be another video!
Forgive my ignorance, but I thought the lanolin was what gave knitted wool socks, etc., their water resistant quality.
Yes, it is. Just depends on how you want the fiber for spinning. You could do a cool wash and preserve more of the lanolin.
what does CVM mean?
Hi Maggie! CVm is California Variegated Mutant (a sheep breed designed in the US)
I want y'all to know that Im a husband of a wool enthousiast, who is watching this, while combing wool...
I know how this boyfriend of hers feels haha
Ted, we dudes-of-wool-lovers gotta stick together! Watch out man. Soon furniture will disappear in your house and be replaced with looms and spinning wheels.
Did your hubby change his hats on purpose? Hilarious!
Ha! No, he just has so many hats around he probably grabbed another one!! Good catch, tho
Oh my freakin God !!! Somebody bought me a wool sweater and i totally ruined it !!! I just threw it into the washing machine and then threw it into a dryer.It's totally flucked up now.It's a gift,i should take care of it better !!!!
You felted it, so now you have a nice piece of felt that may be turned to a bag or hat or something else.