# Raw Old Fleece



## BaBaaHMonica (May 24, 2021)

I am pretty new to this wool processing stuff.  My Mom has been cleaning out the attic and found a pillowcase Full of fleece that had been shorn about 30 years ago.  It is a lovely shade of frosty chocolate.  It smells pretty awful, but i think I watched a couple of youtube videos on how to skirt it and do a few preliminary gentle soaks to remove some of the lanolin and yuck that is stuck to the fibers.  Is there any special handling since it is so old vs fleece that has just been sheared.  I don't think there is moths, although i did not fully open it up--the smell was pretty awful.  
 I have some plant-based dishsoap that is supposed to be gentle that i bought specially to wash this fleece.  I think we will send it to Zeilinger's to be carded and spun into yarn so i can knit some hats.

If I do decide to dye enough for a skein will it accept color and different since is older???  

I am hoping that if this fleece is successful and I can make something truly beautiful with it, DH will surely allow for a bigger flock.  
Thanks for your replies


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## misfitmorgan (May 25, 2021)

If the fleece was stored dirty for a long time it may be a complete loss. The moisture in the fleece may have caused it to rot, and the smell might never come out. You can try to wash it, if it does not hold up to washing it is not going to hold up to being carded and spun. Go ahead and treat it like a normal newly shorn fleece and see what happens. Definitely get it out of that pillowcase right away and give it a good look over. Keep in mind if it is to damaged, dirty, or smelly the mill may reject it. Most mills are particular because they dont want their expensive machines damaged.

Is the smell just old lanolin smell, or feces or mold? If it is mold smell it wont be worth your work because the smell will be in the finished product.


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## Baymule (May 25, 2021)

I have hair sheep, zero experience with wool. You just got good advice.
JMO, wouldn’t it be better to put your time and work into a new fleece? 
What kind of sheep do you have?


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## BaBaaHMonica (May 25, 2021)

gosh it has been so long since we had those sheep...like 30 years ago LOL. Suffolk or suffolk cross--the ram was black face and white wool, the ewes were mostly white.  I think a few of them lambs were chocolate brown, which is what this fleece is from. The mill that they took the other fleece to charged more for processing other than white wool 
 I think Misfitmorgan is right about the reputation of the mills.  I think i will process this fleece as if i would be sending it to the mill.  I am all about learning as i go and this will be a perfect chance to practice and hopefully end up with a good fleece.  I would rather figure out what i am doing on this one rather than a new fleece that intend on selling or using for, i might need a clothespin for my nose.

I don't have any sheep yet, still in the process of trying to get DH to let me get some.  He is ok so far with 2 goats, broilers, and I keep bringing up the rising cost of pork in the grocery store.  There is so much stuff to get for fencing and getting the pasture ready.  It is all very much in the planning stages yet.   I much like the idea of rotational grazing to optimize the use of the land.


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## misfitmorgan (May 25, 2021)

Message me next year around this time and I will send you some colored fleeces if you want to mess with. Just pay the shipping. We have suffolk and some mutt sheep, the mutts are polypay crosses but have some really nice fleece that no one here wants.  We have white, black, light mottled grey with brown and dark grey. The middle white one in the pic is off one of our suffolk.


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## Kusanar (May 25, 2021)

misfitmorgan said:


> Message me next year around this time and I will send you some colored fleeces if you want to mess with. Just pay the shipping. We have suffolk and some mutt sheep, the mutts are polypay crosses but have some really nice fleece that no one here wants.  We have white, black, light mottled grey with brown and dark grey. The middle white one in the pic is off one of our suffolk.
> 
> 
> View attachment 85316


Is that offer good for anyone? Because that would be a great deal and I wouldn't mind having a free or cheap fleece just pay shipping.


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## misfitmorgan (May 25, 2021)

Kusanar said:


> Is that offer good for anyone? Because that would be a great deal and I wouldn't mind having a free or cheap fleece just pay shipping.



Sure so long as I have enough fleeces to go around. I will say we do not sheet our sheep so there is going to be VM and a good deal of cleaning to be done. I will discard the skirt portion and just send the blanket.


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## Kusanar (May 25, 2021)

BaBaaHMonica said:


> gosh it has been so long since we had those sheep...like 30 years ago LOL. Suffolk or suffolk cross--the ram was black face and white wool, the ewes were mostly white.  I think a few of them lambs were chocolate brown, which is what this fleece is from. The mill that they took the other fleece to charged more for processing other than white wool
> I think Misfitmorgan is right about the reputation of the mills.  I think i will process this fleece as if i would be sending it to the mill.  I am all about learning as i go and this will be a perfect chance to practice and hopefully end up with a good fleece.  I would rather figure out what i am doing on this one rather than a new fleece that intend on selling or using for, i might need a clothespin for my nose.
> 
> I don't have any sheep yet, still in the process of trying to get DH to let me get some.  He is ok so far with 2 goats, broilers, and I keep bringing up the rising cost of pork in the grocery store.  There is so much stuff to get for fencing and getting the pasture ready.  It is all very much in the planning stages yet.   I much like the idea of rotational grazing to optimize the use of the land.


I would put it outside and spread it out some, if you have something you could use as a skirting table then put it on that. Let it air out for a while. Then go in a start skirting, you want to pull any sticks, hay, poop, etc out and maybe even any overly dirty fleece (dirty fleece can be used as mulch so don't trash it). Once it is as clean as you can get it with it dry, fill a large container with cold or cool water (extra water trough will work if you have one) and put the fleece in. You may need to put something in there to keep the fleece submerged but just let it soak overnight in the cold water, pour off the dirty water and get most of the dirty water out of the fleece. Then you will need HOT water (160 degrees or hotter) and your soap, you need to put enough soap in that the water feels slick (hard to gauge without being able to put your hand in the water, but you get the general amount) and put smallish amounts of fleece in the water, do not stir, poke, etc the wool, only enough to get it to go under the water and then leave it alone. You do not want the water to cool with the wool in there as the oils will just go right back into the wool as the water cools. Fish the wool out and dump the mud puddle that was your nice clean water. I put my wool in a mesh laundry bag to wash so it is easy to move around, just grab the bag with tongs and fish it out. If the wool is still dirty, you can do 1 more hot water and soap soak before rinsing. You should rinse in hot water as well as it is the going from hot and wet to cold and wet that will make wool felt the worst. 

Once it is rinsed out as well as you can get it, lay it out flat in single layers to dry, don't try to mess with it until it is dry because again... it will felt.


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## Kusanar (May 25, 2021)

misfitmorgan said:


> Sure so long as I have enough fleeces to go around. I will say we do not sheet our sheep so there is going to be VM and a good deal of cleaning to be done. I will discard the skirt portion and just send the blanket.


Sounds good, I will make a note to contact you next spring. If you have anything no one else wants I will be glad to take it off of your hands. 

I'm seriously thinking about getting sheep in a year or 2 and the more raw (and full of vm) fleeces I deal with before that the better.


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## misfitmorgan (May 25, 2021)

Kusanar said:


> Sounds good, I will make a note to contact you next spring. If you have anything no one else wants I will be glad to take it off of your hands.
> 
> I'm seriously thinking about getting sheep in a year or 2 and the more raw (and full of vm) fleeces I deal with before that the better.


Good deal!


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## Baymule (May 25, 2021)

That’s an awesome offer @misfitmorgan .  You are so kind and generous.


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## misfitmorgan (May 26, 2021)

Baymule said:


> That’s an awesome offer @misfitmorgan .  You are so kind and generous.


Aww thank you Bay


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## BaBaaHMonica (May 26, 2021)

Yes that is truly generous to share fleece!  I would like to start growing our own sheep, but it would be nice to have a little swatch to see what i am working toward producing.  Can you send me just a little to i can feel the differnce... gosh i guess i really am a newbie.


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## Kusanar (May 27, 2021)

BaBaaHMonica said:


> Yes that is truly generous to share fleece!  I would like to start growing our own sheep, but it would be nice to have a little swatch to see what i am working toward producing.  Can you send me just a little to i can feel the differnce... gosh i guess i really am a newbie.


If she doesn't have any right now, I have some purchased raw fleece I have not yet washed that I could mail you a lock or 2.


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## BaBaaHMonica (May 27, 2021)

oooh that would be nice.  I really just would like to see what parts of the skirting to remove and then see and feel how different the fleece would be ready for carding.  Can you send me a REALLY icky piece and a little piece of wool that is prepared to be carded.  Sending address now thanks!


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## Kusanar (May 27, 2021)

BaBaaHMonica said:


> oooh that would be nice.  I really just would like to see what parts of the skirting to remove and then see and feel how different the fleece would be ready for carding.  Can you send me a REALLY icky piece and a little piece of wool that is prepared to be carded.  Sending address now thanks!


I don't have any SUPER icky, but there are some that have a decent amount of lanolin on them, I'll send one of those along with a cleaner one that hasn't been washed yet as well as some that is washed. I can send a small piece of a commercially washed and combed wool as well if you would like.


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## misfitmorgan (May 30, 2021)

Fleeces for me wont be until next year as the ones we sheared this year got rained on 4 times already and are in a giant pile waiting to be disposed of. Get ahold of me next year I should have 5 fleeces I believe next year.


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## Ridgetop (Jun 3, 2021)

Lucky the fleece was stored in a pillow case instead of in a plastic bag!  Skirting usually means checking the butt end of the fleece for matted manure bits.  Just pull off those portions of the fleece gently.  Stickers, burrs. twigs, foxtails need to be removed before washing.  When washing in cool water, don't be too energetic - I felted a perfectly good fleece by excessive squeezing trying to get it cleaned. Some of the vegetable matter will be able to be carded out after washing it.  

As long a it isn't moldy (moisture from the manure bits on the fleece) or rotted, you ight be able to get it processed.  If not, you can always buy fleece already carded for spinning.  

Do you have a wheel?


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## ohiogoatgirl (Dec 17, 2021)

This playlist I've been adding to videos I've found helpful. I've started into fiber arts in 2011 and had sheep since 2015. 


			https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2BE03214DD2C749E
		


I share pics and in progress on my Instagram. Here's some yarn from fibers I processed. 








						katie lunemann on Instagram: "Pt 4 1,366yds  #rustbeltoyoo #rustbeltfibershed #localwool #localclothing #slowfashionmovement #slowfashion"
					

katie lunemann shared a post on Instagram: "Pt 4 1,366yds  #rustbeltoyoo #rustbeltfibershed #localwool #localclothing #slowfashionmovement #slowfashion". Follow their account to see 1737 posts.




					www.instagram.com
				




Did you end up trying to work any of it? Or other fiber? I'm happy to chat fiber. I had fiber sent to a mill into roving (ready to spin fiber) sell that, and raw, washed, and dyed.


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## BaBaaHMonica (Dec 21, 2021)

I have not had a chance to do much with the wool or the newly sheared goats.  I got a huge promotion at work, so i have been super busy. I will probably wait til spring so I can do the cleaning process outside.  I heard that the oils and lanolin from the wool can make a mess in plumbing.


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## Mini Horses (Dec 22, 2021)

I don't knit but, love the thoughts of supplying your own yarn and read these posts in that vein.  This is a real labor of love for those who do this.  🤗.  I have cotton fields next to me and would not want the process it takes to make that into cloth.  Wool fiber seems just as intimidating. 🤣

I'll read, cheer you on and be happy I can cut and sew fabric I bought!


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## Baymule (Dec 23, 2021)

I’m with @Mini Horses on this. I have hair sheep so I don’t have to shear. I don’t know how to spin, knit or crochet. Always had a nagging desire to learn, but so far have fought off that urge. Wool sheep are so cute though…….


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## Ridgetop (Dec 30, 2021)

I have had both wool and hair sheep.  Since we had fleeces, my husband and I took a spinning class and the instructor had me bring in a raw fleece so we could practice working it.  Originally, I thought I would do the skirting and cleaning, carding, etc. into roving myself but changed my mind after felting a fleece.  I sent all of them to a professional so we could spin them.

However, although we learned to spin, I really didn't like it that well and ended up giving away all the processed fleeces to a friend's daughter.  She was interested in learning to spin.  Since we didn't want to spin, and no longer wanted to shear (getting old) we sold our Dorset flock and replaced them with purebred White Dorpers.  Love our Dorpers.

If you are sincerely interested in spinning, weaving, etc., I suggest you start with a spinning class and purchase processed wool.  One fleece will give you a huge amount of roving and yarn!  (I gave away 10 processed fleeces.)  

If you find you really like spinning, then consider getting a sheep breed with the type of wool you want to use.  Not all fleece is terrific for all garments.  Dorsets are a dual purpose breed.  They produce a meaty carcass and a medium grade wool.  Our Dorset wool was easy to spin, but is considered a wool for exterior garments and socks (heavier duty). Fine wool breeds produce finer softer wool with a higher crimp.  These fine wools are used for lighter garments meant to be worn next to the skin.  

Meat breeds usually don't have very good wool for spinning.  

And remember you will need to buy a spinning wheel too.  The idea of shearing your sheep, processing the fleeces, and spinning your own fiber is fun but is very time consuming.  There is a reason why women rarely had jobs outside the home in the old days.  It took all their time to cook, clean, can, garden, and make their family's clothes in the old days.  No wonder our forebears were so delighted with new-fangled labor-saving devices, electricity, running water and indoor plumbing.


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