Working with Wool: Working Hard

[Bruce]

n the picture you can see as it goes to the left the yarn starts looking good.

Indeed it does! I bet spinning is a lot harder than it looks when you watch experienced people.

I watched some videos on all the steps necessary to get the fiber that was "retrieved" from the alpaca to the point of carding. More steps than I thought! Do you have a "tumbler" to help get the dirt and some debris out of the fleece? I found it quite informative to see that one must wash and rinse in HOT water (like the 120° that likely comes out of the water heater), NEVER go from hot water to cold and NEVER agitate (including letting water run through the fleece while filling the sink/tub/whatever you are washing/rinsing in) ... unless you want it to felt. Then have at it I guess Of course I suspect if it "self felts" during the wash/rinse steps any debris that is in it will then be impossible to get out. At least with alpaca you don't need to use much soap since they don't have lanolin that needs to be scoured out.

 

[luvmypets]

Last few days have been busy fleece wise. Three days ago I washed the 1st cut(blanket) from our herd king Bear. Started by sitting in front of the tv and picking out all the debris I could find. Then into a warm wash to sit in over night. Next morning took the fleece out and drained the fluids. I then put it into the sun to dry, spreading it out in thin layers. It took two days to dry but it is finally done. JUst needs to be carded and spun.

Tonight I took the 2nd cut of bears fleece(neck/rump) and picked it and put it in the wash, it will go out tommorow all day to dry. Its so soft and there was so much..help Im drowning in fleece. Even my spinning wheel cowers in fear. The scary part is this is only 1/2 of one fleece

I also skirted Ras and Clover's fleeces and they are also in the wash.

My poor living room...Clovers fleece was so dirty!

But look at how nice it is, the crimp has me drooling. Cant wait to see what her lamb Simon gives me.

Ras's dirty fleece, I still dont understand how they get so dirty, stalls are cleaned reguraly. This remains a mystery.

Backside of Ras's fleece makes me want a blanket out of it.

Pics of all the fleeces in the wash. I know my family loves how our kitchen smells like lanolin

After all that was done I spun some of bears blanket but failed quite bad. Alpaca is so frustrating to spin but I will get there. By the end I got some yarn I was proud of. Here is some of the failed yarn from Busters fiber and bear. Both are suri alpacas.

Welp that's all, super glad Im finally getting a handle of the fiber situation, expect more in the future! Now Im off to bed its almost 1 AM and I am one tired gal

 

[Bruce]

This remains a mystery.

Dirt happens!!
I know why my two alpacas are dirty, they dust bathe daily just like the chickens do! But my dad, who raised sheep, said they don't roll in the dirt. Must be your sheep got blowing dirt when they were wet or something.

No need to rinse the alpaca fiber? Just a soapy soak?

That crimp in Clover's fleece is super!

All I have to say to you is GOOD JOB @luvmypets !! DD1 (who is about 8 years your senior) is saying "I don't have a spinning wheel". Um well, no she doesn't. And she doesn't have any picked, washed, dried and carded fiber to spin either. We do have DIRTY fiber but I've not seen one bit of motion from her toward changing that description. I'm willing to bet that having the best spinning wheel made wouldn't change that. She WANTS but doesn't often want to DO.

 

[Hens and Roos]

very cool to see the process, thanks for sharing pictures!

 

[luvmypets]

Bears entire fleece is washed and ready for spinning!

Ras's fleece dryed very well and makes me very happy with how it's looking, I may put it out again tomorrow to make sure it's nice and dry.

Clover's fleece is still wet, it may take a few days as it is so dense.

I'm not sure who I will do next, I'm thinking of tackling Geno as he is the last Suri.

 

[Latestarter]

You go girl! What progress!