Remember last fall I purchased some fleece from a local sheep farm? I did cold water washes on them till winter surprised me and showed up before I was done. Drying them in the house was a herculean task and it took forever, about a week, actually. Because the first batches took so long and I had run out of drying room, one fleece remained outside frozen into its vat of water. I did check if it was recoverable, but nope.
The dried fleece had more lanolin in it than I hoped so I wanted to give it a hot water wash to see if that would deal with it.
This is what I faced this morning.
In preparation for this, I made some large wash and dry bags out of some screen repair rolls. Each 84 inch roll made two and a half bags that fit perfectly into the bins I was going to use to do the job.
As I went through the fibre, picking out the big stuff that remained,
there was some detritus falling to the floor, but much, much less than I thought there would be. The tips were the dirtiest bits and the cut ends were packed with grease, so I fluffed them all out a bit and separated everything into nice loosely filled packages.
The first wash was pretty dirty but the second was much better,
and after three hot rinses, the water was clear. Really truly clear!
I spun the last of the water out in my washing machine. Seriously debated about this step, but honestly, after letting my screen bags drip for a bit suspended from a wood dowel, there was so little water that I wasn't really worried. The machine is going to get a good clean out with vinegar and hot water before I wash clothes again, though.
Half of the fleece is outside right now, drying. By the time the last three screen bags were done washing, the first two bags were almost dry, thanks to a high of 26C today. There will be another days work to finish the fleece on the next hot sunny day. It has been fluffed and is ready to wash so it won't take long to do. What with making the bags this morning, and fluffing the whole fleece, today's work took about 6 hours of on and off work.
Plus this.
The fleece is beautifully clean and pouffy and is completely free of stickiness and the lock structure is reasonably well preserved. It wonderfully soft, a complete victory. I can't wait to see how this Border Leicester spins!
Still, victory comes at a price, and it is time for me to go and take that hard earned, seriously deserved and much needed shower hot shower.
In preparation for this, I made some large wash and dry bags out of some screen repair rolls. Each 84 inch roll made two and a half bags that fit perfectly into the bins I was going to use to do the job.
As I went through the fibre, picking out the big stuff that remained,
there was some detritus falling to the floor, but much, much less than I thought there would be. The tips were the dirtiest bits and the cut ends were packed with grease, so I fluffed them all out a bit and separated everything into nice loosely filled packages.
The first wash was pretty dirty but the second was much better,
and after three hot rinses, the water was clear. Really truly clear!
I spun the last of the water out in my washing machine. Seriously debated about this step, but honestly, after letting my screen bags drip for a bit suspended from a wood dowel, there was so little water that I wasn't really worried. The machine is going to get a good clean out with vinegar and hot water before I wash clothes again, though.
Half of the fleece is outside right now, drying. By the time the last three screen bags were done washing, the first two bags were almost dry, thanks to a high of 26C today. There will be another days work to finish the fleece on the next hot sunny day. It has been fluffed and is ready to wash so it won't take long to do. What with making the bags this morning, and fluffing the whole fleece, today's work took about 6 hours of on and off work.
Plus this.
The fleece is beautifully clean and pouffy and is completely free of stickiness and the lock structure is reasonably well preserved. It wonderfully soft, a complete victory. I can't wait to see how this Border Leicester spins!
Still, victory comes at a price, and it is time for me to go and take that hard earned, seriously deserved and much needed shower hot shower.
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