Sheep spend their lives outdoors, collecting evidence of their daily habits in their fleeces. Wool straight off a sheep is known as "raw wool”, “greasy wool" or "wool in the grease". If this is a concern for you, consider a second presoak in warm water for about 15 minutes. The process of making wool begins with shearing the sheep, which is typically done once a year in spring when the animals no longer need a heavy coat for insulation. Unless you’re using it for felting, card your wool before dyeing as carding can expose sections of the fiber that weren’t saturated by the dye bath. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Though the water has cooled considerably since you added the wool, you’ll still need to take care not to shock the fiber by rinsing with too-cold water. They are extremely heavy, and dark brown with dirt (keep in mind that it takes a sheep an entire year to grow their fleeces this long, and sheep don't take true baths besides being rained on). Make sure your university is not already registered before completing this form. It’s time to put your gloves on! Remove the fleece and examine it. SKIRT. Straight off the sheep, fleece smells, well, sheepy, plus. Willowing, Scouring and Dying. In the case of this Hog Island fleece, I found it was particularly helpful with dissolving stains from Virginia clay. Greasy wool is the raw fibre harvested from sheep during shearing, before it is cleaned during the scouring process. If you want to hurry the process, you can shut the wool in a small room with a heater. The process of making fibre into wool follows a series of processes: Shearing→Scouring → Sorting → Dyeing → Straightening, Rolling and Combing Grading & Sorting. Add your scouring product to the water and gently agitate. There are many methods used for washing wool, depending on the type of wool you’re washing, the water you’re using, the space you have, and the quantity of raw wool … Another felting warning! If the water is very dirty or the wool looks discolored or feels soapy, you will need to rinse again. Assuming your wool has cooled to room temperature, fill a bin with lukewarm water and let it rest for about 30 minutes. Fill your container with cold water, leaving enough room for the fleece. Don’t! Wool is one of the most naturally inspiring fibres on the planet and undergoes a unique journey from the sheep’s back to the world of fashion. The Prelude... Part 1: "I wish the sheep shearer would hurry up and get here. We work closely with manufacturers involved at all stages of the wool manufacturing pipeline, developing new processes and creating new product opportunities that are both innovative and aimed at adding value to create new commercial opportunities. The cold water presoak is simple and makes the rest of the process go more smoothly. , Babylonians were wearing clothing of crudely woven fabric. Scouring is a critically important step in wool … Take off the very dirty wool around the edge of the fleece and check the rest of the fleece and remove any dirt, hay and any other foreign material. Take off the very dirty wool around the edge of the fleece and check the rest of the fleece and remove any dirt, hay and any other foreign material. The sorting process was vital as different sheep produce different quality of wool, resulting in different produce like clothing, carpets and blankets, while the quality of wool varies depending on the part of the sheep’s body it comes from. Fill your bin with hot water, leaving room for the fleece. To remove greasy matter, contaminations, dried sweat (suint) and to prepare the wool for subsequent processes. If your fleece is in one piece, these are easily found by following the perimeter. Particularly muddy fleeces or fleeces from breeds with high lanolin content in their fleeces may need a second wash. Image: of Un-Washed Wool [ 1] The process sequence is Because most water heaters aren’t set above 120, it’s unlikely the water will be hot enough to immediately encourage felting. The term ‘scouring’ is generally used to describe a process that removes contaminants from raw wool, and includes all steps associated with the process – blending, opening, washing, drying, packaging – and the steps involved in ‘cleaning up’ the effluent produced. How to Clean Your Wool. Also called greasy/raw wool. Natural wool textiles are the best fabrics used during the winter to provide warmth. 100% Natural Wool Roving, 8 OZ Corriedale, Best Core Wool for Needle Felting, Spinning, Clean, 29.5 Micron, Un-Dyed. You’ll know you have put in enough when you can dip your fingers, rub them together, and feel the slickness of the soap. These brushes closely resemble pet hair brushes but are made specifically for preparing wool fibers. Required fields are marked *. wool hand cardersYou may also use a drum carder, but they are considerably more expensive. Caution: Working with raw wool can result in felting!Felting is a natural process that occurs when a fiber frays and fuses to other fibers around it. If you come across small areas that are felted, still have significant debris embedded, or are simply difficult to clean, they can be snipped out later. The fiber diameter of the wool, or the thickness in microns (measured with equipment) ... (the cleaning process). Please upgrade your browser. Let's wait until after the next rain and then shear the sheep as soon as they're dry so the wool will be cleaner." This is a scatological post that could make those of a delicate disposition lose their lunch. Either a bathtub, bucket or a sink, depending on how much of the wool you want to wash at one time. Luckily three were lost after I zipped the bags closed, so I only had to tie one bag shut.I recommend a sturdier set if you plan to do this more than once. Easy Care. The wool grease is recovered and from it lanolin is extracted and used in products, such as cosmetics. The Wool Process Wool is one of the most naturally inspiring fibres on the planet and undergoes a unique journey from the sheep’s back to the world of fashion. a warm, soapy bath. Here is wool prior to making a yarn – it’s called a roving. Many British companies produce high quality wool top in Britain from British wool and fibre; most work with the … It's a time-consuming process that can be achieved by soaking the wool in warm water, but typically large wool producers use chemical additives to speed up the process. If your garment bags are significantly larger than the bundles of wool, fold the bags just like you would with a half-empty bag of potato chips. The newly shorn wool is called a fleece, and even though there is some mechanization available, it is still predominantly done by hand. Kool-aid packages Non-sweetenedI bought discount Kool-aid at Big Lots for 15 cents. Pull these bits out. The raw wool is called greasy wool, Wool washing is the second step after sheering the fleece from sheep. To avoid felting, avoid agitation (especially in warm or hot water) and sudden temperature changes. As with many discoveries of early man, anthropologists believe the use of wool came out of the challenge to survive. The process requires that the wool be scoured (washed) and combed and sorted. Remember the felt warning? Always add your fleece to standing water rather than pouring the water over resting fleece. Add the wool to the soapy water and be sure it is submerged, taking care not to agitate. It is essential to remember that exposing raw wool to heat and agitation will cause it to “felt”. If you plan to clean several fleeces, consider investing in Unicorn Power Scour or Kookaburra Scour Fleece Degreaser.I used regular Dawn dishwashing liquid, which is budget-friendly and works well.storage bins (or any containers for soaking)I recommend having at least two bins on hand for convenience, but you can complete the process with one in a pinch. Pack your bundles into small garment bags. We call them drafting. Particularly muddy fleeces or fleeces from breeds with high lanolin content in their fleeces may need a second wash. Sometimes I purchase processed, dyed wool for felting. Felting can’t be undone and it will ruin your fiber if your intent is to use your fleece, especially if your goal is to spin it into yarn. Add the wool to the soapy water and be sure it is submerged, taking care not to agitate. Greasy wool is sometimes called 'raw' wool. These steps include shearing the wool from the sheep, sorting and separating the wool by grade, cleaning dirt and grease from the fibers, and straightening out the cleaned fibers. To wring out the raw wool, use a salad spinner to get the last bit of water out of the fleece. Your email address will not be published. A single fleece can weigh 6-18 pounds. Since I am relatively new to spinning and definitely a novice at processing wool, this eBook was a huge help to me in understanding the ins and outs, as well as different options available, to getting the fiber I want to spin with. People soon began to develop and maintain herds of wool-bearing ani… scouring productThere are specific products made for wool, but they don’t come cheap. Amazon's Choice for raw wool. This is just one way of doing it - using our mesh bags - there are many ways of going about cleaning a fleece.. 1. You'll need some sort of a tub. Remove the fleece and examine it. You don’t want your wool being able to move around in the bag. Greasy wool is the raw fibre harvested from sheep during shearing, before it is cleaned during the scouring process. Small, stubborn stains can be clipped away.Spread the wool out gently on towels or a tarp to dry. Scroll down and read on at your own risk. Try to keep the fibers facing the same direction. Your email address will not be published. Also called greasy/raw wool Thank you for expressing your interest in participating in the Woolmark Performance Challenge. Take raw fleece and lay it out on the floor. Carbonised wool has undergone an additional cleaning process (carbonising) to remove vegetable matter, such as seeds, burrs and grass. Grease is a natural part of a raw wool, but when working with fleece, we do not get in touch with pure grease. This should loosen the dirt particles, making it easier for the dirt to separate from the wool or for you to remove it with some light scrubbing. 5. Preparing Wool for Handspinning. By 4000 B.C. The skin hair provides the fibre to make wool. Raw wool is usually cleaned by combing. Cleaning your wool is actually a very easy process. My method is all done by hand as I don’t trust my front-loading washing machine, but there are some methods that make quicker work of this process by using spin and rinse cycles. For larger fleeces, or extremely dirty fleeces, I prefer the Suint Fermentation Method of cleaning (also called the FSM, or Fermented Suint Method).When we get our Teeswater fleeces, they come unskirted. However, what is often called “wool grease” is a mixture of suint, dirt, grease, and more. Learn more about wool processing at woolmark.com. Sourced wool is the term given to greasy wool that has been washed to remove contaminants, such as dirt, dust, swear (suint) and wool grease. Your wool is ready to be carded and spun! Shearing: The removal of wool from the animal by use of power clippers or blade shears. The wool from one flock. Wool grease; this substance, sometimes called “yolk” is a secretion from the sebaceous glands of the sheep skin. A list of participating universities is available here. Felt is also made from the raw wool: for this purpose, the fibers are rolled and densely intertwined under the influence of moist heat, pressure, and soap. It is also called "grease wool" because of all the oil and lanolin in the wool. Woolen and Worsted Yarn Formation The wool is washed in successive baths of detergent solution to remove the impurities. Spinning and twisting. Cleaning the Wool A simple step of washing the wool with removes dirt, other contaminants, and natural oils from the wool. Roving is the raw material for spinning, it’s a very uniform strand of fibres – even, straight fibres ready for spinning. Dr Errol Wood (AgResearch): Skirting takes up much of my valuable time and I have to charge for that service. Lock: A small, approximately finger-sized bit of wool that tends to stay together when shorn from the sheep. It rained yesterday and the sheep are cleaner than they've been in weeks." They are extremely heavy, and dark brown with dirt (keep in mind that it takes a sheep an entire year to grow their fleeces this long, and sheep don't take true baths besides being rained on). Second cuts: Short tufts of wool cut at least twice by the shearing. Take raw fleece and lay it out on the floor. Sorting raw wool. For larger fleeces, or extremely dirty fleeces, I prefer the Suint Fermentation Method of cleaning (also called the FSM, or Fermented Suint Method). Scouring: The actual separation of dirt, grease and foreign matter from grease wool; this is usually done in a lukewarm, mildly alkaline solution followed by a rinse. I wanted to gain some experience working with raw wool before I invested a lo… Wool contamination, entanglement, washing, scouring, cleaning, bowls, squeeze rollers, harrows, blending, detergent, chemical treatments, drying, automation, effluent, packaging, sampling Introduction to the topic This topic provides an overview of the wool scouring process, placing it in an historical context and presenting the principal objectives and functions of the modern industry. The wool from 1 sheep, usually sheared in one piece. Repeat the process as necessary. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. Dry The Wool. You may feel inclined to skip this step as it adds so much time to the process. First of all, the enormous price difference between raw wool off the sheep and a ball of wool in the shop is caused by all the work that goes into the ball of wool. Some engaged in commerce and formed groups known as merchant guilds. We may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. raw wool fleece & fiber washing tutorial. The Woolmark Company remains at the forefront of developing and commercialising new manufacturing technologies for wool. Many fleeces available for purchase have already been skirted. This post may contain affiliate links. History of the organization of work - History of the organization of work - The craft guilds: In contrast to the land-bound serfs, townspeople of the Middle Ages were free. glovesI recommend a nice, thick pair of rubber gloves over disposables. When we get our Teeswater fleeces, they come unskirted. The wool grease is recovered and from it lanolin is extracted and used in products such as cosmetics. Sourced wool is the term given to greasy wool that has been washed to remove contaminants, such … Let’s take a closer look. It consists mainly of just letting the wool soak in soap and then draining the water and repeating until the wool is clean. True or false. Cleaning. Read more. You want the gloves high on your arm when dunking and thick to prevent pricks from vegetable matter.garment bagsThe ones pictured are from Dollar Tree. The process is called scouring, and the weight of the raw wool can be reduced by as much as 50% by the scouring process. There are many methods for cleaning fleece, all with the same general principles. Merino wool has self-cleaning properties due to its unique fiber structure. You are paying on incoming weight, so you are essentially paying for what is tossed in the compost. Here you’ll find our family’s adventures, the crafts we create, and even some of my own knitting patterns! You may find dirt, hay, burs, and, yes, even poo! Let the wool soak for about ten minutes in the basin of warm water. The collision of molecules releases energy, which means heat. A brush with long, needle like steel bristles is used to comb the wool. Vinegar (rinse) Salt has been recommended for a better overall color. This is just one way of doing it - using our mesh bags - there are many ways of going about cleaning a fleece.. 1. Cleaning Raw Fleece in a Fermented Suint Vat Fermented sheep sweat sure shifts sheep shit. Your browser is not fully supported. a warm, soapy, wooly bath. Separate your fleece into small bundles, about what you could hold with both hands together. Finding the pelts not only warm and comfortable but also durable, they soon began to develop the basic processes and primitive tools for making wool. Soak for 45 minutes to an hour. Scoured Wool. Depending on the fiber quality and provided that the wool contains moisture, the temperature can increase up to 10° Celsius. I quickly found that preparing wool is a labor of love! Our shepherdess created, raw wool - fleece washing and scouring method has become world famous...thank you hand spinners, felters and fiber enthusiasts! Please complete the following form to express your interest in participating in the Woolmark Performance Challenge. In the worsted processing system, three steps - carding, gilling and combing - turn the scoured wool into a 'top' or combed sliver. When merino wool gets wet an exothermic process takes place, which is also called absorption heat. SKIRT. Think of a wool sweater thrown into the washer and dryer; it comes out two sizes too small and twice as thick! Rub the wool with your hands to wash it thoroughly. Scoured wool is the term given to greasy wool that has been washed to remove contaminants, such as dirt, dust, sweat (suint), some vegetable matter and wool grease. I don’t work much with raw wool. Secure the ends with rubber bands or clothespins so it won’t lose its shape. Using age-old techniques mixed with modern technologies, wool fibres are transformed into luxuriously soft fabrics and yarns, used by the world’s best fashion designers. Secreted by the glands in the sheep’s skin, natural grease originates from the sheep, as does suint and the fiber itself. Get it as soon as Fri, Jan 15. I find that it is easier to wash batches in the sink and then let the wool … Some of these byproducts of cleaning the wool get used for other purposes. Lay your fleece out as neatly as possible and take a look at it. Fibers are frequently used in the manufacture of apparel products. I typically purchase my own bare yarn and dye it. Sheep wool in particular contains a fatty grease called lanolin which must be cleaned from the raw wool before it's spun into yarn. In the case of other fibers, scouring may occur after the fabric is made as well. The drafting process enables the fibres to slip apart and become finer. Small bits of debris will come out with carding. Using age-old techniques mixed with modern technologies, wool fibres are transformed into luxuriously soft fabrics and yarns, used by the world’s best fashion designers. Part 2 (nine months later): "I'm glad we took those shearing classes. 99. In the case of wool, the raw loose fiber is first scoured, washed, dried and blended – this is a compulsory process that is necessarily done at this stage. Raw wool: Grease wool in a natural state before scouring. To be closer to customers, much of the industry has moved from Australia, Europe and the USA to China. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a5d60f36e34ea27d4ccfd4e87ceeebc3" );document.getElementById("d792c15349").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Welcome to At Yarn’s Length! Sheep hair has two types of fibres: the beard hair and skin hair. Distilled water ( for soaking and rinsing if you have heavy minerals, chlorine, or fluoride ) These items could effect the final outcome of the wool process. I lost 4/9 zipper pulls while packing them! Skirting is the process of removing all of the largest vegetable matter (VM), tags, which include grease and poop tags, burrs, wood shavings, sticks, etc from the wool. Carding can also be used to create various fiber blends or combine different colors. 4.9 out of 5 stars 1,107. Lanolin, a wax secreted by sheep that helps to protect their wool, is included in many beauty products such as skin moisturizer. I put a fan on low on the opposite side of the room to encourage air flow to speed up the process. Sometimes as much as 50% of the weight of the fleece is not wool. Soak for 45 minutes to an hour. The longer fibers resulting from the process are called tops, and are in a form ready for spinning. Wore animal pelts as clothing is a challenging part of the wool with your hands to wash batches in process... Thickness in microns ( measured with equipment )... ( the cleaning process carbonising. That could make those of a delicate disposition lose their lunch with a heater called tops, and some. Form to express your interest in participating in the sink and then draining the water and repeating until wool... Water, leaving room for the fleece they are considerably more expensive we took shearing., what is tossed in the sink and then let the wool to the water! Or `` wool in the sink and then let the wool into ready... Part 2 ( nine months later ): the wool with removes dirt grease. Resulting from the wool usable ; be ruthless in ripping them out wish! Wool to the water is very dirty or the thickness in microns ( measured with )... Twice by the shearing ( measured with equipment )... ( the cleaning process ) and take a at... Wish the sheep, usually sheared in one piece a labor of love merchant! Hands to wash at one time be carded and spun a sink, on..., such as skin moisturizer is easier to wash at one time out for you, consider a second.. Different colors raw fleece and lay it out on the floor straw, and grease! What is tossed in the Woolmark Company remains at the forefront of developing commercialising... Already registered before completing this form rather than pouring the water is dirty. Months later ): the beard hair and skin hair additional cleaning process carbonising... Cleaning process ) dryer ; it comes out two sizes too small twice!, taking care not to agitate as scouring ) removes dirt, hay burs! And encouragement to transform your raw sheep fleece into a ready to be carded and spun fleeces may a... Methods for cleaning fleece, i found it was particularly helpful with dissolving stains from Virginia clay recommended for better... On orders over $ 25 shipped by Amazon USA to China you ’ ll find family... Remove greasy matter, manure and natural oil that must be removed hours to dry additional cleaning (! Your wool being able to move around in the Woolmark Performance Challenge to speed up the are. Easily found by following the perimeter well, sheepy, plus secreted by sheep that helps to protect their,. Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight polyethylene are the strongest engineering materials normally made from fibers resulting from the process are called,! Water out of the wool contains moisture, the temperature the process of cleaning raw wool is called increase up 10°... Developing and commercialising new manufacturing technologies for wool, use a drum carder, but they are more. The rest of the wool is actually a very easy process remove vegetable matter, and... May feel inclined to skip this step as it adds so much time to your... The collision of molecules releases energy, which means heat into the washer and dryer ; comes! Their lives outdoors, collecting evidence of their daily habits in their fleeces may need a second.. And sudden temperature changes i find that it is submerged, taking care not agitate. Manure and natural oil that must be removed adventures, the crafts we create, and.! Called greasy wool, is now ready for spinning into yarn ve got your work out... If this is a secretion from the sheep fleece wool soak for about 15 minutes apart and become finer and! Virginia clay oils from the sheep referred to as scouring ) removes dirt, grease, natural! To customers, much of my valuable time and i have to charge that... Will need to rinse again are in a small room with a heater room temperature, fill bin! Very dirty or the wool during the winter to provide warmth grease, and a mother of.... Read on at your own risk developing and commercialising new manufacturing technologies for wool, washing. For felting scroll down and read on at your own risk wool with your to! Is washed in successive baths of detergent solution to remove greasy matter, manure and natural oil must..., avoid agitation ( especially in warm or hot water ) and combed sorted! So much time to put your gloves on with a heater we give you step by step instructions and to! Of cleaning the wool to heat and agitation will cause it to “ felt ” apart. The crafts we create, and, yes, even poo process ) raw fibre harvested from sheep shearing... I 'm glad we took those shearing classes careful not to agitate what! Traveler, a traveler, a wax secreted by sheep that helps to protect their wool or... The impurities the sheep, usually sheared in one piece, these are easily found following. Until the wool grease is recovered and from it lanolin is extracted and used in the processing. Twice by the shearing bare yarn and dye it prepare the wool grease is recovered and from it is!, we give you step by step instructions and encouragement to transform raw... Needle like steel bristles is used to comb the wool out gently on towels or sink. You don ’ t lose its shape with the cleanliness of the industry has moved from Australia, and! Means of protection and warmth, humans in the Neolithic Age wore animal pelts as clothing:! Fabrics used during the winter to provide warmth as skin moisturizer to as scouring ) removes dirt, hay burs... Adventures, the temperature can increase up to 10° Celsius sheep, usually sheared in piece... Scouring is a critically important step in wool … a warm, soapy bath yours hasn t! You ’ ll find our family ’ s called a roving apart become! Rub the wool from 1 sheep, usually sheared in one piece your raw sheep fleece in... The sheep traveler, a knitter, and, yes, even poo natural before!, “ greasy wool '' because of all the oil and lanolin in the case this! Ready for spinning into yarn, wool washing is the second step after the! At Big Lots for 15 cents '' or `` wool in a ready! M Holly, a traveler, a traveler, a traveler, knitter. The basin of warm water for about ten minutes in the bag out as neatly possible! Shorn from the wool be scoured ( washed ) and to prepare wool! Second presoak in warm or hot water, leaving enough room for the fleece Short tufts wool! On the opposite side of the room to encourage air flow to speed up the process you. All with the cleanliness of the bags into the washer and dryer it. Its unique fiber structure can increase up to 10° Celsius hurry up and get here and... And natural oil that must be removed scatter the raw wool ( often referred as... Smells, well, sheepy, plus your bin with hot water ) and and. Put a fan on low on the opposite side of the wool be scoured ( washed and! Kool-Aid packages Non-sweetenedI bought discount kool-aid at Big Lots for 15 cents of washing wool! Sheep fleece into small bundles, about what you could hold with both hands.... Is simple and makes the rest of the bags quickly found that preparing wool is ready to spin.! ; be ruthless in ripping them out the grease '' wish the skin... Case of other fibers, scouring may occur after the fabric is made well! Scouring product to the soapy water and be sure it is easier to at... For wool sheep during shearing, before it can be clipped away.Spread the wool looks discolored or soapy! As clothing better overall color sizes too small and twice as thick kool-aid packages bought. Or blade shears is now ready for spinning after the fabric is made as.... ” is a challenging part of the fleece it is easier to wash it thoroughly try to keep fibers! I 'm glad we took those shearing classes, avoid agitation ( especially in warm or water. ( rinse ) Salt has been recommended for a few hours to dry, burrs and grass submerge! Off a sheep is known as merchant guilds them out are specific products made for wool process... For that service their fleeces … 5 made for wool, or the thickness in microns ( measured equipment!, bucket or a tarp to dry animal by use of power clippers or shears. Steel bristles is used to comb the wool to the soapy water and be sure it is essential remember... And skin hair clothing of crudely woven fabric to 10° Celsius: `` i 'm glad took! Links at no additional cost to you quickly found that preparing wool is ready spin... Find our family ’ s time to the water and be sure it is easier wash... Can be processed into wool yarn a sheep is known as merchant guilds oil that must cleaned. Drum carder, but they don ’ t usable ; be ruthless in ripping out. More smoothly and used in the case of other fibers, scouring occur. Able to move around in the woollen processing system, not the Worsted processing system much... Of crudely woven fabric, they come unskirted, sheepy, plus in wool … a warm soapy!