wool straight off the sheep

[PassionateWriter]

dont really know how to phrase the topic.

i have access to A LOT of wool....straight off the sheep. hasn't been processed, cleaned...nothing at all.

so...is it insane for me to try to figure out what to do with it? i dont really want to knit it right now (after i figure out other stuff, ill tackle that). what i would love to do w/ wool right now is to make toys...felt..stuff like that.

is this possible w/ this wool? how big of a learning curve would this be?

tia

[Callimom]

Originally Posted by PassionateWriter

dont really know how to phrase the topic.

i have access to A LOT of wool....straight off the sheep. hasn't been processed, cleaned...nothing at all.

so...is it insane for me to try to figure out what to do with it? i dont really want to knit it right now (after i figure out other stuff, ill tackle that). what i would love to do w/ wool right now is to make toys...felt..stuff like that.

is this possible w/ this wool? how big of a learning curve would this be?

tia

Needle felting isn't difficult to learn. It's actually a fairly simple craft.

However, washing, cleaning and carding wool (fleece) is a large undertaking. There are places you can take it to have this done for you but I don't know what the price would be. I buy a fleece a couple of times a year and use it for stuffing toys, needle felting etc and it costs me about $40 a fleece depending on the size.

hth
Karen

[MamaWolfe]

I'm wondering the same thing! I was thinking about trying to clean it myself and making a wool futon.

[flapjack]

The texture of wet felt made with fleece straight from the sheep is amazing You will need a set of carders (not necessarily top quality ones) but apart from that you work in exactly the same way you would with washed and processed fibre. Pick out any vegetable matter as you work, and the lanolin and dirt will all come out as you felt it. Three-dimensional (like needle felting) you will need to wash it first, I'm afraid, but IME you don't need to card wool for needle felting because you're working with just a few fibres at a time.

You can also weave wool pads with raw or washed fleece using a peg loom.

You may need to brace yourself for the idea that this fleece is not going to be suitable for handspinning, though- often shearers who are shearing for the sake of the animals, rather than the value of the fleece make mistakes which effectively make the fleece worthless to the spinner- short cuts, for instance. It doesn't mean you can't have fun with it, though.

[PassionateWriter]

where should i go to learn how to do this? im not really interested in spinning wool (not at the moment anyway) but im thinking this would be a great thing to get for needle felting. Oh, and this is FREE to me....so my total cost will simply be getting the stuff in the state that i can use it for toys, etc. etc.

a wool futon sounds awesome! maybe i could do wool pillows. oh my!

[Callimom]

You might contact a local spinners and weavers guild to see if they can direct you, or talk to local sheep farmers.

Good luck!
Karen

[Think of Winter]

You don't need to card it to use it for needle felting or stuffing. You just need to clean it, and it's not hard to clean a grease fleece. A little time consuming maybe.

I've done it a couple of times in my washing machine, and now I have lots and lots of fleece for stuffing and needle felting. I did semi-felt one batch by accidentally letting my machine agitate for a couple of minutes. Now I'm careful to immediately turn the knob to the spin cycle so it can't agitate. The only cost to you will be running the washer, a $1 bottle of dawn dish detergent, and a few lingerie bags from the dollar store to hold the fleece in the machine.

One tip I've learned is to be selective when choosing the parts of the fleece that you'll use. If there is hard, black stuff, leave it. A little vegetative matter is fine, but the filthier the fleece, the harder it's going to be to clean. I'd also pick either the softer stuff and/or the longer fibers if you have a choice. You may also wish to choose by color if you have a lot to pick from. Lighter wool may be more versatile if you want to dye some of it.

There's an article in the Spring '09 Living Crafts on hand washing fleece, and it's easy to find directions online for doing it in a top loader washing machine.

[Kabes]

Is anybody else just a wee bit envious?

[PassionateWriter]

thanks Colleen!

[flapjack]

Originally Posted by Kabes

Is anybody else just a wee bit envious?

No, fleece is cheap You just need to know the right people. I pay £5 for a rare breed, £2 for a mule, for spinning quality, but there are plenty around which go for literally nothing. It's just knowing the right person.

[PassionateWriter]

well i am lucky and have a SIL who owns lamb. however, this wool has been sitting in a barn (she will have fresh wool in about 2 weeks) and i BET she's not the only farmer to have this. so...if you want some, i bet you can find some if you live near a farm.

i honestly just thought to ask her recently. lol

[Think of Winter]

Originally Posted by PassionateWriter

thanks Colleen!

You're welcome. Have fun!

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

Hand washing fleece is not that hard and is less likely to accidently felt it than washing in a machine. Fill a sink with cool water and a bit of dish soap of shampoo. Gently submerge the fleece and let it soak for a little while. Gently lift the fleece out of the water before draining the sink. Repeat until fleece is clean. Spread fleece out so air can circulate around it to dry.

I know you said that you're not interested in spinning but drop spindles are not at all expensive and can be fun to try.

[berrymama]

The last issue of living crafts had a nice step by step tutorial on washing fleece.

[feest]

Originally Posted by Kabes

Is anybody else just a wee bit envious?

very.