Fleece time

I can't believe how quickly this year is going by and already we are at the sheep shearing season.

Last year I had my first go at cleaning some fleeces. It was hard work but very rewarding. I did 7 last year, given to me by a good friend.

A few weeks ago  I asked her if I could have them this year, she asked how many I wanted, when I said all of them, she replied do you know I have 60 now! 

So me who never says no, spent last Monday from 10am til 6pm sorting through 60 beautiful fleeces

Jacobs, lonks, zwarble, woodland, texal and some mixed. My back was killing me but my hands were lovely and soft from the lanolin. Luckily there were lambs and a puppy to cuddle between the fleece sorting. 

Now what to do with it all??

Feeling proud.

I like this little fella ( no name yet) not because I like his face, especially his eyes. But because I have used my first hand dyed wool using my first washed and carded fleece. 

Small steps 

What a triumph!

Dah dah!

My fleeces have been a triumph!

I am so pleased. I have carded a bit and look! It's amazingly easy to felt with too! 

I've even had a little try colouring it. This one was coloured using turmeric. Its a lovely shade of yellow ( but smells a bit spicy) still small steps are what I'm taking. I will get there in the end.

Trying something new. Washing fleeces!

I am trying really hard to take positive but small steps to make my felting journey a wider one. So when my friend told me she had some fleeces I could have, I jumped at the chance, not knowing what one earth to do with them.

Thankgoodness for you tube and wool/felting sites, I read and watched tutorials until they arrived.

Here they are 6 whitefaced woodland and 1black Zwartble. 

All a bit wiffy but I kind of liked it.

First step, skirting, evidently this means getting rid of all the bit you dont want.

 Poo bits, very dirty bits, small bits that the shearer has caused, VM ( vegetable matter) etc.

I probably threw away about two bin bags full and wasnt sure if I had thrown away good bits and kept some rubbish and I found it really hard to get the bits of VM out but its all a learning curve.

I ended up with 4 bin bags full to the top!

I 'borrowed' my husbands building tubs and filled them with really hot water then added washing up liquid before gently adding the fleeces. I tried some in lingerie bags and some 'free' 

After leaving them to soak, I repeated the process again before leaving them to soak in plain water.

 I did this until the water was clear(ish)

I used my washing machine spin cycle using the lingerie bags full of squeezed fleece.

Its been a lovely weekend ( thankgoodness) so my garden became a fleece drying zone.

They are looking better arent they!

I'm busy finding out what the step is now.

Watch this space....