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#1
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Steps from sheep to yarn
Every year, my MIL gets rid of 5 sheep worth of wool.
What are the steps from sheep to yarn, and is it an expensive hobby to get into. I would like to hand spin it with a drop spindle, not a wheel. Where would be a good place to learn this? TIA! Kelly |
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#2
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Oh yes, I wanna know too!!! I just learned to spin!!!!!!
"news.sonic.net" wrote in message ... Every year, my MIL gets rid of 5 sheep worth of wool. What are the steps from sheep to yarn, and is it an expensive hobby to get into. I would like to hand spin it with a drop spindle, not a wheel. Where would be a good place to learn this? TIA! Kelly |
#3
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Cool - maybe someone will help us. I want to know if it's really worth it
to keep the wool (freshly sheared and NOT cleaned) to play with. Kelly "Slick Hippy chick" wrote in message news:z6eub.5228$vJ6.4244@fed1read05... Oh yes, I wanna know too!!! I just learned to spin!!!!!! "news.sonic.net" wrote in message ... Every year, my MIL gets rid of 5 sheep worth of wool. What are the steps from sheep to yarn, and is it an expensive hobby to get into. I would like to hand spin it with a drop spindle, not a wheel. Where would be a good place to learn this? TIA! Kelly |
#4
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In article , "news.sonic.net"
wrote: Well to all of you who would like to be part of ....from sheep....to garment. My advice is see if there is a Spinners and weavers Guild in your area, and join. They are the best in showing you all about sheep breeds, quality of fleece, about preparing your fibers to ready it for spinning. About spinning, and knitting or anything else you would like to do with your hand spun yarns. If you do not have a Guild in your area, go to your library and find good books on the topic. Or and find someone in your area who is a spinner. Post an add on the bullitin board of your local fiber shop or store, asking for help or lessons. Spinners are nearly always very helpful and willing to share their knowledge. If any of you are living close by, (that would have to be on Vancouver Island) you are very welcome to my house for free lessons. Good luck with your new adventure of learning to spin. Els -- I have added a trap for spammers......niet..... |
#5
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Very basic steps from sheep to yarn. I repeat, basic. You need to read up on
the web or in any of the multitude of spinning books available now to get detailed idea. Especially as they usually have pictures to help. g : 1 - Skirt the fleece; usually necessary if you're not buying fleece from someone who's in the business of selling to spinners. If buying from someone who is in the business, their fleeces should already be skirted. They also usually offer you the choice of raw, unwashed fleeces (cheaper), or washed fleece. Skirting means to remove all the yucky wool around the edges that has manure tags stuck in it, any bits that are too short/thin/matted/whatever to work with - that sort of thing. You may need to get VM (vegetable matter; i.e., sprigs of hay, burrs, etc.), out of the fleece, too. This can be done by shaking it over newspaper or a tarp. If really bad, another method is to lay it on a screened surface of some sort and thrash it with a thin twig, to shake more of the VM out. This also helps remove loose dirt. Sometimes, though, you just have to go through and pick it out by hand. In other words, if you don't want a lot of trouble with VM, don't buy a fleece with a lot of VM in it. With minor VM, teasing, then carding/combing usually gets out the worst, and you simply pick out any leftover bits as you spin. 2 - If you're going to be storing it for a while - say, more than a month or so - it *is* best to wash it, even if it's a nice, clean fleece. If unwashed fleeces are stored too long, the lanolin can harden and be difficult to get out. This also makes it harder to card and spin since the lanolin may not soften up too easily, although warming the fleece helps somewhat with that problem. (not much, if it's too bad.) If the fleece is dirty and has a lot of 'suint' (sweat, etc.), this can make it *really* hard to get clean later. The lanolin will bind any dirt to itself and the wool. Plus, they can be rather smelly. They can even mold! Or the dreaded muths, to steal a term from Elizabeth Zimmerman, could attack. (just imagine an umlaut over the 'u' in 'muth' gg) Storing unwashed fleeces in plastic bags is ok over a short period of time, but not for long-term if they're tightly shut. Remember, muths like the dark. (my spinning teacher said bay leaves were a good natural muth repellent. she also said if you *had* to store fleeces in plastic bags, leave the bags a little open, keep them in a lit place, and give the bags a kick every time you pass by; muths don't like agitation, either.) Boxes of some sort that let fleece breathe a little are best for long-term storage, whether the fleeces are washed or not. Washing involves detergent, a big container, hot water, time to soak - a few to several hours - *no* agitation or sudden temperature changes in the water, rinsing, and laying out to dry so that air can circulate freely around the fleece. Either that, or you keep turning the fleece over repeatedly so it'll all dry. The whole thing will take a while. At this time, you might also dye it before drying, if you don't want the natural color. Or you can wait and dye the finished yarn. If you plan to spin soon and 'in the grease' - i.e., unwashed, usually reserved for really nice clean fleeces - proceed to step 3 instead; washing the yarn after spinning will take care of any dirt. (spinning in the grease *is* nice. the lanolin lubricates the wool helps it slide better when you're drafting as you spin. but it's not utterly necessary to be 'authentic', and some people don't like getting lanolin all over everything; or the smell, even if it's mild. plus some fleeces can be *really* greasy! in which case, wear old clothes. but your hands will get nice and soft...) 3 - Sort the fleece. Neck, belly, and tail area wool usually isn't as good as back and side wool. Separate out the really good stuff from the lesser-quality wool. The not-so-great wool can combined with the same from other fleeces to make lesser quality yarn; combined with middle-quality wool to stretch it; or used for felt. 4 - Card or comb the fleece. 5 - Finally, spin. (which can include plying it or not.) 6 - Wash yarn to set the twist - and to clean it, if you've spun it in the grease. Another good time to dye it, immediately after washing, while it's still wet. 7 - Dry yarn, blocked (under slight tension) or un-blocked, depending on type of yarn and effect you're going for. Voila, you're ready to knit, crochet, whatever. Expense - i.e., equipment, above and beyond buying the fleece. (and the price of fleece is no problem if you've got a relative who'll give you some. g): You need something to card or comb with. This can get expensive. My LeClerc cards I bought back in the early 70's cost $22 the pair, and that's a looong time ago. However, for starting out, a dog flicker brush works just fine, if a little slower, since you'll have to work lock by lock. Or get two of them, and use them the same as you would wool cards. They won't hold nearly the amount of wool at once as real cards will, but they'll work. Carding/combing aligns the strands of wool, gets most of any foreign matter out, and gets rid of tangles and short fibers. Sometimes you won't want to do much of it, other times you will; depends on what kind of yarn you're making and the end effect you want. Some fleeces you can spin straight from the locks. Some just need a bit of teasing - which means you spread the locks of wool apart a bit and fluff them up. But usually, you'll want to card or comb the fleece. Drop spindles - well, you probably saw the other thread today on making a spindle from a dowel and some CD's, with other odds and ends - at least one link was given for finding instructions. That's cheap enough. Or as Helen, I think it was, suggested, a wooden wheel for a child's toy and a dowel. Or a dowel and a flat wooden cabinet knob as the whorl. Dowel and a whorl made from polymer clay. Scads of options, beyond buying one. In an emergency, you can use a crochet hook stuck through a small potato - and yes, I've tried it, it *does* work! LOL. I don't suggest it for learning, though. bg Look at pix on the web and you can figure out what you're going for if you make your spindle. If you buy one, you should be able to find a decent one for about $15-$30, depending on how fancy you get. (and where you buy it.) Add in a big bucket or two to wash your fleece in, unless you have a spare tub available for several hours at a time, and that's about it. You don't *have* to have a niddy-noddy or a swift to wind the yarn off into skeins, although they're nice. Nor a yarn-blocker if you want to dry your yarn under some tension; hang the skeins from a hanger and tie a light weight to the free end. Not counting price of fleece, you should be able to get away with only spending from as low as $12-$15 or so (home-made spindle and flicker brush for carding), to maybe $50-$60. (hand cards and a spindle. not sure about prices on wool combs, I've never bought any; that might bump the initial investment higher.) Books on spinning you can get from your library, even if you have to use inter-library loan. Or check Amazon, half.com, etc.; plenty have been published. Check spinning suppliers online; most of them carry books. Ditto weaving suppliers, as many of them also sell spinning supplies. InterWeave Press is a major spinning/weaving publisher; both books, and their Spin-Off Magazine, and they do have a webpage. And there's plenty of instruction on the web, just google it. Dive on in and have fun! Monica CMMPDX2 at aol remove 'eat.spam' to email me --------- "No, that isn't me you saw - I'm not here, I'm incognito!" (Me, Myself & I) Support our Troops!! http://www.wtv-zone.com/kjsb/bataan.html |
#6
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Monica,
I don't intend to do any of that, but what a great instructor you are. I've enjoyed reading how it's done from start to finish. Hugs, Nora |
#7
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Wow -
Thanks for the incredble amount of knowledge you just shared! I'm glad to know that I can play around with it for a minimal investment to see if I like it before I invest in it big time. Thanks so much! Kelly "CMM PDX2" wrote in message ... Very basic steps from sheep to yarn. I repeat, basic. You need to read up on the web or in any of the multitude of spinning books available now to get detailed idea. Especially as they usually have pictures to help. g : 1 - Skirt the fleece; usually necessary if you're not buying fleece from someone who's in the business of selling to spinners. If buying from someone who is in the business, their fleeces should already be skirted. They also usually offer you the choice of raw, unwashed fleeces (cheaper), or washed fleece. Skirting means to remove all the yucky wool around the edges that has manure tags stuck in it, any bits that are too short/thin/matted/whatever to work with - that sort of thing. You may need to get VM (vegetable matter; i.e., sprigs of hay, burrs, etc.), out of the fleece, too. This can be done by shaking it over newspaper or a tarp. If really bad, another method is to lay it on a screened surface of some sort and thrash it with a thin twig, to shake more of the VM out. This also helps remove loose dirt. Sometimes, though, you just have to go through and pick it out by hand. In other words, if you don't want a lot of trouble with VM, don't buy a fleece with a lot of VM in it. With minor VM, teasing, then carding/combing usually gets out the worst, and you simply pick out any leftover bits as you spin. 2 - If you're going to be storing it for a while - say, more than a month or so - it *is* best to wash it, even if it's a nice, clean fleece. If unwashed fleeces are stored too long, the lanolin can harden and be difficult to get out. This also makes it harder to card and spin since the lanolin may not soften up too easily, although warming the fleece helps somewhat with that problem. (not much, if it's too bad.) If the fleece is dirty and has a lot of 'suint' (sweat, etc.), this can make it *really* hard to get clean later. The lanolin will bind any dirt to itself and the wool. Plus, they can be rather smelly. They can even mold! Or the dreaded muths, to steal a term from Elizabeth Zimmerman, could attack. (just imagine an umlaut over the 'u' in 'muth' gg) Storing unwashed fleeces in plastic bags is ok over a short period of time, but not for long-term if they're tightly shut. Remember, muths like the dark. (my spinning teacher said bay leaves were a good natural muth repellent. she also said if you *had* to store fleeces in plastic bags, leave the bags a little open, keep them in a lit place, and give the bags a kick every time you pass by; muths don't like agitation, either.) Boxes of some sort that let fleece breathe a little are best for long-term storage, whether the fleeces are washed or not. Washing involves detergent, a big container, hot water, time to soak - a few to several hours - *no* agitation or sudden temperature changes in the water, rinsing, and laying out to dry so that air can circulate freely around the fleece. Either that, or you keep turning the fleece over repeatedly so it'll all dry. The whole thing will take a while. At this time, you might also dye it before drying, if you don't want the natural color. Or you can wait and dye the finished yarn. If you plan to spin soon and 'in the grease' - i.e., unwashed, usually reserved for really nice clean fleeces - proceed to step 3 instead; washing the yarn after spinning will take care of any dirt. (spinning in the grease *is* nice. the lanolin lubricates the wool helps it slide better when you're drafting as you spin. but it's not utterly necessary to be 'authentic', and some people don't like getting lanolin all over everything; or the smell, even if it's mild. plus some fleeces can be *really* greasy! in which case, wear old clothes. but your hands will get nice and soft...) 3 - Sort the fleece. Neck, belly, and tail area wool usually isn't as good as back and side wool. Separate out the really good stuff from the lesser-quality wool. The not-so-great wool can combined with the same from other fleeces to make lesser quality yarn; combined with middle-quality wool to stretch it; or used for felt. 4 - Card or comb the fleece. 5 - Finally, spin. (which can include plying it or not.) 6 - Wash yarn to set the twist - and to clean it, if you've spun it in the grease. Another good time to dye it, immediately after washing, while it's still wet. 7 - Dry yarn, blocked (under slight tension) or un-blocked, depending on type of yarn and effect you're going for. Voila, you're ready to knit, crochet, whatever. Expense - i.e., equipment, above and beyond buying the fleece. (and the price of fleece is no problem if you've got a relative who'll give you some. g): You need something to card or comb with. This can get expensive. My LeClerc cards I bought back in the early 70's cost $22 the pair, and that's a looong time ago. However, for starting out, a dog flicker brush works just fine, if a little slower, since you'll have to work lock by lock. Or get two of them, and use them the same as you would wool cards. They won't hold nearly the amount of wool at once as real cards will, but they'll work. Carding/combing aligns the strands of wool, gets most of any foreign matter out, and gets rid of tangles and short fibers. Sometimes you won't want to do much of it, other times you will; depends on what kind of yarn you're making and the end effect you want. Some fleeces you can spin straight from the locks. Some just need a bit of teasing - which means you spread the locks of wool apart a bit and fluff them up. But usually, you'll want to card or comb the fleece. Drop spindles - well, you probably saw the other thread today on making a spindle from a dowel and some CD's, with other odds and ends - at least one link was given for finding instructions. That's cheap enough. Or as Helen, I think it was, suggested, a wooden wheel for a child's toy and a dowel. Or a dowel and a flat wooden cabinet knob as the whorl. Dowel and a whorl made from polymer clay. Scads of options, beyond buying one. In an emergency, you can use a crochet hook stuck through a small potato - and yes, I've tried it, it *does* work! LOL. I don't suggest it for learning, though. bg Look at pix on the web and you can figure out what you're going for if you make your spindle. If you buy one, you should be able to find a decent one for about $15-$30, depending on how fancy you get. (and where you buy it.) Add in a big bucket or two to wash your fleece in, unless you have a spare tub available for several hours at a time, and that's about it. You don't *have* to have a niddy-noddy or a swift to wind the yarn off into skeins, although they're nice. Nor a yarn-blocker if you want to dry your yarn under some tension; hang the skeins from a hanger and tie a light weight to the free end. Not counting price of fleece, you should be able to get away with only spending from as low as $12-$15 or so (home-made spindle and flicker brush for carding), to maybe $50-$60. (hand cards and a spindle. not sure about prices on wool combs, I've never bought any; that might bump the initial investment higher.) Books on spinning you can get from your library, even if you have to use inter-library loan. Or check Amazon, half.com, etc.; plenty have been published. Check spinning suppliers online; most of them carry books. Ditto weaving suppliers, as many of them also sell spinning supplies. InterWeave Press is a major spinning/weaving publisher; both books, and their Spin-Off Magazine, and they do have a webpage. And there's plenty of instruction on the web, just google it. Dive on in and have fun! Monica CMMPDX2 at aol remove 'eat.spam' to email me --------- "No, that isn't me you saw - I'm not here, I'm incognito!" (Me, Myself & I) Support our Troops!! http://www.wtv-zone.com/kjsb/bataan.html |
#8
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Nora - LOL! Glad you enjoyed it...and are you *sure* you're never gonna get
involved in spinning? veg Kelly - You're welcome, and I hope you have a *great* time! Glad to be of help. (hey, it's nice to be on a group where I can babble as I do and people don't mind it. much. ::snicker: Seriously, I love sharing stuff - it's how I learned what I know, from others sharing. Every time I talk spinning I send a little mental 'thanks' to Katy Turner, who taught me, wherever she may be now... Remember, have fun with it! Monica CMMPDX2 at aol remove 'eat.spam' to email me --------- "No, that isn't me you saw - I'm not here, I'm incognito!" (Me, Myself & I) Support our Troops!! http://www.wtv-zone.com/kjsb/bataan.html |
#9
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In article ,
news.sonic.net wrote: Wow - Thanks for the incredble amount of knowledge you just shared! I'm glad to know that I can play around with it for a minimal investment to see if I like it before I invest in it big time. Just a comment: I've read (here, I think) that it is easier to learn to spin with a small spindle than with a big heavy one. It is also easier to spin thin yarn than thick yarn. So don't fret if your first tries are very thin in spots. Just keep spinning and trying things. =Tamar |
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