I have a big garbage bag full of wool that has been carded on a drum carder. I have no idea who originally owned the sheep and what breed it was. I also don't know who put it through a drum carder without picking out the second cuts and excessive amounts of VM (vegetable matter). I was just asked if I would like to have this big bag of wool, donated anonymously to the guild. I opened the bag and looked inside, and even me, a relatively new spinner, could see that there was trouble.
I took it on the condition that no one would complain if in the end I decided it wasn't worth the effort and threw the whole lot in the garbage. It was obviously not spinnable "as is".
Out came my handy, dandy
combs. I discovered that with a lot of time spent combing (just as much as if the wool was uncarded) the VM dropped out quite nicely. The resulting 'nests' spin up into a beautifully soft and springy wool. Of the two samples I tried the thicker one is the nicest.
7 comments:
That first picture looks all too familiar and the second picture looks like a dream. Love it! Your combs work wondors.
It came out beautifully! btw, I was in a yarn store the other day and they had a tangled mass of fleece on the wall. It had been dyed these amazing pinks and reds. The owner told me it was from Ozark Handspun and the guy had decided to dye up the matted fleece he would usually throw out. And people have been buying it and using it as-is for scarves and ponchos, etc. It's very popular! Whoda thunk, eh?
you're a braver man than i, gunga din!
The final yarn looks amazing! (Especially after the poop shot)
Nicole, the poop is actually in a different batch of fiber. That post "Fleece Salvage", is about a raw fleece, loaded with VM, that I am dealing with by using my combs. This last post is some older stuff, a bag full of clean but VM filled carded batts I was given, also being improved vastly by the use of the combs.
Sounds like a great way to exhaust dye baths that are too strong Romi. Were the people felting it, weaving it, or what?
So pretty! You did an amazing job! :)
Your patience is amazing. Well done!
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