That isn't dirt....

My journey of making my own wool continues; this post is about the less glamorous step in this process, cleaning. We picked a warm afternoon, because everything seems better when the sun is shining on your face, and trust me, you want it to seem better when you're rubbing sheep poopie out of wool.

My Mother was gracious enough to let me use her back yard, seeing as she has done this process before, she was also there to teach & direct me on how to clean correctly. The first thing I learned was that it's important to not over work the wool. It can easily get matted & then it's too hard to card (I like to think of that process, carding, more like combing the knots out of the hair) or if the water is too hot the wool will felt (Yes, that is how felt is made. Add hot water to any wool item you own and you'll also be able to felt something). 

First thing, we set up two tubs, one for washing and one for rinsing. 

Then we started cleaning. I am glad we cleaned the sheep's wool first, seeing as it was much dirtier, I was glad to have it over with. 

Although, the saving grace of the sheep's wool is that it is so beautiful. The Jacob Sheep (pictured above) has an amazing black & white coat. It will make beautiful knitted items! Here is my Mom, Nancy, and our 'cleaning station'.

The final step was laying it out to dry in the sun. This was my favorite step, seeing as I could walk away and do something else while it was being done. 

The wool is now dry and currently being stored in a dry, cool place ready to be carded & spun. My hopes were to do the last two steps sometime this spring, but the calendar is filling up fast. The schedule will slow down this fall and I'll be able to finish it all up. But don't worry, I won't forget to tell you all about it!

The Nanny That Knits