Monday, November 26, 2012

I haz wool.
Lots of wool...


27 pounds of it, to be exact. This is one garbage bag full - I have three more in my laundry room.
My dad found this lovely raw merino wool from a local source in Belle Fourche, SD. I'm so excited to start combing this stuff, it is super super soft!

I started washing it as soon as I could when we got home from SD, I couldn't help it! I pulled off big chunks of the fleece and layered them in a mesh laundry bag...

 

 Then I let my washing machine fill up with hot water, adding some dish soap and a few big glugs of ammonia. I leave the lid of the machine open so the agitate cycle won't run, and let the whole bag soak for a half hour or so. Then set the machine to spin cycle only and let the water spin out. I had to repeat the ammonia wash twice, then a rinse cycle with a glug of vinegar to balance out the ammonia.

It's on it's last rinse cycle now. Then I'll spin the water out one last time and lay the whole thing out on a towel with a nearby fan overnight to dry.

 I did a small test batch in the sink earlier, and the washed locks are gorgeous. Soft and clean!

 





















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