Last Thursday was shearing day at Sweetwater Creek Ranch. Slobo went with me and took video – they will be coming as soon as he converts them. This is all a first for me, so I tagged along – handed shots as needed, refilled wormers – the usual gofer stuff.

It was neat to watch the shearing, however, I wasn’t prepared for how much sheep bleed when their hoofs are clipped too close. Yuk. lol Jim commented that the barn wall was still stained from a previous year’s trimming. So, if you have a weak stomach where blood is concerned – it’s best to forgo this.

Okay – onto the fleeces.

I purchased 6 fleeces, two of them are from the ‘black’ sheep which are a gorgeous deep brown and gray color.

First I skirted: this mainly consisted of me sitting in the driveway with each fleece on a screen and pulling out all the edges with dried poo and obvious big schtuff.

Second, I began washing the first fleece at 8am yesterday and have been washing Rocky’s fleece for over 20+ washings now – and I tell ya – other than fluffing quite alot, it’s nowhere near clean. The rinse water is still dirty with alot of silt in it.

For the first wash, I put sections of the fleece (from 4 to 8 oz’s) in mesh laundry bags. Washed with 160′ water (added boiling water for hot temp), at least 4 times (using dawn) with an added 8 rinses. After that – the water ‘seemed’ to get clear, so I removed the fleece onto a towel, and lo and behold, the fleece had folded on itself and was just as filthy in the center as when I had started. You can definitely feel the stickiness of the lanolin still in the wool. So fears of removing too much lanolin are gone.

After reading a sheepgrowers’ assoc. letter about soaking it loose with a detgt for 2 hours in very HOT water (read as 160+), I put it back into the wash – washing 3 more times, each with a 1/2 scoop of Gain and 2-3 tbsp. of washing soda. Rinsing only Lord knows how many times…. The rinse water is still dirty. *sigh*

By 2 am, and images of a $300.00 utility bills from boiling water most of the day as the hot water tank ate electricity; Discouraged, I put the wool out on the back porch and was ready to give up…

However, lying in bed, guilt over the original 50.00 cost combined with the wool loss crept in (combined with tenacious tendencies) I pulled it back in at 3 am and commenced rinsing again this morning.

Here are three of the fleeces still waiting to begin the washing process:

and here is Rocky’s fleece after 20+ washes and 2 more rinses this morning:

Notice the fluffy difference? One fleece as opposed to four? It’s the only difference, other than I know it’s lost at least 3 pounds of silt – altho one couldn’t tell. lol Second abatement: fear of felting. This fleece has everything done to it that others say should not be done – and it hasn’t felted – so if it’s not giving up – I guess I won’t either. lol.

Next, I’ll try another New Zealand approach – soaking it in covered plastic bins, outside, for 6+ days. Maybe that will work. Slobo and son are off to Wally world to buy me two plastic garbage bins with lids, which I’ll place a hardware cloth screen in the bottom of before adding the wool. Maybe that will help.

Next up – Plans to build wool combs and lots of hope for at least quilt batting without that farm fresh smell. lol

Suffice it to say – the romance of sheep farming – is coming to an end….. baaahhhhhhh……. Hey – but it WAS a fun, new, experience and they are still very CUTE!

Added May 31, 2010: A very kind fellow fleece flinger sent me a terrific detailed message on how to wash the fleeces. I’ve washed all but the last fleece from Whitman (a chocolate fleece) and will be posting an update soon. A Huge Thank You to the Star Box! Things are going along so much better now!