Lanolin from Sheeps wool...how to!

[valmom]

Actually, one person I learned from just hand cleaned the hay and seeds out, carded it and spun it. After it is spun she washed it. So, that's what I do. I don't know if it is "right" or not.

But, I thought actual boiling wool was how you felt it?

 

[big brown horse]

Thanks for the advice! I am a beginner, haven't even started yet. I have a nice big bag of dirty sheep's wool. I am in the process of getting carders. I can almost hand spin Dolly's wool..but I am looking for a used spinner.

What do you end up washing the wool yarn in?

 

[valmom]

I actually hand wash it in a big pot. I don't want the dirty lanolin in my washing machine (or my septic system). I think washing it after I spin it allows the twist to set - allowing for my spinning inconsistancies and mistakes.

 

[Iceblink]

Yes, boiling the wool will felt it and ruin it, unless you wanted a big ratty clump of wool. I wonder if the lanolin would be worth the total loss of the fleece?

But carding and spinning first might be the best of both worlds.......

 

[FarmerDenise]

I actually want to try felting. I got some free dirty wool. It's the parts that came from under the tail and other generally non usable bits. I have so far used it as a mulch on my strawberries. The "dirt" got washed into the soil, fertilizing my berries. But I find I don't like the bits of "hair" in the garden and I also worry that it might "clog" up the chickens, if they get into it. So now I am picking it out to save for the next project/experiment. Like possibly felting.
I have felted with nice quality wool in the past, and it is rather fun. My daughter and I made slippers.
So I might just try extracting some lanolin from my next bag of "dirty" wool.

 

[Tracylhl]

Yes, boiling the wool will felt it and ruin it, unless you wanted a big ratty clump of wool. I wonder if the lanolin would be worth the total loss of the fleece?

But carding and spinning first might be the best of both worlds.......

It would be the best of both worlds if you spin for the pure joy of spinning but if you boil the completed yarn, you'll just end up with felted yarn instead of fulled fleece. It sounds, from what I've read, as if it's one or the other but you can't get lanolin and use the fiber.