Raw Fleece - Fermented Suint Bath

There are always a lot of ways to work with fiber. Here's a raw Jacob fleece that I got at Maryland Sheep and Wool in May 2023 that I decided to "wash" using the natural properties of sheeps' fleece - sweat and lanolin - and a tub of rain water. Easy!
#rawfleece, #westvirginia, #whitesulphursprings, #handspun, #handspinning, #handspunyarn, #handspinner, #greenbrier, #jacobfleece, #suint, #lanolin, #handknit, #handdyed

[@mimibergerac7792]

Nice, I still have 2 big bags of, it appears rather fine, Tarascon sheep wool and always thought of doing more than mulching with it, I will try it.. in front of the Pyrenees.

[@stonewallsfarm3105]

Mulching (raw fleece is perfect) and insulation (have to wash that) are the great back up uses for wool. (Of course the small scale wool producers, the farmers, lose money if they have to pay someone to process their wool). I don’t know Tarascon. It looks like a meat sheep. I herded in the French alps where the sheep have little wool. The wool was used for mattresses.

[@ginahill503]

I'm fascinated by this process. Thank you for your video! Came across two beautiful, but dirty fleeces that I had forgotten about. I'm trying this method to clean them both! Thank you.

[@stonewallsfarm3105]

That’s wonderful! The process is great for these hot summer days. :)

[@ginahill503]

@@stonewallsfarm3105 It's been in a little over a week, and my gosh...it's WHITE!!! Wow. Can't wait to rinse and dry it! Thanks again.

[@stonewallsfarm3105]

Wool is amazing stuff! Have fun!!

[@lizadocherty8905]

How long you left it in the rain water.

[@stonewallsfarm3105]

About a week. It could have stayed longer, but I was already impressed by how clean the fleece was, although both fleeces retained a lot of lanolin. Very gentle on the fleece. I have finished dyeing spinning and knitting the Jacob fleece. I’m assuming (which is always trouble) that the longer the fleece stays in the water, the more lanolin will break down. Maybe…