Wow! What a transformation! Your power lifting is great training for handling the two-ton buckets of water and the wet floof. I really enjoyed seeing the scouring process, and I look forward to seeing the ongoing processing. Thanks! harpingJanet
I have not bought and processed a fleece….Yet. But when I do, your videos will be my Bible on how to. You share great information and tips and explain things Very clearly! Also, I have learned so much about spinning from your videos as well❣️ Ireland is on my Bucket list. Loved your segment on Ireland too.
I started a fleece last week and thought it would be OK to wash it first. Big mistake! At least I have clean straw and vm to pull out, now it's all dry 😂 I have some others to do and will definitely pick them first. I learned my lesson.
Many people don’t pick first. You should be able to shake the dry fiber and a lot of it fall out. Then you can comb it and the rest should fall out. Dont card it with the vm in it. It will pulverize it and you will never be able to get it out.
I'll never understand how people spin alpaca without washing. I've actually come to prefer either fully commercial-processed combed top alpaca or fleece that I process, because when I've bought farm roving alpaca, it's still very dirty. I bought a batt from a local lady who told me that she'd washed and carded the fiber herself, and it was a really pretty fawn, so I bought it. When I got it home and started spinning, I started to feel suspicious of how grey my fingers were turning. I scoured a little strip of the batt and sure enough -- the fiber turned white as snow. It was honestly very funny.
Completely agree with you! My standards are pretty high, and like you, either go commercial or scour and dye myself. I had an experience with some dyed Leicester locks I bought “scoured and dyed “ the dye wasn’t exhausted and they were dirty! My finger turned blue! Lol!
I don’t know. I went with the better to ask forgiveness than permission approach. 😄 I went through customs 3 times and it was in my checked bag. Double bagged and sealed. No one asked me if I had any plants or fibers. It was gifted to me so I didn’t declare it with my other souvenirs. The customs agents only asked me if I had alcohol. My bag must have passed security ok. It wasn’t searched. The most stressful part was in the US. I thought I was home free, but there was a customs agent with a drug sniffing dog at the luggage carousel exit and the dog walked right up to my suitcase and lingered…. I wondered what he was thinking? It wasn’t drugs or explosives, so after an extra long sniff, long enough for me to chat with the agent, they moved on!
Check out our friends at North Coast Alpacas if you are in the area! You will not be disappointed! northcoastalpacas.co.uk/
Wow! What a transformation! Your power lifting is great training for handling the two-ton buckets of water and the wet floof. I really enjoyed seeing the scouring process, and I look forward to seeing the ongoing processing. Thanks! harpingJanet
Thanks!
Fun!!
What lovely alpaca! And it got so clean!!!! Wow!
I love scouring alpaca. It’s pretty straightforward. Hard to mess up! I just finished carding some! It is heavenly!
I have not bought and processed a fleece….Yet. But when I do, your videos will be my Bible on how to. You share great information and tips and explain things Very clearly! Also, I have learned so much about spinning from your videos as well❣️ Ireland is on my Bucket list. Loved your segment on Ireland too.
Thank you! I hope you get to Ireland, it is a trip of a lifetime!!
I started a fleece last week and thought it would be OK to wash it first. Big mistake!
At least I have clean straw and vm to pull out, now it's all dry 😂
I have some others to do and will definitely pick them first. I learned my lesson.
Many people don’t pick first. You should be able to shake the dry fiber and a lot of it fall out. Then you can comb it and the rest should fall out. Dont card it with the vm in it. It will pulverize it and you will never be able to get it out.
@jkfiberarts Thank you. Hopefully the next lot will be easier 👍
I'll never understand how people spin alpaca without washing. I've actually come to prefer either fully commercial-processed combed top alpaca or fleece that I process, because when I've bought farm roving alpaca, it's still very dirty. I bought a batt from a local lady who told me that she'd washed and carded the fiber herself, and it was a really pretty fawn, so I bought it. When I got it home and started spinning, I started to feel suspicious of how grey my fingers were turning. I scoured a little strip of the batt and sure enough -- the fiber turned white as snow. It was honestly very funny.
Completely agree with you! My standards are pretty high, and like you, either go commercial or scour and dye myself. I had an experience with some dyed Leicester locks I bought “scoured and dyed “ the dye wasn’t exhausted and they were dirty! My finger turned blue! Lol!
What percent of the entire fleece was the part you cleaned today?
Approximately 30 percent.
Would you have been stopped from bringing in Lu at immigration?
I don’t know. I went with the better to ask forgiveness than permission approach. 😄 I went through customs 3 times and it was in my checked bag. Double bagged and sealed. No one asked me if I had any plants or fibers. It was gifted to me so I didn’t declare it with my other souvenirs. The customs agents only asked me if I had alcohol. My bag must have passed security ok. It wasn’t searched. The most stressful part was in the US. I thought I was home free, but there was a customs agent with a drug sniffing dog at the luggage carousel exit and the dog walked right up to my suitcase and lingered…. I wondered what he was thinking? It wasn’t drugs or explosives, so after an extra long sniff, long enough for me to chat with the agent, they moved on!