D2 writes:
<<Lanolin wouldn't harden over time, if there wasn't much of it to begin
with.>>
This isn't my experience. I have washed many a merino and other fine
fleece, with lots of grease in it. If I don't get ALL of it out, a
small proportion left behind on the wool will eventually cause the yarn
to feel less soft and slightly 'crunchy' for lack of a better term. I'm
not talking about fleeces spun in the grease, I'm talking about washing
it and not getting quite all the grease out in the wash.
It's especially a problem if, in the meantime, the wool has been
processed either at home or commercially. The roving or top or batt or
even rolag will be sticky and hard to draft into anything like a smooth
yarn. Most unpleasant :)
I've got some skeins hanging in the studio right now that started out
life as merino x fleeces from Australia. Washed the wool, had it
processed into roving, spun it just fine, and today there's just a touch
of stiffness to them that wasn't even noticeable after the fleece was
first washed and dried. Merino and its crosses and derivatives are
definitely the worst in this regard.
Someday I'm going to try combing a fleece that's freshly shorn,
unwashed, and warmed. Just once, just to see what it's like. I suppose
it's possible I might get hooked. But the joy of squeaky-clean wool
slipping through my fingers quickly and easily is a hard act to beat :)
Holly
where shearing and washing wool started a couple days ago, and boy are
those girls ready to get their winter coats off!
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