The Spindle & Dyepot Guild (Wisconsin) took a field trip to The
Blackberry Ridge Woolen Mill to view the process of taking raw fiber
through the steps of finished spinning, plying, and dyeing of the yarn.
Of special interest was the washing procedure used with skirted but
dirty wool. A top-loading washer is filled with water on the hottest
setting, followed by adding detergent at three times the recommended
amount for laundry. After mixing it well to dissolve the soap, the wool
is submersed for 20 minutes into the water, then the washer is drained
and the wool removed. The washing is repeated a second time before the
wool is rinsed and spread over screens to dry. The wool is taken out
between each cycle to fill the tub with water.
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Filed under: Dyeing, Natural Dyes, Spindle Spinning, Drop Spindle, Handspun, Wool Processing, Plying, Spinning Wool, Merino Wool, Spinning, Dyeing Yarn