Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2015 20:02:27 GMT
Hello everyone, years ago ago when I started buying fleece and locks over the internet I received some I was not to pleased with because of the excessive amount of vegetable matter in it.. Infact I have a whole tote of not acceptable fleece I have bought... Now that I am wiser (Smile) I am much more careful about what I buy. www.bluemountainhandcrafts.com/washing-fleece.htmlBut I would like to use some of this unacceptable fleece ( IMHO ) by washing it again. I watched the URL video on washing fleece above which I thought was a very good. It was All Undyed... What I have that I would like to wash again is all dyed fleece and locks.. My Question is : If I wash it per the video would that take the dyed totally out of the fleece/Locks....Will washing it again really help improve the reduction of the vegetable matter you see in the yellow locks in the photos below... The first photo is as I bought it over the internet.. The second one is after I shook and shook it a lot. Some improvement but not enough that I would use it... All suggestions would be appreciated... Thanks feltingandfiberstudio.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/cirl_0smnd9q7xnh5og9.jpgfeltingandfiberstudio.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/u0b0iwcebljpip8nwvot.jpg
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Post by zed on Jan 1, 2015 21:20:17 GMT
Hi Judy, I've only washed locks, so can't really comment on the washing. I've bought washed mohair before and it was all tangled and had flakes of soap If it was mine, I'd hold the ends of any locks and gently tug them to separate, and try to pick out the VM if I want to keep the locks 'whole'. The rest, I'd drag carefully through a hand carder, then the messy bits, just card.
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Post by MTRuth on Jan 1, 2015 21:28:44 GMT
I agree with Zed - carding and combing helps a lot to get rid of VM. I use wool with VM in it all the time. It usually ends up coming out "in the wash" of felting. Otherwise I can pick out pieces that bug me.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Jan 1, 2015 23:09:50 GMT
I also have some locks bought on ebay awhile ago that have some veggie matter, but the problem is when I’ve tried to pull them apart, I’ve lost the lock effect. I’ve yet to dye and use them for that reason. However, with other wool fiber I have purchased, I have noticed the veggie matter usually floats to the top when wet-felting, which makes it fairly easy to pull out as Ruth said. BTW, that has never happened with any merino wool I have ever purchased--that is, no veggie matter comes with merino in my experience.
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Post by Pandagirl on Jan 1, 2015 23:23:03 GMT
I had locks that were full of vm. Ann suggested I put it in the dryer with no heat and let it tumble some of stuff out. It got some of it out but it was a pain to clean the dryer. I would think washing it and carding would get more of it out, too. I think it just takes patience and time.
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Post by Shepherdess on Jan 2, 2015 0:10:32 GMT
Shaking it seems to have worked well. Carding does take a lot of it out. Sorry to hear you had a hard time cleaning your dryer. I would suggest a dryer sheet to stop the static. Mine just blows it into the lint basket. It only works for the fine stuff not the big stuff. washing may float some of it up to the top but the stuff tangled in wont come out. if you are going to card it rather than keep it as curls I would just go ahead and card it.
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Post by Pandagirl on Jan 2, 2015 1:30:30 GMT
No problem Ann, next time I'll try the dryer sheet.
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Post by jwugg on Jan 2, 2015 6:49:55 GMT
To expand the question a little - I have some locks that aren't very curly. I just read on FB someone hand-washed & used conditioner & combed them & got more separated defined curled locks. Anyone tried this? I haven't worked with locks before & when I bought some I was surprised that only a smallish percentage was separate locks, the rest frizzy. is that normal?
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Jan 2, 2015 17:41:34 GMT
Jill, I have some of those locks as well, frizzy mixed with curly. I would be willing to try the wash/conditioner method but think I will wait until the forum “experts” weigh in on this one. I do have great plans for those locks!!
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Post by zed on Jan 2, 2015 18:36:34 GMT
Judy, I forgot to say that the dye shouldn't wash out if it is acid dyed, natural dyes might depending on how they're dyed.
Mostly I never wash my locks before felting, but they are raw and the majority are not tangled. If I wash them I use shampoo, I tried it once and it looked nice, I have used conditioner too, but there isn't any need. I used shampoo because I washed them in the bathroom and just stuck to it. I generally don't comb them either, if I did, I'd probably use a wider comb than hand carders. Sometimes the end can be tangly and carding just that end will help them felt in. The exception is Angora goat locks, from an older goat, more wavy than curly, and the ones I have are a bit 'clumped'. I separate then run through a hand carder to get rid of VM and to untangle.
If you get scoured locks, you're going to get a mixture of locks and loose bits and tangled bits. It all depends on the breed how much. Are the 'frizzy' ones little Bluefaced Leicester locks?
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Post by Shepherdess on Jan 2, 2015 23:57:57 GMT
You really want to see a picture before you buy raw fleece. Even with really good clean fleece you are going to get some you can pullout as long locks and some you will have to card into roving or batt. If you was and come and manually return a lock to its curly state it will work. Think of someone with really curly hair they comb it wet and then leave it. Separating and washing curls is a tedious job, that's why the washed ready to go ones are so expensive.
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Tess
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Post by Tess on Jan 3, 2015 2:24:04 GMT
Hi Judy, I am the queen of Mohair so will wade in with my 2 cents worth. Looking at the photo's I would not waste too much time on these so called "locks". I think of locks as an obvious curl that is reasonably separated from fuzzy bits. Is this stuff scoured and dyed? if so they have not done a very good job as the colour has not taken on all parts of it. My advice would be to sit down with it and place a tray on your lap and begin to gently pull it apart, you will see the VM drop to the tray very easily if the fibre has been scoured properly it will literally drop out, perhaps a curl you could pull out hold one end tightly and tap or flick your finger at the VM and it should also drop out, you will retain the actual curl this way. After you have gone through the fibre this way it could then be carded or blended with other fibres and then used in felting. Does it feel greasy or waxy? if so its not been scoured and you really need to do this before any other process. Tess
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2015 16:55:32 GMT
Hello Everyone. Thanks for the great advise about these sad looking locks...
Tess they are not waxy or greasy so they must of been scoured ( which I really know what that means)...and you are right they are very poorly dyed...
Zed, I bought them so long ago I do not remember what kind of locks these are..
I do not have a carder so I will not be able to try this method of getting out the VM... But I have been thinking about getting one...
I have also bought very lovely hand dyed and undyed locks at fiber festivals which have NO VM in them at all... I wonder how the seller got them to look so wonderful...
Friday we went for a drive because I was experiencing "Cabin Fever" and the weather was so sunny with lovely blue skies I imagine to be like a early Spring day.....or what the weather would be like in late February in the UK...smile...
But this lovely day only lasted a day because the snow is now coming down and the ground is covered with 2 inches of snow... Very sad face...
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Post by zed on Jan 3, 2015 19:41:00 GMT
I use hand carders for combing locks, Judy. You can get dog brushes/combs which are similar really cheaply. Our Pound shops do them, so have a look in the dollar stores.
Individual locks have probably been washed individually by hand or a handfull carefully.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2015 22:22:52 GMT
Thanks Zed for the information on the combs...
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