florcita
Junior Member
www.florcita.eu
Posts: 48
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Post by florcita on Dec 24, 2011 12:46:40 GMT
I get the whole thing... I usually buy the whole fleece and then, unquestionably, you will get some stuff. It's not just poop though... or pee (let's be clear here! LOL) it's also grass or other stuff like that... animals dont tend to care much for their personal hygiene! Sometimes, some sellers, actually charge a bit more but you get the fleece without the smelly bits ... I do rather felt without washing it first, because the lanolin is wonderful on your hands... and I feel it felts better.
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Post by zed on Dec 24, 2011 16:54:46 GMT
Yeah, I've never got a whole fleece. I got a lot of zwartble once, I think that sheep lived in a thorny hedge and bred beetles in its fleece I love the feel of lanolin and prefer using natural wools unwashed, especially the curly ones.
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mindy
Junior Member
Posts: 16
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Post by mindy on Jun 11, 2014 8:20:25 GMT
Hi guys. I was wondering if I couldn't just felt it first, before washing, since I use soap and all for the felting process. Lol. Thanks for answering one of my questions. Another question I have is, I heard that dumping the scouring water down the drain is bad on pipes. Is this true? And, since I heard it was bad on pipes, I have been just dumping it in the rocks. I was wondering if I could use it to water plants, and the grass.... Or would that be bad for it? I was hoping there might be some sort of fertilizer qualities to it, and would be safe to use since I only use dawn. Thoughts?
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Post by zed on Jun 11, 2014 9:56:37 GMT
I felt raw wool, I haven't done it on a huge scale, but plenty of people have when making rugs etc. Here you go, this is Zara's recent post: feltandfiberstudio.proboards.com/thread/1453/wet-felted-fleeceIt's probably because of the lanolin you shouldn't put the water down the drains, I think it's classed as a wax, so will harden when cold.
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Post by Shepherdess on Jun 11, 2014 13:50:07 GMT
yes you can felt it raw. I put the was water i on my garden and water the apple trees. It's full of good stuff for you plants.
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mindy
Junior Member
Posts: 16
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Post by mindy on Jun 12, 2014 3:10:32 GMT
Thanks Zed and Shepherdess! I am so thrilled to have all you guys as such a fabulous resource:)
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mindy
Junior Member
Posts: 16
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Post by mindy on Jun 12, 2014 3:25:06 GMT
Forgot to ask, I recently got a whole fleece for just 0.70 cents a lb. which I was thrilled. Thought just a bit if extra cleaning and it would be golden. But as I started skirting it, I noticed LOTS and LOTS of ticks. Um, EW! Not just a few. A LOT. I was so thoroughly grossed out I tossed it. Please tell me that is rare. Call it lesson learned, as I will be sure to check my fleeces better from now on before purchasing! Just was hoping that was a fluke.....
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Post by zed on Jun 12, 2014 9:41:44 GMT
Ticks are my new phobia after learning about Lyme disease!
I honestly wouldn't know about that, we have sheep dipping here to clean them, but I don't know how common/usual it is.
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Post by Pandagirl on Jun 12, 2014 15:21:27 GMT
I would imagine cleaning it first would kill them, but I'm no expert. I've read lavender oil is a deterrent, but I'm with you Mindy and Zed. They creep me out. I know with bed bugs if you put linens in an air tight bag it will kill them depriving them of oxygen. I'd think it wouldn't hurt to try.
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Post by MTRuth on Jun 12, 2014 20:15:47 GMT
I have bought several fleeces and never had any with ticks. Eeewwww!!!
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Post by Shepherdess on Jun 13, 2014 0:17:11 GMT
No that is not normal but at .70 a pound that is very very cheap. I bet they didn't even look at it for condition. I paid $18lbs for a fleece and that is not top end. How big where the ticks? I am thinking they might be keds. They are discussing wingless flies. they look nothing like flies but we get them sometimes in the spring. you have to treat all the sheep. they are like lice in that if one has them they all have them and untreated they just get worse. They do not feed on people if that helps.
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Post by zed on Jun 13, 2014 10:06:19 GMT
Slightly less creepy, Ann
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Jun 13, 2014 13:11:01 GMT
Those of you who tackle those whole fleeces have my admiration, for sure! The possibility of those icky bugs is just one of the deterrents for me, along with the sheer time and strength it must take to handle a large fleece.
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Post by Shepherdess on Jun 14, 2014 2:02:04 GMT
Cathy I have never bought a fleece with them in. you don't have to wash the whole thing at once. you can wash a little at a time in a mesh laundry bag.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Jun 14, 2014 12:54:09 GMT
Have you been lucky, Ann? Ok, Marilyn--are you ready to split a fleece with me? We do have the MW Fiber Fair coming up in early August and I know they will be selling fleeces there…we could check for bugs first... Who knows what to look for when buying a fleece?
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