I've been off line for a few days and have just caught up with the spinning questions. I expect this is irrelevant now. I have been spinning and carding my own wool for almost 20 years. I use a British made drum carder which I like very well, but the Louet one sounds very good too. I would like to underline the comment already made that wool really needs to be thoroughly washed first before carding. I wash my fleece by filling buckets of very hot very soapy water in the bath tub and dunking about a quarter of the fleece into each bucket and leaving it to soak for 2 hours. Then I rinse by gently tipping out the water from each bucket and placing the drained fleece on the top of the bucket upturned. Then I spray very thoroughly with the shower nozzle over each fleece. When its drained out for about an hour or so I lift it into my spin dryer. I keep a spin dryer just for this purpose. When its spun I lay it out on a sheet on the grass or better still on top of a wide hedge I have. If the fleece hangs together well it can then be brought in and dried completely on a radiator or other source of heat. I find it goes through the carder really easily when really clean. I pick out all the blobby bits and throw them. The carder won't sort out those bits it just makes the overall thing difficult to spin. I always put the wool back through the carder at least twice, sometimes three times. I line the batts up on the table that have been through once and then peel a bit of each one and make my second run of batts that way. Then they are well blended. The carder doesn't need much cleaning when you clean the wool first. Its hard to turn the handle if the wool is greasy. Sarah.

-- sarah Matthess (william@matthess.freeserve.co.uk), March 16, 2000

Answers

Sarah,

Thank you for your thorough advice. Yes, I do wash my wool and I do it much the same way you do, with just a few exceptions. I do use the five gallon buckets. But, instead of putting the wool in loosely, I put it in onion bags and put the bags in the hot, soapy water to soak like you do. After the thorough soaking process, I pull the onion bags out and let the dirty water drain out and then I put the onion bags into a bucket of rinse water and then, yet again, into another clean bucket of rinse water. I then take the onion bags out and let them drain as much as I can while holding them. I then put them into a plastic dishpan and bring them to my washing machine and put them in and spin the remaining water out. I then take the wool out of the bags and lay them out as you do, but I am going to pick up an old screen door or something and prop that up on a couple of chairs or sawhorses and spread my wool over that to dry.

I found, by calling Louet, that I was doing everything properly. I, too, do several batts at once and then take the batts and put them through for a second carding. I have just learned to stop stressing over the buildup on the licker drum - I guess that's the nature of the beast with the Louet. It is a very efficient carder and very versatile. I do have a doffer stick to remove the wool from the drums and, yes, both drums have a grove to slit the wool apart in. I have learned that on the licker drum where the wool builds up so, that I just have to take small portions of the wool, layer by layer, and break it apart with the doffer pin. But, because I was unsure at first, I did cut it a few times and then couldn't really use it to spin. I plan to use the first few cut remains from the licker drum as stuffing for pillows, or I may learn how to felt it or something. I would never throw it out.

Again, thank you for your help.

-- Tammy (btawilliams@juno.com), March 16, 2000.

I use a patrick green drum carder with a sheep drum and a changable fur drum for angora, and dog hair .I get buildup to but just live with it.I am reminded of the time I was going to spin some samoyed [dog hair] for a customer and washed it and put it out to air dry, came back latter and discovered snow! thing is we live in a warm area and dont get snow so discovered my orange stealing dog had spread the dog hair all over the back yard. Have pictures of the kids playing in it.still spun up great [after i picked the grass out of it].

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), March 16, 2000.

I have a Fricke carder that works very well for my fleece. And Fricke can be reached by phone. He is the one who told me not to card my Rambouillet fleece as it was too fine and should be used as is. What is anyone elses experience? I am not very good at this yet, but have enough sheep I can sure keep practicing!

-- Susie Goodart (goodartfarm@msn.com), April 15, 2000.