flowers: Re: [machine_needle_felting] Re: Newbie

This may be a silly question, but does scoured and non-scoured wool machine quilt equally well, or does the wool with the lanolin take more needling to "stick" together?

I find this fascinating, as a relatively new machine needle felter. Thanks for educating us!

Jane

-----Original Message-----
From: KathyR <sheeplady7@yahoo.com>
To: machine_needle_felting <machine_needle_felting@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wed, Jan 25, 2012 1:20 pm
Subject: [machine_needle_felting] Re: Newbie

Wool processed in commerical mills are "scoured" which removes all of the lanolin so that the carding machines do not get gummed up. The fleece is also usually treated with chemicals that dissolve most of the vm (hay, vegetable matter, etc.)
I am a wool producer with Romney and Columbia sheep and in the spring months, after professional shearing, offer my natural colored and white raw fleeces for sale. As a spinner, weaver, and felter, I manage my small flock in such a way to keep their fleeces clean.
Personally, I hate the look and feel of scoured wool, all of it's natural character is altered and you must add spinning oil to it to replace the natural lanolin that is removed!
A raw fleece that was carefully raised and sheared needs only to be given a good soaking and a gentle hand wash in warm water, rinsed well, and air dried which results in a lovely sheen and "handle". After hand teasing, it is ready to be hand carded or combed, carded with a home or cottage industry machine and then used however you would like.
Fleeces from a handspinner's flock are far different (or should be) than from large commerical flocks where wool is considered a by product and shipped to major wool pools for selling.
As always, there are exceptions and some smaller commerical mills that custom process wool are truly beautiful~just my humble opinion as a homegrown wool producer :)
KathyR
www.sheepandthreads.etsy.com

--- In machine_needle_felting@yahoogroups.com, Denise Spanos <dsspanos@...> wrote:
>
>
> I went to a wool processing plant for a tour and they superheat the wool to get out as much lanolin as possible because they sell that as a commodity too. But I question whether they can get every bit out.. If you are allergic, I would still worry, but if you want it becuase it might help lubricate your pins, then I would say too much lanolin has been removed for that.
>
> You can always get some wool from a fleece that hasn't been processed and have the lanolin kept in it, but it is work to get it cleaned and to get the dirt out of it.
>
> Maybe someone on the list has some sheep and can get you some wool that hasn't been commercially processed if you want the lanolin.
>
> Denise Spanos
> www.tryourdesigns.com
> Your soource for replacement needles for needle felting machines. We also sell commercially processed roving.
>

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