Interactive lesson

Wool from fleece to yarn, step by step

Interactive lesson: from your own sheep's fleece to a skein of yarn — skirting, washing without felting, carding, the spindle, plying, plant dyes and moth protection.

Free sample Chapters 1 and 2 (8 steps) are free. The full lesson comes with the Wool: washing, carding, spinning module. Already bought? Unlock

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The whole lesson as text

1. Choosing the fleece

For spinning you choose the best fleece and the best part of it.

Healthy sheep only — Wool from dead or sick sheep is not used: it can carry anthrax spores. Take fleeces only from healthy sheep in a flock you know.
Staple length — Pull out a lock and measure it straight. For spinning, 5–15 cm (2–6 in) is good; under 4 cm is hard on a spindle.
Flick the lock — Hold the lock by both ends and flick it. It must not break; if it breaks in one place, the sheep was ill or underfed.
The best part of the fleece — Shoulders and sides give the finest, most even wool. Belly and legs don't go into spinning, but into mulch or compost.

Why: A 2 kg (4½ lb) hill-breed fleece washes down to 1.2–1.4 kg of wool and spins into about 1 kg of yarn. But a weak, short or dirty fleece means a lot of work and poor yarn.

Hill breeds have long, coarse outer hair and a soft, short undercoat: the long wool is combed for a strong yarn, the short is carded for a warm one.
Pull off dirty edges, belly and leg wool and wool with dung on shearing day.

2. Washing without felting

Washing has one rule: the wool stays still, the water is changed.

Mesh bags — Put the wool loosely into mesh bags, 300–500 g per bag. The wool must not be packed tight.
Water first, then wool — Hot water at 60–70 °C (140–160 °F), then a mild detergent, roughly 1 tablespoon per 10 L. Only then submerge the bag.
Submerge and leave it — Leave it for 20–30 minutes. Don't stir, don't rub, don't wring by hand. The water mustn't drop below 50 °C.
Rinsing and drying — Second wash the same, then two rinses in clean water at the same temperature. Drain and dry spread out on a rack in the shade for 1–3 days.

Why: Lanolin only dissolves in hot water, and in hot water wool felts easily. Heat, soap and rubbing or a sudden change of temperature join the fibres into felt for good.

Pre-soak very dirty wool in cold water overnight before washing.
Pour the washing water onto grass or a compost heap well away from a well, not into a stream.