[Ansteorra-textiles] Wool Fleece!

[Nancy Wederstrandt]

You could do that.  The way I wash fleece and I am lazy .... I put it in my
washing machine on the soak cycle...... Dump in some dawn detergent and let
it soak (depending on dirt and stuff) anywhere from 2 hours to
overnight.  I use hot water and let the fiber soak in it.  Then I cycle the
machine to where it drains and spins.  You can spin fiber in the machine as
long as you don't do the spin cycle that sprays water while it spins.

Felting occurs with hot water with agitation...... The hot water makes the
scales on the fiber relax and open.  The agitation causes the fibers to
cross with each other and catch on each other.  Then the spin cycle causes
pressure that mats it together.   If you wash fiber in hot water then rinse
in cold without letting the wash water be the same tempature as the rinse
it also could meld and felt together.

If you are intimidated by the washing machine - and I get twitches now and
again. You can wash it in your bathtub, and after you rinse it gently press
the excess water out.

I dry by putting it on my balcony away from the sunlight - raised so that
air can circulate around it.  A window screen works well for this.....

Others have suggestions - go for it.

Clare