I haven’t gotten anywhere with my list of items that I wanted to accomplish today.  I have instead baked bread, listed items on www.albaranch.etsy.com and wrote in my blog.  oh well, I guess I had better get busy!!

I was explaining what equipment that you may need to wash and card your raw fleece at home by hand.  It really is simple.  The items in my list are probably not even essential but I have found they do make my life easier.

1. a few or as many as you want of the cheap plastic 99cent 2-3 gallon buckets from walmart

2. set of good rubber maid gloves as you will be working with dirty fleece in really hot water

3. liquid laundry detergent as most dish soaps are too harsh on the actual fleece

4. dash of fabric softener to help your wool soften and smell wonderful

5.  a few of those white zippered lingerie washing bags to put your fleece into thereby avoiding it going down the sink drain and plugging it.  I usually get the ones that are about the size of 1-2 quarts, where you can put about a pound of fleece in it max as that way it is easier to wash by hand.

6. you can get a set of carding combs from a spinning place or you can go to the local pet shop and buy two of the same size brushes that are the square wire mesh brushes.  they can be used for carding just the same but on a smaller and much cheaper scale.

7.  get 1 or 2 of the silver metal wide tooth combs to also do some combing of your fleece

There you have the basics for washing and carding your fleece at home in your own easy to size batches.  You dinna have to be posh with your carding combs as the doggie ones will do just fin!

Having said all that, I not only have the dog ones, I have the special large carding combs, a set of small carding combs that came free with my big drum carder from louetts that I have used maybe 3 times in about 5 years.  so there you have it, I send mine out to the mill these days!! haha I hate carding but I can do it if necessary.

I am skirting, picking by hand, washing and drying my fleeces this weekend as I need them for a new project in their long ringlet lock form.  so at least I don’t have to card anything!!

We have had a few additions to our family in the last week, if you have been over to the hubby’s blog, you will have seen a pic of our new BLUE angora twins.  I think that the boy’s name is definitely going to be BLUE, but the verdict is still out on the girl’s name.  I can’t decide between Stella or Star.  any suggestions?