Washing wool

Just read an article from PLY magazine about scouring wool. I am not afraid of my washers, but I have been doing it a LONG time.

I have 2 chocolate Icelandic wool fleeces in the washers as I type. One has LOADS of scurf. I am using the Unicorn Pour Scour she talks about in this article. It is doing a good job cleaning the fleece, but the scurf does not seem to be releasing its grip on this fleece... It is too bad because it is a gorgeous shade of browns!

 http://plymagazine.com/2016/01/scouring/

I may order the self cleaning slicker brush used in this blog-http://independentstitch.typepad.com/the_independent_stitch/2008/06/a-problem-for-s.html
http://www.amazon.com/Safari%C2%AE-Self-Cleaning-Slicker-Brush-Large/dp/B000YIWVA0
after the fleece dries and see if I can get any of it out. I'd really like to send this fleece to Morningstar Fiber Mill to have Lopi yarn made, but NOT if I can't remove the scurf...


Definitions of scurf-

This is from Australia-https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/livestock-parasites/itch-mite-sheep?page=0%2C1
  Taken out of the post-Scurf (which may vary from sparse white powdery particles to thick white or yellow flakes) on the surface of the skin may also be seen with mite infestations

Another's blogger tale of woe with scurf.
 http://threesheeps.blogspot.com/2011/01/fleece-of-sadness.html

Interesting information about fleece-Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America Volume 4, Number 4 Fall 2000 Editor, Kathy Hayes Notes from Judith Mackenzie’s Class on Fleece Selection and Grading
http://www.isbona.com/images/pdf/newsletterarticles/notesfromjudithmackenzies.pdf



Well, that is enough computer time for now. Off to do the final spin on those fleeces and then back to the garage to see if I can find any more Icelandic WITHOUT the scurf!

TTFN.

(I did order the slicker brush from Amazon. We will see if it helps at all. Stay tuned!)