I’m a City Girl. Grew up in the suburbs, definitely not the country. Or a farm with livestock. So my “give it a try” intrepid-ness leads to some interesting results.

Last night, I took a plunge. Well, four ounces of raw Finn fleece for my fiber study took the plunge, to be exact. Into a bag, then into a bucket of hot soapy water. Lots of water. Several rinses later, the water running clear. My first time washing raw fleece and although I’d heard several times what I needed to do, I was still uncertain. Deep breath. Squeezed the water out of the bag and hung it up to drip for a while. Another big squeeze and a roll in a towel, gently. Trying to keep the fleece from felting. Pulled the fleece out of the bag and spread it out. Trying to see if it was clean. Found lots of vegetable matter…maybe too much? Maybe this bit o’fleece was a bit more “farm fresh” than I knew!

I got this batch from Great Lakes Twisted Spinners, and didn’t stop to wonder if it was skirted. Wishful thinking. Oops! (Rhymes with….)

To skirt a fleece, you have to pick out all the undesirable (poop-y, matted, dirty, short) bits. Note to self, ALWAYS inspect fleece! Next time, I will be sure to spread out the fiber BEFORE I wash it.

p.s. On the upside, I have some awesome, fluffy, lustrous, grey and dark brown locks to spin, City Girl that I am.