One of the things I did while I was on Fair Isle to keep myself occupied while I waited for my big box of supplies to arrive, was to collect wool bits I spied along the fences and paths on my daily walks.
When I first started collecting these bits of wool, I hadn’t a clue what I was going to do with them. Then, I realized if I cleaned the wool, I might be able to turn them into some sort of keepsake from my time spent on the island.
So as I waited for my big box of supplies to arrive, I just kept on collecting the wool.
I’m still not sure what I’ll do with the wool once it makes its way back home to me but at least my wool is clean. {I placed the wool in my supply box that I shipped back home, but as of this writing, my box has still not left the island.} 😉
Here are a few pictures I took of the cleaning process.
How to Clean Raw Wool
Fill a utility sink with hot soapy water. {I used a few squirts of dish soap}.
Put on a pair of rubber gloves to protect your hands from cooties and gently place the wool in the sink.
Hold the wool under the water until the wool is completely soaked. DO NOT MOVE the wool around {this could cause your wool to felt}.
Let the wool soak for about 30 minutes {you still want the wool to be a bit warm, otherwise the lanolin will re-deposit onto the fiber}.
Drain the dirty water from the sink.
Carefully push the wool towards the back of the sink.
Fill up the sink with hot soapy water again.
Carefully move the wool towards the center of the sink and let the wool soak for another 30 minutes.
Keep draining and refilling the sink with hot soapy water until you’ve removed all the dirt from your wool. {I had to do this about 6 times before mine was clean.}
Gently press the wool against the side of the sink to remove the majority of the water.
Spread the clean wool out to dry {I placed mine in a wire basket}; the drying process could take a few days depending on how warm your environment is.
And there you go, that’s how I cleaned the raw wool I collected on my walks around Fair Isle.
Now comes the hard part, deciding what to make with it.
Any ideas?
~Mavis
Jody says
Felted Christmas ornaments.
Melonie K. says
Felted coasters, so you can place them around the house and think of your amazing trip each time you use one. 😀
Ranae says
I would make a felted sheep since they were such a part of Fair Isle.
Tammy says
A felted sheep!
That is such a cool souvenir! 😀
Emily says
Needle felting feels like the obvious choice. You could go 3 dimensional like others have suggested or make it part of a needle felted “painting” or appliqué. It could be quite pretty to make the background out of the wool you dyed on the island then felt a little sheep on top.
Jeanine says
Yes…a small rug hanging for your studio with a felted sheep. That would be a reminder of your trip. I like that idea!
Linda Practical Parsimony says
Now that someone has mentioned it, a felted sheep seems like the obvious choice. I don’t know how much you have, but a sheep family/flock would be cute.
Mavis Butterfield says
A flock would be cute!
Jennifer says
I would use it to make Santa beards and sheep on your hooked rugs.
That’s what I use it for❤️
Mavis Butterfield says
Santa beards might be kind of fun. Great idea!
Linda Sand says
I always assumed you’d make sheep but, I supposed coasters would be good. Maybe you could make coasters with a sheep design?
Do you have to card the wool or is that just if you are going to spin it into yarn?
Mavis Butterfield says
That’s a good question!
maysie says
Will it actually get into the USA?? It could well be classed as a biohazard! It may not get thru customs.. your whole box may be withheld.
Deb says
I’m not so sure the raw untreated wool will make it through US Customs. I have found them to be pretty particular about agricultural items.