Spinning a Raw fleece

If you are a spinner you may or may not be familiar with spinning a fleece straight from the sheep's back. If so; please let me know your experience.  Tell me; Do you prefer the raw fleece or avoid it and why. 

If you are thinking of beginning to learn to spin this post may entice you to use a raw fleece. What's more; it may make you feel that spinning may be more within reach than you thought.

You may feel a bit like an aspiring or beginner cook would while watching Master Chef on tv. Many videos on spinning, books and courses on the craft include a multitude of often costly and fancy assecories and gadgets. It makes you feel that it's expensive and un-achievable to even start with. 

But all you need is a ( bit of) fleece and a spindle or simple wheel, second hand is fine. And you can begin.

All the rest is extra and not critical to the craft.

Today it is very popular to use commercially carded/ processed roving to spin. It even comes in a multitude of dyed hues. Its fluffy and soft. The perceived benefit is that it is clean and easy to use. But it is not the only way to go. Before this was an option to spinners there was the raw fleece, straight of the sheep. And that is still a valid product to use today, although many experienced spinners have never set their hands on it.

I wanted to add a few notes on spinning in the grease. As I prefer it myself and I feel there are some misconceptions about it.

Firstly it is how spinning  must have begun/ been done in the past, as it is cheap, and uses fleece without much processing,  simply making use of the natural qualities of wool as is. 

Over time  processes have become more refined. As that was needed to suit industrialization and machine production of yarn. And home spinners most likely followed that trend and found ways of washing and preparing fleece that matched bigger scale operations. 

Also understanding of hygiene and disease likely added to the change from using raw fleece to washed fiber. Spinning in the grease can be using pure raw fleece straight from the sheep. But can also be a raw fleece that has been minimally soaked in cold water just in order to remove the excess dirt, but not all the grease. And any fleece used for spinning raw, should be well sorted and skirted with the soiled parts removed. 

I personally love spinning in the grease or what I call 'a raw fleece'. It is how I began my spinning journey 30 years ago. And while I have enjoyed many different ways of using fleece and roving I find myself going back to spinning in the raw again and again. I find it satisfying to make something completely from scratch and to have control over the whole process.

I feel that learning to spin with raw fleece has taught me a lot about the qualities of wool, and given me an understanding about staple length and crimp and behaviour of the different varieties of wool that different breeds of sheep produce. Things that are very important for your spinning technique but also the choices you make to produce a garment from the fiber you have.

Spinning in the grease results in a greasy yarn, but it does not need to stay like that. I have beautiful garments, soft and fluffy knitted from yarn that was spun in the grease and then thoroughly washed to lose the lanolin.  Leaving it greasy is an option but not a must. Outer garments with some or all Lanolin left in provide a water resistant quality that may be useful to those engaging in outdoor activities and outdoor work. But you don't want that in a baby blanket.

One reason I like spinning a raw fleece is that I am not a fan of the 'flat' or solid colour yarn that you spin from the commercial carding process. In that process all fibers from all parts of the fleece are combined and blended and carded and the depth of colour you would find in a single raw fleece is lost. The hue is more even throughout. Spinning random staples/ locks from a raw fleece gives variation/ varigations in your yarn and adds to the natural look and beauty of a garment. 

Another reason I prefer flick carding and spinning raw locks is that the integrity of the fiber remains intact more than if that fleece would be commercially scoured and carded and processed into roving. That process is quite harsh. The outside of the wool fiber shafts with their scales, get damaged more and they hold together less well.  

And in my experience with knitting both from commercial roving or from greasy fleece; I find that a garment knitted from the latter holds its quality and 'spring' much better and does not pill as much as a garment knitted from the former. 

Lastly; spinning used to be a nesecity of life, a basic, not an expensive hobby. A fleece and a spindle or wheel is all you need to produce a garment. Fiber/ spinning assecories and gadgets are tempting and lovely and handy sometimes, but a lot of people think that they are needed and they are not. They are 'wants'. And realizing this may help to bring back spinning as an affordable and useful craft, accessible to all, even in this cost of living crisis we are living in. 

Perhaps these thoughts may help others to decide on giving spinning in the grease a go.