A couple of years ago, our guild had THE expert on wool come in for a lesson on how to buy a fleece.
At one point she said that the "fine wools" were never "lustrous".
I asked a couple of questions on this point, to make sure I had heard her correctly and had properly understood her She is the expert, so I accepted the point, and have restated it here. I took some flack on the point from "Anonymous".
However, the Rambouillet fleece that Anna Harvey just sent me is fine and lustrous. The trusty twisty stick says the fiber is fine - mid 80s count - call it 18 or 19 microns, and it is lustrous. It gleams. It sparkles. There is no oil on it, no resins, no dyes, it is just clean, white lustrous wool. If I did not know better, I would say it was synthetic, or had been treated.
However, the fleece came to me, just as it came off the sheep, and I washed 3 samples from 3 different fleece with things like Ivory soap or Kirkland dishwashing detergent that do not leave oil residues or optical brighteners as in laundry detergents. The expert was wrong. When fine wool is coated to protect it from the sun, it can be very lustrous.
All of a sudden, I have no interest in spinning anything but Rambouillet. I like the sparkle!
Anyway, for once "Anonymous" was correct.
At one point she said that the "fine wools" were never "lustrous".
I asked a couple of questions on this point, to make sure I had heard her correctly and had properly understood her She is the expert, so I accepted the point, and have restated it here. I took some flack on the point from "Anonymous".
However, the Rambouillet fleece that Anna Harvey just sent me is fine and lustrous. The trusty twisty stick says the fiber is fine - mid 80s count - call it 18 or 19 microns, and it is lustrous. It gleams. It sparkles. There is no oil on it, no resins, no dyes, it is just clean, white lustrous wool. If I did not know better, I would say it was synthetic, or had been treated.
However, the fleece came to me, just as it came off the sheep, and I washed 3 samples from 3 different fleece with things like Ivory soap or Kirkland dishwashing detergent that do not leave oil residues or optical brighteners as in laundry detergents. The expert was wrong. When fine wool is coated to protect it from the sun, it can be very lustrous.
All of a sudden, I have no interest in spinning anything but Rambouillet. I like the sparkle!
Anyway, for once "Anonymous" was correct.
Luster is tricky.
ReplyDeleteA drop of baby oil in the rinse water will add luster to fine wool.
I often use Kirkland Shampoo as a wool wash and it has shine (luster) agents in it.