# Help.......!



## dhodge (Jul 20, 2013)

Here is the deal, I read throught 5 pages of the Great Suint Experiment and I did not see the answer to this:
Last Sunday I started my own "gse". I used a rubbermaid container, a big one.
Didn't have rain water on hand (on Sunday).Some beautiful fleece I got from lathermaker, Some duct tape to hold the top on , and one skeptical hubs.

It started off swell, although as luck would have it, it has cooled off some here in the great state of Texas. Not a bad thing, but I was thinking the heat would aid the fermentation process. 
I became overwhelmingly curious and had to go look, this was Wednesday. It opened the container, and the odor was there and there was scum and bubbles in the container. So I was pleased with the progress.
This ofcourse is where I feel that things may have gone wrong. I closed the container up and and being lazy did not add new duct tape to it just used what was on there. I was sure that it was ok. NNNNNNNOOOOTTTTT!
yesterday I went to check on my lab experiment and found the container had popped open and that rain water I didn't have before had now gotten into the mix. The tub was now so full that I had to remove some of the liquid to be
able to get the lid back on.
Of course hubs was supervising the whole process. I removed about a gallon of the liquid and put it all back togeather. I'm not gong to look at it until Sunday but I hope that it has not been ruined.
BTW my nosey next door neighbor came to see if we had buried a dead body in the back yard. We live in a garden home and our postage stamp yard could not contain some of the offending fragrance.:runforhills:
Questions, is it alright that the water got in, will it take longer to process, should I start over?


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## DragonFlyFarm (Oct 12, 2012)

I would think that your batch will be fine...if your neighbor thinks it smells now, just wait till you dump that container. Are you familiar with the movie Labyrinth? You've got your very own "bog of eternal stench" going there  BTW I've killed some plants with the liquid. Should do a good job on your fleece, though. What kind of fleece do you have soaking?


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## Two Tracks (Jul 13, 2013)

Your brave dhodge! How's the new studio room coming along? Wishing you the best with all your fleece endeavers :cowboy:


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

You will be fine! It may take another few days but nothing is harmed. Do you have another fleece to pop in the container as soon as you take this one out? The amount of time it take to get "clean" is shorter each time once you get the soup cooking.


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## dhodge (Jul 20, 2013)

Oh goodie, I hope it will be ok. Yes, I have another to put in a very dirty one as a matter of fact. I think that should set the suint right. I think I am going to try to keep it going for a while atleast to cut down on the time I am spending washing up my stash. 
I am running out of places to hide my fleeces! My husband keeps looking at them and shaking his head.
He claims he has fleece fuzz in places it shouldn't be lol.
Two tracks, my studio is actually coming along nicely. I have been organizing, which is not my forte. I hate to part with stuff that I might have a need for. I guess that could be hoarding, hmmm!
Hope everyone is fine, it sounds like winter has started in some places. The weather here in south central Texas has been delicious. Except I am tired of the rain now.
I finally got the hang of Icelandic fleece processing. I have had so much fun with spinning it. I am making a rug from the tog. I think it should not only be beautiful but durable. I am using the thel to blend with other wool, it is soft as a bunny's butt.
I purchased some Dharma dyes. I love the colors. The sapphire blue is especially beautiful.
View attachment 15263


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## dhodge (Jul 20, 2013)

Dragonfly, i have some beautiful Lincoln. It was practically dripping with lanolin and very smelly, but I washed some up inside and it came out beautiful. I love Lincoln. I like to try all of the different fleeces, some I like better than others of course. Ie: I bought some babydoll on ebay. Not sure I am going to like it. It is super soft, but very hard to get clean. Not easily felted I might add, I put it to the test. I washed it 5 times rinsed it twice and washed and rinsed it again. I think it might be usable now. It is however very short. Not sure how to proceed. The seller said it was black, not! It is milk chocolate. But it cost too much to send it back and I didn't pay much for it so I'm gonna do something with it. You get what you pay for :hammer:right!


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## dhodge (Jul 20, 2013)

Well I earned my "GSE" tshirt. Don't feel the need to do that again. I did put a very nasty southdown in the pot just because I didn't want to try to clean it in the house. That should be ready Wednesday, then I will get rid of my cesspool. I am hoping it will kill some weeds on its way back to the earth.
I am not convinced that this method is easier than washing in the laundry sink, as I spent just as much time and hot water trying to remove the suint smell from the wool. It did however open the ends of the fiber up, but I think some cold water pre-soaks in the laundry sink would do that also. 
Hubs asked if I had any other lab experiments in mind, tee hee! I like to keep him guessing.

"It's not the destination that matters, it's the journey" or something like that!


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Oh! You didn't need to rinse the smell out ... if you'd left the REALLY STINKY wool out in the sun to dry, the smell would've gone away.

It doesn't seem possible ... but it is true. After it dries, it doesn't stink anymore. 

Cold soaks are my other favourite method, though, I do agree with that. Less smelly.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Oh, and the short stapled Babydoll?

Spin it woolen. That's what it's made for. 

Comb it, make rolags, and spin long draw. You'll get the MOST AWESOME sock yarn.


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## dhodge (Jul 20, 2013)

Frazzlehead, Thanks for the info re: the babydoll, it is the softest thing to touch, I am going to try to card it today. I do want to use it because I love the texture.


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