# detangling fleece?



## au natural (Mar 8, 2004)

Is it possible to detangle fleece? I washed some Icelandic fleece and it is full of tangles. Did I do it wrong? It hasn't matted, but it's just full of tangles. I don't know if it can be fixed. I'm a little discouraged...


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Can you post a picture of what you have?


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

Are you going to be combing or carding it ? Pics would help .... its probably normal , and comes out when you do the next step !


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## au natural (Mar 8, 2004)

I'll try to get a picture posted. I have to wait for my son to help me...


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

just pull it apart


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

There's "tangled" and then there's "felted". If it is merely tangled, then no problem, just pull it apart. If it is truly felted, well, that's something entirely different.


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## au natural (Mar 8, 2004)

Ok, I can't get the computer to recognize my camera so bear with me please. As I look at it, it seems that some of it can be pulled apart and some of it is felted. I think. It doesn't look like felt, but I can't pull it apart. Only a little of it is soft and springy. Did I ruin it? And if so, is it usable for anything else? Sigh. I thought that I had figured this out...


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## au natural (Mar 8, 2004)

And how would I prevent this in the future? I still have some Icelandic fleece, but it is very dirty and full of VM. I thought that washing it would help with the VM, but it did very little. How would I wash it and clean the VM out of it? Tons of tiny pieces of hay and straw...


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

washing won't get out VM.

*Picking *(either by hand or with a picker) will remove either a LOT or SOME of the VM.

I tend to spend a LOT of time (before I wash) picking out the VM as best I can. I even toss out the whole back of the neck and most of down the middle of the back of the fleece since this can be where most of that VM tends to accumulate. I am ruthless. I learned that I cannot save ALL the fleece so I focus on keeping only the best/cleanest part of the fleece and the rest goes on the compost heap. 

*Carding and combing* will open up the fiber even more and allow the VM to drop out.

*SPINNING* will allow you to PICK out the remaining VM when you come to it.

Even fiber mills can't get out EVERY bit of VM unless they use harsh chemicals that destroy and "BURN" up the VM.

Don't sweat a little VM. It's part of what makes handspun yarn "authentic", IMHO.

As to the tangles, Icelandic has those open twisty ends. If that's what is tangled- pull it apart. It also has the softer undercoat- if that is truly FELTED- all irretrievably meshed together as a result of agitation (or too much handling) and temperature changes (hot to cold) , then  it may not be salvageable. 
Just rip it apart and see if you can still brush or card or comb it. 

Sometimes, all you do is try and figure out where you went wrong. :sob:


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## au natural (Mar 8, 2004)

WIHH, thank you for explaining that. I've never dealt with fleece like this. (Not that I've done much. I'm still learning.  ) So how would I wash the remaining fleece? After spinning? When I washed it before, I must have agitated it even though it was washed by hand. The water was the same temp for washing as well as rinsing... Should I just let it soak?


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## au natural (Mar 8, 2004)

Sorry, another question... I don't have combs to pick the ends open. Will cards do? From what I understand, cards work best on shorter fibers and combs work best on the longer ones. Right? I do have a little flicker carder(I think that is what it is called). Should I use that on the ends? And can I even use cards on raw fleece or will it gum them up? Thanks for all your help. I do have a fiber group locally, but I won't see them until the 24th and I don't want to wait that long!


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

You can use your flicker to open up the ends, yes. I don't use my carders on raw wool that has lanolin in it because it gums them up. 

If you are able, you might want to pick up Three Bags Full by Judith MacKenzie WIHH recommended that one to me and it's a great! Lots of info there, for sure! It is a two dvd set. 

http://www.amazon.com/Three-select-...405864436&sr=8-1&keywords=three+bags+full+dvd


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I have used just a pet comb with a handle to comb fleeces and to open ends. Icelandic isn't a very greasy fleece so you can just spin it as it is and wash it after you spin it. Icelandic is one of those fleeces that felts if you look at it the wrong way. You would be best to just soak it in a few different wash baths. Do not run the water right onto the fleece. Soak it and only push it under the hot soapy water let it sit. Drain and just pull the fleece to the side and squish it up against the side of the sink or tub. Fill sink again with rinse water let it sit and repeat. Don't swish it, don't squeeze it (other than to drain the water out), don't pushed it up and down just leave it. As WIHH says washing it will not do anything for the VM, only carding or combing will work for that, also picking it out by hand as you spin it.
This is the comb I use to comb and flick open locks.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

are you washing the fleece in lingerie bags? and lifting them out of the soak/wash water? 

I don't even leave my bags of wet fleece in the tub when I run in more water or pour in more water- such is my desire to keep even the MOVING waters from felting my fiber!! 

Even lifting them carelessly or too much can cause some fiber to felt as it slips along the sides of the bags. Until you KNOW your fleece and you KNOW washing techniques, treat that wet fleece like nitroglycerine- handle it as LITTLE as possible during the washing process and don't even poke at it. :teehee: I know. It's hard.


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

I card and spin raw fleeces, the really "greasy" Merinos as well as other breeds. If you get your cards "gummy" you can get an ounce or two of clean fleece and card that to clean the cards. But, I have a high tolerance for grunge so YMMV. I do find spinning raw fleece to save a lot of prep time (well, duh!) and even though it's slower to spin raw, there's more than enough time saved to make up for it. At least, for me, it might be different for you. It does save worry about felting the fleece while cleaning it, though.


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