Cleaning fleece
 

What is the best way of cleaning fleece, indeed can it be cleaned?
TIA
John T

Cleaning fleece
 

In article , John Towill
writes
What is the best way of cleaning fleece, indeed can it be cleaned?

Washing machine seemed OK.
--
Chris

Cleaning fleece
 

"John Towill" wrote in message
...
What is the best way of cleaning fleece, indeed can it be cleaned?
TIA
John T

What do you mean by fleece?

Mary

Cleaning fleece
 

In message , Mary Fisher
writes

"John Towill" wrote in message
...
What is the best way of cleaning fleece, indeed can it be cleaned?
What do you mean by fleece?

Mary

Not the stuff clothes are made of....

Horticultural fleece is a thin, white non-woven synthetic (polyester?)
material used for giving plants a bit of extra protection.

like this:

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0201/fleece.asp
--
Chris French and Helen Johnson, Leeds
urg Suppliers and References FAQ:
http://www.familyfrench.co.uk/garden/urgfaq/index.html

Cleaning fleece
 

"Chris French and Helen Johnson" wrote in
message ...
"John Towill" wrote in message
...
What is the best way of cleaning fleece, indeed can it be cleaned?
What do you mean by fleece?

Mary

Not the stuff clothes are made of....

Horticultural fleece is a thin, white non-woven synthetic (polyester?)
material used for giving plants a bit of extra protection.

Ah, thanks. I have some, should have realised that on a gardening ng that
would be what was meant ... it's just that I have several sheep fleeces ...

Mary

Cleaning fleece
 

"Mary Fisher" wrote

.... it's just that I have several sheep fleeces ...


Hello Mary, fancy meeting you here ;o)) I hope you're keeping well. What
do you do with your fleece? Do you hand spin? I've just sent 2 skins to be
'organically' cured and can't wait to get them back!

Jaqy

Cleaning fleece
 

"MC Emily" wrote in message
...
"Mary Fisher" wrote

... it's just that I have several sheep fleeces ...


Hello Mary, fancy meeting you here ;o)) I hope you're keeping well.

Was fondled by the oncologist yesterday and he said he thought I was OK ...
:-)

What
do you do with your fleece? Do you hand spin?

No, but Spouse does.

I've just sent 2 skins to be
'organically' cured and can't wait to get them back!

How is that going to be done? I have a Kerry Hill and a coloured skin (can't
remember the breed) which need doing.

Mary



Jaqy

Cleaning fleece
 

"Mary Fisher" wrote

Was fondled by the oncologist yesterday and he said he thought I was OK
....
:-)

Well, that's one way of putting it!! Glad you're doing well. :o)

I've just sent 2 skins to be
'organically' cured and can't wait to get them back!

How is that going to be done? I have a Kerry Hill and a coloured skin
(can't
remember the breed) which need doing.

I don't know, actually!! I had 2 large lambs butchered a couple of weeks
ago and the slaughterman knows a guy who sends his down south to be done
organically, so he took mine to send with this other guy's. He's coming on
Saturday to do 2 geese for me, for Christmas, so I'll ask him for more
details and let you know. I do know the charge is £17 each, which I thought
was very good. Have you salted yours already? The best thing to do is salt
them straight away and then you can store them for as long as you like in an
airtight bag, until you're ready to have them done. Mind you, I think they
can still 'bring them back' even if they've gone stiff. I'll get back to
you when I know more.

Keep well,
Jaqy

Cleaning fleece
 

"MC Emily" wrote in message
...
"Mary Fisher" wrote

I'll ask him for more
details and let you know.

That would be kind. But in my experience they're very close - they say, "Oh,
you just use alum (or whatever)" but don't say how much or how or for how
long ... :-(

I do know the charge is £17 each, which I thought
was very good. Have you salted yours already?

Oh yes. I know about immediate salting.

The best thing to do is salt
them straight away and then you can store them for as long as you like in
an
airtight bag, until you're ready to have them done.

They don't even need to be in an airtight bag, in my experience.

Mind you, I think they
can still 'bring them back' even if they've gone stiff. I'll get back to
you when I know more.

The goat and sheepskins I have did go like cardboard but are gradually
getting softer. I've tried using tallow but it doesn't work, I've tried
neats foot oil but that doesn't work either.

I'd like to know more.

We're down to one hen again :-(

Mary

Cleaning fleece
 

"Mary Fisher" wrote

We're down to one hen again :-(

Oh no, not that damned fox again? Who is left? Is it your old girl or the
new one?

Jaqy

Cleaning fleece
 

"MC Emily" wrote in message
...
"Mary Fisher" wrote

We're down to one hen again :-(

Oh no, not that damned fox again? Who is left? Is it your old girl or
the
new one?

Milady. Her pol chick, the beautiful and elegant Jubilee, was killed. Milady
is traumatised, won't leave the kitchen windowsill unless we're around.
Spouse fitted 18" vertical rails 3" apart along the corner where it was
getting in by jumping across from the wooden fence of a neighbour. It was a
mangy thing but didn't give a cuss about us ...

Mary

Cleaning fleece
 

"Mary Fisher" wrote

Milady. Her pol chick, the beautiful and elegant Jubilee, was killed.
Milady
is traumatised, won't leave the kitchen windowsill unless we're around.

Oh poor thing :o(

Spouse fitted 18" vertical rails 3" apart along the corner where it was
getting in by jumping across from the wooden fence of a neighbour. It was
a
mangy thing but didn't give a cuss about us ...

Well, I guess it's just doing what foxes do but it's horrible to see their
work and awful to see others suffering because of it. We sometimes find the
odd lamb ripped up and the ewes suffer terribly for a long time. I have to
admit, I don't like foxes (no flames, please!!).

Jaqy

Cleaning fleece
 

"MC Emily" wrote in message
...
"Mary Fisher" wrote


Well, I guess it's just doing what foxes do but it's horrible to see their
work and awful to see others suffering because of it. We sometimes find
the
odd lamb ripped up and the ewes suffer terribly for a long time. I have
to
admit, I don't like foxes (no flames, please!!).

Nor do I and I don't give a toss about flames. No-one's reading this anyway!

Off to Cambridgeshire tomorrow, Milady will go with us.

Mary

Jaqy

Cleaning fleece
 

"Mary Fisher" wrote

I have to admit, I don't like foxes (no flames, please!!).

Nor do I and I don't give a toss about flames. No-one's reading this
anyway!

LOL!!!

Off to Cambridgeshire tomorrow, Milady will go with us.

Have a lovely time, I hope the weather is good for you.

Jaqy

Cleaning fleece
 

On Wed, 4 Dec 2002 20:13:06 -0000, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:


"MC Emily" wrote in message
...
"Mary Fisher" wrote

(snip)

The goat and sheepskins I have did go like cardboard but are gradually
getting softer. I've tried using tallow but it doesn't work, I've tried
neats foot oil but that doesn't work either.

I'd like to know more.
Mary

My dad used to tell me that you had to chew them to soften them.

Joan in Bramhall (Cheshire)

Cleaning fleece
 

"Ken Riley" wrote

My dad used to tell me that you had to chew them to soften them.

Chew them???? Yuck!!

Jaqy

Cleaning fleece
 

"Mary Fisher" wrote

I've just sent 2 skins to be
'organically' cured and can't wait to get them back!

How is that going to be done? I have a Kerry Hill and a coloured skin
(can't
remember the breed) which need doing.

Hi Mary

I now have the details of the place that's going to do my skins. It's
called Organic Sheepskins and you can visit them at
www.organicsheepskins.co.uk As you thought, they don't descibe the process
but do say that they use a tannin from Mimosa trees grown in South Africa,
specifically for this purpose, and that no part of the tree is wasted.
They've held organic status for over 5 years. I hope this info is useful to
you. Let me know if you manage to 'rescue' your skins. I also have a Soay
skin that's gone through the cardboard stage and I'm not sure if I can
rescue it. I'm going to e-mail this place to ask them. Hopefully, they can
do something with it. It's beautiful colours and it would be a shame to
lose it. I'll let you know.

Jaqy

Cleaning fleece
 

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
t...


The goat and sheepskins I have did go like cardboard but are gradually
getting softer. I've tried using tallow but it doesn't work, I've tried
neats foot oil but that doesn't work either.

I've often wonderes what a neat is?

And how do you extract the oil from it's feet?

Alan
--
Reply to alan(at)windsor-berks(dot)freeserve(dot)co(dot)uk

Cleaning fleece
 

"MC Emily" wrote in message
...
"Mary Fisher" wrote

Milady. Her pol chick, the beautiful and elegant Jubilee, was killed.
Milady
is traumatised, won't leave the kitchen windowsill unless we're around.

Oh poor thing :o(

Spouse fitted 18" vertical rails 3" apart along the corner where it was
getting in by jumping across from the wooden fence of a neighbour. It
was
a
mangy thing but didn't give a cuss about us ...

Well, I guess it's just doing what foxes do but it's horrible to see their
work and awful to see others suffering because of it. We sometimes find
the
odd lamb ripped up and the ewes suffer terribly for a long time. I have
to
admit, I don't like foxes (no flames, please!!).

Someone, somewhere, must produce a trap for the things.

Alan
--
Reply to alan(at)windsor-berks(dot)freeserve(dot)co(dot)uk

Cleaning fleece
 

In article , Alan Holmes alan@holmes-
g4crw.freeserve.co.uk writes
I've often wonderes what a neat is?
In this context a neat is any bovine animal - ox, cow, bull etc.

And how do you extract the oil from it's feet?
Neat's foot oil is rendered from the boiled bones, e.g. as in cow-heel
jelly. The practice was suspended during the BSE crisis.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

Cleaning fleece
 

"Alan Holmes" wrote

Someone, somewhere, must produce a trap for the things.

Yes, they do. They're usually about £150-ish. Not a bad price if you have
a flock of sheep to protect but poor Mary only has (had) a couple of
chickens in her back garden, so I guess it's a lot of money in that
situation.

Jaqy

Cleaning fleece
 

"MC Emily" wrote in message
...
"Mary Fisher" wrote


Off to Cambridgeshire tomorrow, Milady will go with us.

Have a lovely time, I hope the weather is good for you.


It was ccccccccolddddddddd ........

M
Jaqy

Cleaning fleece
 

"Alan Holmes" wrote in message
...
admit, I don't like foxes (no flames, please!!).

Someone, somewhere, must produce a trap for the things.

Yes, but if you put a trap in your own garden they'll go for the hens first.
You can't put them in a neighbour's garden ...

Mary

Alan
--
Reply to alan(at)windsor-berks(dot)freeserve(dot)co(dot)uk

Cleaning fleece
 

"Ken Riley" wrote in message
...

The goat and sheepskins I have did go like cardboard but are gradually
getting softer. I've tried using tallow but it doesn't work, I've tried
neats foot oil but that doesn't work either.

I'd like to know more.
Mary

My dad used to tell me that you had to chew them to soften them.

I've heard that but have you ever tried chewing more than the edges of a
skin? I don't know how it was done ...

Mary

Joan in Bramhall (Cheshire)

Cleaning fleece
 

"Alan Gould" wrote in message
...
In article , Alan Holmes alan@holmes-
g4crw.freeserve.co.uk writes
I've often wonderes what a neat is?
In this context a neat is any bovine animal - ox, cow, bull etc.

And how do you extract the oil from it's feet?
Neat's foot oil is rendered from the boiled bones, e.g. as in cow-heel
jelly. The practice was suspended during the BSE crisis.

We used to have cow heel stew during the war and meat rationing ...

Mary
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

Cleaning fleece
 

"MC Emily" wrote in message
...
"Mary Fisher" wrote

I now have the details of the place that's going to do my skins. It's
called Organic Sheepskins and you can visit them at
www.organicsheepskins.co.uk As you thought, they don't descibe the
process
but do say that they use a tannin from Mimosa trees grown in South Africa,

Oh! That's really helpful :-)))))))

specifically for this purpose, and that no part of the tree is wasted.
They've held organic status for over 5 years. I hope this info is useful
to
you. Let me know if you manage to 'rescue' your skins. I also have a
Soay
skin that's gone through the cardboard stage and I'm not sure if I can
rescue it. I'm going to e-mail this place to ask them. Hopefully, they
can
do something with it. It's beautiful colours and it would be a shame to
lose it. I'll let you know.

It would, and I'm sure that they'll be able to cure it - as long as you
salted it to stop bacteria from destroying the bases of the hairs. That's
what I've been told anyway.

Do let me know!

Mary
Jaqy

Cleaning fleece
 

"Mary Fisher" wrote

Oh! That's really helpful :-)))))))

Good!

It would, and I'm sure that they'll be able to cure it - as long as you
salted it to stop bacteria from destroying the bases of the hairs. That's
what I've been told anyway.

Well, it might be beyond reprieve, in that case. Unfortunately *nothing*
has been done with it at all!! Having said that, it is still in one piece
and the hairs are still very well attached.

Do let me know!

I will. :o)

Jaqy

Cleaning fleece
 

In article , Mary Fisher
writes

"MC Emily" wrote in message
...
"Mary Fisher" wrote

I now have the details of the place that's going to do my skins. It's
called Organic Sheepskins and you can visit them at
www.organicsheepskins.co.uk As you thought, they don't descibe the
process
but do say that they use a tannin from Mimosa trees grown in South Africa,

Oh! That's really helpful :-)))))))

I thought tanning had to do with urine - that's why tanners were
generally shunned and regarded as rather low class.

And wasn't Michael Palin commenting on the smell of the tanners yards on
his way across the Sahara?

--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/garden/

Cleaning fleece
 

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...

I thought tanning had to do with urine - that's why tanners were
generally shunned and regarded as rather low class.

Urine was indeed used in curing skins and scouring fleeces and also in
fulling and dyeing yarns and fabrics. I don't think it is any more in
western industrialised countries. Except by purists and historical
re-enactors ;-)

Mary

Cleaning fleece
 

"MC Emily" wrote in message
...
"Mary Fisher" wrote

I will. :o)

I've mailed them.

M

Jaqy

Cleaning fleece
 

In article , Mary Fisher
writes
We used to have cow heel stew during the war and meat rationing ...

And a broth of calf's-heel jelly was always considered to be beneficial
to people in convalescence. To return to topic, the same animal material
is also used to produce hoof and horn meal as used by some gardeners,
but I think that is ground up raw rather than boiled and rendered.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

Cleaning fleece
 

I've heard that but have you ever tried chewing more than the edges of a
skin? I don't know how it was done ...

Mary

You fold the skin over!

Dave.

Cleaning fleece
 

"DaveDay34" wrote in message
...
I've heard that but have you ever tried chewing more than the edges of a
skin? I don't know how it was done ...

Mary

You fold the skin over!

Dave.

You really haven't tried it, have you?

:-)

Mary

Cleaning fleece
 

"Alan Gould" wrote in message
...
In article , Mary Fisher
writes
We used to have cow heel stew during the war and meat rationing ...

And a broth of calf's-heel jelly was always considered to be beneficial
to people in convalescence. To return to topic, the same animal material
is also used to produce hoof and horn meal as used by some gardeners,
but I think that is ground up raw rather than boiled and rendered.

Is it still allowed post BSE?

I'm serious ...

Mary
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

Cleaning fleece
 

In article , Mary Fisher
writes
And a broth of calf's-heel jelly was always considered to be beneficial
to people in convalescence. To return to topic, the same animal material
is also used to produce hoof and horn meal as used by some gardeners,
but I think that is ground up raw rather than boiled and rendered.

Is it still allowed post BSE?

AFAIK all BSE based restrictions have been lifted, so that would seem to
include h&h for gardening purposes, or presumably cow or calf-heel for
human consumption. Ox-tail is in much the same territory and that is
regularly seen on sale in butchers and supermarkets.

Animal based fertilisers other than dung and urine have always been
controversial in the organic gardening sense. Hoof & horn, bone meal,
dried blood, fish, blood and bone etc. are not recommended for regular
use in the (pre BSE) HDRA guidelines, but they have appeared in the
Chase/HDRA Organic Gardening Catalogue. At present it carries h&h and
bone meal, but not the others. Vegetarians and vegans prefer not to use
fertilisers made from animal parts, but they use their manure. We avoid
them on animal welfare grounds, but some organic gardeners use them.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

Cleaning fleece
 

"Alan Gould" wrote in message
...

Is it still allowed post BSE?

AFAIK all BSE based restrictions have been lifted, so that would seem to
include h&h for gardening purposes, or presumably cow or calf-heel for
human consumption. Ox-tail is in much the same territory and that is
regularly seen on sale in butchers and supermarkets.

I know but I thought I read somewhere that bone products for the garden were
verboten.

Animal based fertilisers other than dung and urine snip

We avoid
them on animal welfare grounds,

Why is that? hoof and horn and even blood are products of the
slaughterhouse, animals are slaughtered for food. I'm not challenging, just
asking.

Mary
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

Cleaning fleece
 

In article , Mary Fisher
writes

We avoid
them on animal welfare grounds,

Why is that? hoof and horn and even blood are products of the
slaughterhouse, animals are slaughtered for food. I'm not challenging, just
asking.

It goes back to our goat-keeping times. A lot of our goat milk went to
people with allergies to bovine produce. Health advisers pointed out
that some problems could arise from bovine animal blood or bone nasties
entering the food chain through the herbage and then into the milk. We
don't need to use that kind of fertiliser anyway because we have plenty
of organic compost - partly made from stable and farmyard manure!
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

Cleaning fleece
 

You really haven't tried it, have you?

:-)

Mary


Mary, are you doubting the fact, or just amazed that that is how it's been done
for several thousand years by various people around the world?

Dave.

Cleaning fleece
 

"DaveDay34" wrote in message
...
You really haven't tried it, have you?

:-)

Mary


Mary, are you doubting the fact, or just amazed that that is how it's been
done
for several thousand years by various people around the world?

I'm doubting that you have tried it. I have, it is extremely difficult.

Mary

Dave.