The Abandoned Bus Chronicles II: Journey to the Centre of the Wool

It’s been two weeks since I got my hands on the random bag of wool from the old bus on my in-law’s property. Having been unceremoniously shoved away unprocessed into a bag for longer than I’ve been alive, I had some rescue work to do.

The bag contained what appeared two be at least 2-3 sheep’s worth of wool of varying textures. Some was tightly coiled and curled in tufts while the rest was in long and unruly tendrils. It’s as-yet unknown what type of sheep it might have belonged to — my best guess is maybe Dorset, Icelandic or Corriedale sheep based on the texture and common breeds on local farms. I want very badly to believe the longer wool is merino but it doesn’t feel soft enough. Further forensics is required.

It’s common for raw wool to have a yellow tinge — either from age, improper care and storage, or from a parasitic infestation on the sheep itself that feeds on the wool wax, known as Canary Stain. Whichever the case, much of the curlier wool was stained a sickly yellow that needed washing to remove.

Using several online resources, including a video of a wool processing class by 10 Acre Woods on YouTube, I took over our basement on a Sunday afternoon to pick through one of the fleeces and wash it. I took the most complete fleece from the bag and picked out all the bits of grass and what appeared to be little bits of orange and pink yarn that I could find before leaving it to soak in a basin of boiling hot water and dish soap. Then I wrapped it loosely in an old bed sheet for protection while it sun-dried on the back porch.

It was a bit haphazard so I ended up buying a drying rack for $10 from Kijiji and that made a huge difference for the remaining wool.

It’s a long and tiresome process, but it is exciting to see the wool already coming back to life. I was worried that being crammed into a garbage bag prison for decades may have ruined the wool, but I’m relieved to be wrong on that front.

Next time on the Abandoned Bus Chronicles: my adventures in carding and the wonders of the drop spindle!