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riedales and added Merinos a year or two later.
       A few years ago I discovered that Finn fleeces were absolutely wonderful and very different from anything I'd ever spun, so I just had to add a Finn ram to the group, and last August I brought in a black Merino ram to add colored Merino genes to the flock. His lambs are lovely, and he did an excellent job of settling my ewes, with about 85% lambing to the first breeding, and the rest to the second. I'm eager to see what the fleeces from this lamb crop will be like, with most of them being purebred Merino or the Merino-Corriedale cross that adds a little length and body to the very soft Merino fleece.
       The Fold is a small farm, only 5 acres, so our flock size remains restricted. This forces us to cull severely and keep only those ewes who produce both beautiful wool and healthy babies, who mother reliably and raise their lambs to weaning without problems. Sheep fascinate me, and I'd love to have some from every breed available, but since I can't do that, I buy fleeces from flocks around the country and offer them for sale in the shop so that we can all know what it's like to spin Navajo, Jacob, Lincoln, Targhee, and other breeds, even if those particular breeds of sheep can't be found just down the road from us.
       There will always be a variety of fleeces available in the shop, and I sell these in quantities as small as an ounce, so that's an option if you'd like to try out just a bit of fleece from a breed of sheep that's new to you.

Toni Neil
3316 Millstream Road
Marengo, Illinois 60152
(815) 568-5320
(815) 568-0165
http://www.handspinning.com/thefold/

Wool Washing at The Fold
By Toni Neil

       These directions reflect 20 years of washing many tons of wool, but are not to be viewed as definitive. In working with fibers, there is ample room for each of us to develop her own system, specifically tailored to her own situation, and **whatever works for you is right!!**
       Here's what works for me. I wash my wool in the washing machine, but NEVER AGITATE! My water heater is set at its hottest setting (around 160 degrees or so), and I use a good detergent, but with NO BLEACH. The hot water is to dissolve lanolin better, and I never use a detergent with bleach because the bleach can partially or entirely dissolve your wool.
       My favorite washing agent is Tide, which seems to work best for me although it's expensive. I've tried other detergents, but with my water, Tide is my choice. Other washing agents may work better for you - experiment with various ones and see which does the best job with your water. I've heard from various people that Dawn dish detergent works well. Some people swear by Orvus, or washing soda. On several occasions when away from home, I've even used simple hand soap on a lock or two of fiber, and that works just fine, so try various washing agents until you find one that works well for you.
       Once you've chosen a washing agent, start to fill your machine with water, and dissolve in the water about 3 times the amount of the washing agent you would use on a full load of clothes. After the washing agent is dissolved, put the wool in loosely, and probably in quantity no more than 1/3 to ½ of a full tub. The idea here is to keep enough space in the tub for the wool and water to float freely, so the washing agent and later the rinse water can flow through the wool. After the tub is full, let the whole thing stand ~~ NO AGITATING!! ~~ for 15 - 20 minutes. Within 15 - 20 minutes the microscopic scales on the outside of the wool fibers will have had a

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