The following information is gathered from many places—personal experience, conversations, books, web sites. Very little of it I can claim as my own original ideas, but it has all come together as my knowledge base about natural fibers and yarns. I will try to share some of the important things I have learned and answer a few FAQ’s.

Washing Cormo Wool

The biggest thing to remember about washing wool is avoid agitation. Wool especially Cormo must be washed in very hot water at least 165 degrees but do not boil it. Generally I like to use a 5 tub approach. Soak in clear water for about 20 minutes. Then 2 washes in detergent. Then 2 rinses with clear water. Make sure the water is clear after the last rinse. The best detergents I have found are the wool scours like Fibermaster or the laundry detergent Bio Pac. Don’t over pack the tubs with wool and do not let the water cool because if the water cools the lanolin redeposits on the wool, and it is worst than when you started. The Cormo wool you purchase from us will have virtually no dirt or vm in it, but it will have a fair amount of lanolin which needs to be removed completely for best processing results.

Working With Cormo Wool

Cormo wool must be free of all lanolin before trying to card or comb it or you could be very disappointed with the results. As a fine wool with a whole lot of elasticity, it will easily nep and noil during processing if not completely free of lanolin. Also be very careful of the equipment you choose to use. Carders designed for fine fibers run at a slow speed will work best.

Hand combed Cormo is a dream to work with, and I encourage you to give it a try.

Margaret Stove’s book, Handspinning, Dyeing Working with Merino & Superfine Wools , is an excellent resource for spinning fine wools and lace knitting. Her method involves washing and spinning from the lock with very little equipment investment.

When dyeing our wool, I use Lanaset dyes. I get excellent results and the range of colors that can be produced is endless. Check out Color in Spinning by Deb Menz for great instruction on dyeing and blending fibers.

Cormo wool felt easily into a nice soft felt very similar to Merino.

Fiber Mills & Processors

When choosing a processor to handle Cormo wool be sure their equipment is geared towards finer fibers some mill’s equipment is not geared to handle fine fibers, and you will get a mess of noils and broken fibers. Below are a few processors who have experience with Cormo wool.

Blue Hills Alpacas and Fiber Mill. Nancy has been processing my wool from the start. She has the equipment and the knowledge to handle Cormo.

Big Sky Quality Wools. We purchased some of our sheep from these nice people so we know they know Cormo wool.

Washing Wool Yarns and Finished Items

Washing wool items can be intimidating because of all the horror stories of shrunken sweaters, but wool items are easy to safely wash if a few important thing are remembered. The most important thing to remember is no agitation. Agitation of wool in water causes felting which causes your garment to shrink. Just fill your sink or tub with warm water or cold, if you prefer, and a good wool wash formula or mild detergent. Then soak your garment or yarn for 20 minutes or so. Drain your sink, gently squeeze the excess water out of the garment, but do not wring it. Refill your sink with clear water approximately the same temperature as your first water. Then add your garment to rinse it. Soak for 20 minutes. Repeat your rinse cycle. Then gently squeeze out the excess water by rolling the garment in a towel. Then lay out flat to dry. While laying out your garment carefully work too get it back to the right shape. In a humid climate like ours it may take a few days to a week for the garment to thoroughly dry.