How to store a raw fleece

If you're not quite ready to process your raw fleece (whether you clean it the usual way or using the amazing and revolting and fascinating fermented suint method) you need to find a way to store it. There are a lot of problems that can happen with a fleece if it is stored incorrectly. Moths and carpet beetles are attracted to animal scents like oil and sweat, which a raw fleece has in abundance.

One of the patron saints of contemporary spinning, Judith MacKenzie McCuin, advocates storing raw fleeces inside five gallon plastic buckets. You can buy these at the hardware store for about five dollars. Just cram the fleece into the bucket, tap on the lid securely, and your fleece is set for storage.

I would be skeptical of mildew problems here, except that Judith lives out where I do (the damp and cool Pacific Northwest). And if she hasn't had mildew problems with her bucket method, then I have to bow to her experience here.

Aldon Amos suggests that you never store a raw fleece, but always wash it first. He further recommends that fleece be stored inside muslin or sheet bags, so that the fleece can breathe. This is not as secure against insects, but it helps keep the fleece from getting damp or compacted. Amos also advises spinners to rotate their stock of fleeces instead of storing them for years. (Excellent advice, if sometimes hard to follow!)

According to Judith, oxygen is what can ruin a fleece by interacting with the lanolin and making it "sticky." Storing it in a bucket helps prevent that problem, in addition to deterring bugs. If properly stored, a fleece can theoretically last indefinitely. In practice, most people say that a fleece loses quality after a few years, so it's best to spin them relatively soon.

Image courtesy Flickr/lemonhalf