From Shearing to Scouring: A Wool Workshop with Clear Creek Farm

Have you ever dreamed of starting with a raw fleece freshly sheared off the sheep and then transforming it into a wearable garment? This fall, we’re teaming up with Clear Creek Farm to bring you a whole day of fiber fun where you can start at the very beginning of the wool process.

Begin the day with a morning field trip to Carnation Farms for a sheep shearing and wool skirting demonstration. Participants will see ten of our lambs get professionally sheared right next to the pastures where they’re regeneratively raised. You’ll get the chance to meet our Livestock Manager, Alex Hagiepetros, and even have an opportunity to purchase a raw fleece from Carnation Farms. 

After a lunch break (a great chance to grab something tasty from the Farmstand), participants will head to Clear Creek Farm to look at raw fleeces, learn about different categories of wool breeds, and talk about why we might be interested in yarn from different kinds of wool with Anna Hosick-Kalahan of Skagit Woolen Works. We will talk about selecting fleeces for hand processing, how to skirt and prep your fleece for scouring and further hand-processing, and what you might want to think about if you have fleeces you’d like to send to the mill. As we’re discussing raw wool we’ll be hands-on walking through the process of home-scouring wool, as clean wool is key for the steps that will come next. If you have raw fleeces that you would like to have Anna look at, you are invited to bring them along. 

Fleece disclaimer: Attendees are welcome to bring one of their own raw fleeces for Anna to briefly evaluate. Please have them securely contained, preferably in a clear plastic bag. Be aware that we will ‘quarantine’ attendees’ fleeces outdoors, and will look at them outside or in the barn.

This is the first class is a two-part series at Clear Creek Farm on selecting and processing fleece and fibers, which can be taken as a stand-alone workshop or as a lead-in to the second workshop, Wool Prep Tools and Techniques.

The link will lead you to buy tickets on Clear Creek Farm’s website. The page is titled “Wool Breeds, Fleece Selection and Scouring.”

If you have any questions, please email dianab@carnationfarms.org.