Christopher Weeks wrote:And the last big element is vegetable matter. Sheep roll around in grass and get all manner of VM embedded in their fleece… …Other people want as close as possible to zero of that junk left in. I wouldn't sweat the tiny bits if I was making dryer balls
One consideration re dryer balls especially, is that they will be tumbled vigorously with clothing that can easily tear or wear down because of sharper vegetable pieces constantly scratching them in the dryer. Some of the smallest veggie bits are tiny thorns, sharp straw bits, and bristle-y seeds (like tiny burdock seeds).
So unfortunately for me (because it takes more time), for my fleeces and the ones that go to other folks, tiny bits are removed when used for dryer balls, and certainly for sweaters because I like wearing wool next to my skin and folks who receive my wool expect that, too. I don’t want anything other than softness next to skin.
For weaving rugs and so forth, the tiny veggie bits removal isn’t as important.
We do it any way though. It’s just a better wool product in the end, in my opinion. (Obviously I’m in the “zero bits” camp😏)
If one is sending the fleece to a mill to be processed, the mill will sometimes be able to remove the smaller veggie bits in the carding and spinning process, for an extra price. They expect shepherds to remove as much as possible on their own, before sending the fleece.
Lastly, re “sheep rolling in grass”:
the way vegetable matter gets in fleeces is from sheep walking or running through tall grass, forbs, and pasture, or laying down w body upright, in the grass to bed down.
Sheep are unlike horses, or dogs, in that if they roll over on their back rather than their body length remaining upright while laying down, it’s difficult for many to right themselves.
In fact being rolled over in a ditch or low spot is something can kill them if someone doesn’t come save them
Even with my very agile primitive breed sheep, in over 20 years of raising and doctoring them and watching them on pasture, I’ve never seen them *voluntarily* roll in the grass.
Rarely, they can fall when rumbling w each other and if actually rolled over, the more fit sheep can usually right themselves, especially if on a hill, but I’ve never seen sheep rolling over on their own in grass or dirt, like horses do.
If they want their backs scratched, they use a shrub or low tree branch or fencing or something overhead like that to do it—sometimes knocking over saplings and young shrubs in the process 😑
