# Sheep fleece/picker to drum carder?



## heathers1963 (Apr 12, 2017)

Hi.... I have a lot of Ryeland and Jacob fleeces to process, I have a jumbo drum carder and considering purchasing a box wool picker, my question is....

Does sheep fleece card better following picking?.... im having problems seeing how it really works.... thank you 

(I’m fairly new to processing raw fleece)


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## crivitz (Apr 12, 2015)

Hi, I sent a reply under your other posting. I hope you get to see it.


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## mama879 (Jan 27, 2011)

Yes it will help... You open up the fibers and get the VM out. So when you card it will be easier and you will have a nicer batt or carded roving if you use a diz. Watch some videos on using them like others said on there posts it gets a lot of VM out. I like that they open up the fibers.


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## heathers1963 (Apr 12, 2017)

Thank you ????


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## Madassie (Jan 21, 2015)

The more pre-processing the better. A woolpicker is useful when you have fleece with a lot of vm or felted locks but with finer fibers it can also damage the fibers and pulling them till they break. I seldom use the picker, I do it by hand then take it through the carder 2x.


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## shepherd (Feb 25, 2012)

Picking is essential to me. I have a friend who really goes overboard with it, and since she is a show judge it is hard to get a raw fleece past her that is not clean as a whistle. I "monkey-pick" my fleeces before selling them and it is a pain - it is easier to pick them before carding, tho, than trying to pick roving. I have about 20 right now that were skirted after shearing but must be picked before they go to the NJ Fair in September. My fleeces sell well there, and I think a large part is the comments I get about how clean they are. But if Judi is judging I am in big trouble - she is manic about picking.


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## mama879 (Jan 27, 2011)

Ryeland and Jacob fleeces can be used with a picker they are not fine fibers.


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## BirchPoint (Feb 12, 2016)

Using a picker is sooooo much faster. Still, you must go through the fleece to remove burrs and areas with a lot of VM, which should be done before washing anyway.


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## heathers1963 (Apr 12, 2017)

Really? It should be done before washing? How on earth are you supposed to clean those spikes? It will be minging


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## Alpaca Farmer (Jan 19, 2011)

We pick our fleeces by hand before selling. We don't have a picker. When selling raw fleeces, we like to have them as clean of VM as possible. They are well skirted also, no dirty leg and belly fleece. 
If I am going to process the fleece myself, I wash it after picking. While it is drying, I hand pick again.


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## heathers1963 (Apr 12, 2017)

I think with alpaca it’s different to pick before washing as they are dusty not full of lanolin though


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## heathers1963 (Apr 12, 2017)

I’m definitely finding it unsuitable for finer fleeces, it just rips it... I’ve seen other people use them on fine fleece and their batts have lots of nepps in them, I cannot see how they can be happy with that ????


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## mama879 (Jan 27, 2011)

I would like to get one just open to up the fibers. I use my hand combs and a dog brush I use as a flicker. I hand pull the fibers just loosen also. If you still have a lot of fleece lying around I was them skirt them the best I can pull them apart and put in pillow cases. When I have time I comb or hand card. Then I will use the drum carder I do not like neps in my batts and roving either so the more prep I do before the better.


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