Well, I'm finally getting around to getting the post on Zeilinger up. I got to visit Zeilingers when I did the shearing class, we got to go there for a tour. Winter set in and I'm just milking cows, feeding sheep, doing some exercises (to get in better shape for shearing), washing wool and dyeing wool. I also have been spinning occasionally.
Note: Kristen Rosser took some of these pictures as well as myself. Some I'm not sure who took. She took the pictures of the lake and the town.
The dehairing machine. It works by humidity and blowing air. The coarser fiber fall to the bottom and the fine stuff makes it to the end. I asked the guy who was running the machine (it had Pygora) how much loss there was. I was shocked that the Pygora LOOSES 75%, alpaca and llama are not nearly as bad. In my opinion, why raise a Pygora? One looses so much during processing and then it costs a lot to process. Angora goats can have amazingly fine fleeces and the only loss is grease. They are also easier to shear, I would think. (I've never shearer a Pygora, but did shear 2 Alpine/Angora crosses once.)
The coming machine. It runs carded roving through all the fine teeth and combs it removing all hay and noils. It is the machine that performs magic, in my opinion, turning icky hay filled neck wool into dream fiber.
Spinning frame
Carding machines
Bath tubs to wash wool in
Knitting machines-Z Wool does fantastic socks.
This was a cool picture of a halfway shorn Merino ewe that Z Wool had.
The shop
Frankenmouth
I don't know what lake this is, but it was pretty!
So cool to see the photos of Zeilinger's, especially that magical combing machine! I would love to visit there someday. Thanks for sharing this Laura.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tour! Pretty nifty to see a running operation; I've only seen the old, non-functioning set up at the Mission Mill Museum in Salem, OR. (http://www.willametteheritage.org/index.html)
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