While Jag relaxed with his new Wii game (Mini Ninjas, which is seriously adorable and fun to watch), I spent a while washing up two small batches of the silver/black Icelandic fleece. After reading a variety of online tutorials, I used the following procedure.

1.) A wash/soak in HOT water with a tablespoon of Charlie’s Soap Powder (which is actually a detergent with washing soda, not a soap)

2.) A rinse/soak in HOT water with a glug of white vinegar, recommended to soften the wool and restore some of the natural acidity.

The wool was seriously barnyard-y smelling before, but smells nice and neutrally wooly after a wash and rinse. It’s drying outside on a rack and looking very pretty. There’s still some VM to pick out, but it seems non-greasy and soft. If this batch turns out well, I’ll use the same method on the rest.