Tour de Fleece Scouring Raw Wool: My Simple Bucket Method for Icelandic sheep wool

Master the bucket method for scouring raw Icelandic wool to prep for Tour De Fleece 2026! Are you ready for Tour De Fleece 2026? In this video, I’m showing you the most "unglamorous but necessary" part of wool production: scouring! I’m processing my stash of raw Icelandic sheep fleeces, taking them from dirty piles to clean, fluffy fiber ready for the carder. I’ll walk you through my exact 5-gallon bucket method, which I’ve found works much better for getting wool truly clean than large totes. We'll cover everything from water temperature and the "no agitation" rule to my secret tip for using vinegar to neutralize pH and soften the fibers. In this video, you’ll learn: Why the bucket method beats large-scale washing. How to remove grease and lanolin without felting. The role of vinegar in the final rinse. Tips for drying your wool quickly. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned spinner, clean fleece is the secret to a smooth spin. Follow along as I reveal the true colors of 10 different fleeces for my biggest spinning challenge yet! If you enjoyed this video and want to see more homesteading and sheep-raising content, subscribe to Life Raising Sheep and hit the notification bell for updates and behind-the-scenes farm life. Follow us for more inspiration across our channels and social media: Hickorycroft Farm:    / @hickorycroftfarm   Pantry Living:    / @pantryliving     / hickorycroftfarm     / hickorycroft   Support our homesteading journey so we can continue creating educational and entertaining content about Icelandic sheep, lambing, wool harvesting, sheep care, meat, milk, and small-scale homestead life: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Hicko... Thanks for watching! Steph and Chris #TourDeFleece #WoolScouring #IcelandicSheep #HandSpinning #FiberArts #homesteading