I have a bunch of wool right off of the sheepIt is all dirty and I want to spin itI know how to do the spinning part, but what are the steps before that? I need to do this manually and with the least amount of money! Thanks!
You need to get the worst of the dirt off and sort it throw away the stiff short hairs and the 'skirtings' (manured bits ) can be got off with cold water sort into grades by sight and feel - put the different qualities into cloth pr paper bags not plastic keep it cool so the oil doesnt dry out and spin as soon as possibleTease out the wool by hand and get rid of anything that is not wool and then card it with carders - they can be fierce so be careful you can buy small ones from a knitting shop or even use teasels but if you want to play with spinning a lot you may as well buy some - It is easier to spin if you wash it after spinning as the lanolin in the wool makes it slippier (and your hands softer) Card it till it is clean and wispy and follow the directions for making it into a spinnable rolag It is good to wear a heavy apron whilst you are wrestling with the dirty part of cleaning it up amd sorting the staples If you got the fleece from a fence it may be harder to spin and you might want to mix it in with some easier bought wool fleece because the length of staples varies so you would need to examine what you have and play with it as parts of the sheep are easier to spin than others I would get a book from the library about the carding process or join your local spinners guild.
When it warms up pull out this fiberglass insulation.It is worthless when it gets moisture in it - worthlessPlus, termites, mice, and other rodents love to hide behind it and make nests in itPurchase some 4' x 8' x 2 sheets of dow blue styrofoamMeasure the spaces up against your rim board and cut a pcof this styrofoam to fit in each spaceCut it tight enough so it is held in place on its ownIt won't be affected by moisture and if and when you need an annual inspection for termite protection agreement, all they simply do is pull out the pcs and put them back after the inspectionTermite companies hate fiberglass insulation because they cannot inspect your rim joist without demolishing it prior to the inspectionI've replace damaged sill plates,floor joists,rim boards on many homes and I can tell you if fiberglass is in between the floor joists - the termites are always behind them or have been behind themYou can cut the styrofoam with a sawzall - then take drywall saw under the crawl space with you in case you need to shave a little off of a pcnow and then to get it to fit good.
You are right about there being condensationMy guess about the reason for the condensation would be that you have an air leak that is pulling warm air out of your house and allowing condensation to form.
