Day: July 9, 2014

Wool nepps a tutorial, well, a curly wool nepp. It’s a start, and just my style, easy and cute

I have searched the web far and wide about how to make wool nepps on my own. I’ve seen, where to but them how to use them, but…

I can’t seem to find a tutorial, on how to make my own wool nepps. So after my hydrogen peroxide trial went so well, it gave me an idea for another experiment.

Wool nepps are considered a by product, waste, second cuts. Naturally, the fiber folks are smart people and took those little bits of waste and made them a fun add in. I think where fiber is concerned, we find ways to ascertain nothing is wasted. Again, everything has it’s place, and these nepps become these cute, tiny wool sprinkles, by dying them bright colors, and adding to artisan batts or yarns. Maybe needle felt eyes on a toy, etc,… No waste!!

I had washed a fleece, it was clean but a few locks had the tips stuck together by dirt. This time, I was undeniably, too lazy to wait for locks to take a swim in the hydrogen peroxide, and then dry. Instead, I decided to clip the dirty tip off as I spun, instantly opening up the lock for spinning. Fibers are all aligned in these locks, since they are grown side by side. That dirty tip being clipped off and gone, the lock opens up instantly, without any flicking, and ready for instant, top-like spinning.

I started saving my clipped tip pieces in a tub and once I had a good amount, I thought these, yes, these could be nepps.

The picture shows my little clipped lock tips next to the bright white lock it was clipped from, for reference. They were dirty, and unwelcome in my white yarn. We know how to clean these clippings effortlessly, no problem, with that hydrogen peroxide soak.

First things first, I plopped them into my hydrogen peroxide to melt off the dirt as I learned(see earlier blog here)

https://everythingfiberarts.com/2014/06/15/stain-removal-from-my-lovely-locks/

and let the magic happen, after the 24 hours were up…

I emptied the container and rinsed my little pieces of wool, in some room temp/cool water, and set them on the rack to dry.

They turned out to be mini curls, little white tips and I must say, I think they are cute as ever, not the nepp ball I’m used to seeing but an awesome add in, so next up, a quick dye job, when dying other fleece . No extra steps to dye when I’m already doing a batch of dying something and BAM!

I have a new add in that otherwise would have been waste, it doesn’t look exactly like a nepp ball, but I must say, just as cute, if not cuter, then the usual round balls on the market.
I adore the little curl.

Next time you are spinning by the lock, if you don’t want to wait for the hydrogen peroxide method, maybe try clipping that tip off, and saving them until you have a good amount, do the easy soak, rinse, dry, and dye (unless white is good for the project, leave as is)

This is as close to a nepp as I got with minimal, very minimal work. It actually, saved time snipping the lock tip as I spun and saving up my dirty tips for future nepps, I gotta say I’m pretty pleased with myself. The hydrogen peroxide bath really isn’t work. Not quite the nepp balls that can be bought, but tiny sprinkled curls, still cute.
I bet I could run them through the dryer wet and have balls, but that’s more work then I want to put into my nepps, however, I have to say I really do like the curls I got. Although, I suspect, results will vary depending on fleece type, and how fine/coarse curly/crimpy the fiber is you try this with. All in all, should I end up with dirty tips from any fleece, they will now be trimmed for future nepp styles, colors, really the possibilities are endless…

I suppose I will have to show them in an art batt or maybe even some finished handspun! 🙂

what do you think? Will you ever give this a try? Make your own wool nepps and save a little wool, that’d otherwise be trashed.