Fiber can be washed to remove dirt and grease and spun without being carded. A lingerie bag works wonderfully. Shake fiber and pull apart to remove as much vegetable matter as possible, then put into lingerie or sweater bag. Fill washing machine with detergent and hot water, then add your bag of fiber. Do not add bag before water as this can cause felting. Poke the bag down into water and soak for 20 minutes. Spin, remove bag and repeat. This process usually takes at least 4 washings. Rinse using same method but add fabric softner instead of preferred detergent. Rinse 3-4 times. Then remove your fiber from the bag, fluff and allow to air dry. Once completely dry, fluff the fiber by gently pulling it apart and removing any remaining vegetable matter. Then just spin it up! The result is a wonderfully textured, rustic looking yarn. Allow slubs to remain as they will add character to the finished yarn. This yarn looks great knitted, crocheted, or woven. It will also felt better than any I have tried in a knit/felt project.
