sounds like some good experiments. I hope you will keep us posted how it works out?
Very pretty!
I’m kind of with you on the fine spinning but then I’ve only worked on it a few times, for socks, and I was relying on a traditional 3-ply to average out my variances in grist, so breakage was not so likely. But when I did chain-ply my leftovers, the color retention of the singles plied on themselves was pretty amazing, so I see why a person would want to do that. But enjoying our chosen process is a big deal.
Fleece washing - I have washed 3 whole fleeces, one half fleece, plus maybe a dozen or so 4-8 ounce portions, so I’m still experimenting. I have washed in tulle sausages that a sewed the straightened locks into with thread to keep them from sloshing and slumping to one end (very tedious, but good result). Since that was a pain I switched to laying all the straightened locks in trays, stacked 2-4 together and immersed in large dedicated dishpans. This also retains order but results have varied by density of locks, number of trays immersed at a time, and so forth. I have an ongoing battle with having enough hot water, and while I love Unicorn Power Scour, it is expensive and I feel like it’s a guessing game as to amount of fiber and amount of U.P.S. is most effective. So I also use Orvus, and then I really need to boost my temp with supplemental kettles of boiling water. To save time lately I have been pulling off islands (or hunks) of locks, about 4 ounces at a time, and putting them into mesh lingerie bags, which I try not to overcrowd in the dishpans. I also tried simply filling our barn’s laundry tub with hot water and putting in 3 mesh bags at a time, direct draining out onto the land. All results have been experimental and I try to keep notes but it’s sometimes hard to keep the notes with the bag of clean fleece to really compare apples to apples.
About the flicking, I have never flicked before scouring, though I saw it done on a video, which in my case would be horrifying. The fleeces I have gotten are too dirty and sticky for me to ever imagine I could flick them before scouring. My flicking is thorough (both ends, both sides, flicked all the way into the middle), making locks that could be spun directly (but I then drum card or lay on hand cards to make rolags). The fleece that I scoured in mesh bags, in contiguous islands of locks, has pointed tips that help me locate the lock and pull it gently out from its neighbors. I sort of neaten it up and then hold on to the tips end start flicking. The flicker tidies up the fuzzy butt end and then I reverse ends and get the tips cleaned up. Lately I acquired a piece of leather cowhide for my thigh and I find that pouncing before stroking gets particles moving out from gravity as they slide on the leather (better than when I used just a cloth). I also use a cloth under the knuckles of my stationary hand to keep them from rubbing on the hard leather. Anyway that is a long answer to your comment about whether you can still flick locks that were scoured intact. I say yes, and I will be doing more of that to save time.
I do a lot of lace spinning for testing purposes, and there are a couple tricks to it. First is what fiber you’re using. Strength, staple length & prep will all affect how well suited a fiber is to being spun fine. With fiber-bearing animals, nutrition, environment & stress level affect fiber strength. Things like weaning or illness are stressors that can make fiber weaker, hence why lamb’s wool might be weaker. In technical terms when evaluating wool commercially we look for position of break…fiber that breaks at the tip is better than fiber that breaks in the middle, since the broken pieces will be shorter. This results in yarn that isn’t as durable.
Staple length affects how you draft fiber, and shorter fibers can be a lot more challenging to spin since they require more twist to hold together in a yarn. More on that in a minute. How fiber is prepped also affects how easy it is to spin fine. Woolen or semi-worsted prep can be more challenging to spin fine since the fibers are disorganized. Worsted top is much, much easier to spin into a fine, strong, consistent yarn since all the fibers are parallel and the worsted process removes dissimilar fibers.
Fiber has unique characteristics which can also cause issues. A more slippery fiber can be harder to spin fine.
Twist is what holds yarn together, and the ratios on your wheel help make it easier to put as much twist as you want into a yarn. A higher ratio means you don’t have to treadle very fast to put a lot of twist in, the ratio does the heavy lifting for you. I have a Majacraft Rose with a Fast Whorl, and I spin all my lace singles on the highest ratio of about 25.8:1 (every time the drive wheel makes 1 revolution, the bobbin makes 25.8 revolutions). When plying, I put it on the middle whorl about 17:1, and I also go in the opposite direction to which I spun.
As far as washing goes, no matter how carefully fiber is washed it will compress somewhat. So I’d opt to flick after washing. I can’t say I have much experience with fleece prep on the small scale. I’m more a “large scale make it into top” person. On a commercial scale, once wool is scoured and dry it goes through a picker to help open it up before carding.
Silk is a good fiber to blend with for strength, but the staple length will be different from the wool. Just something to keep in mind. 
Oohh…that looks luxurious! Is that 100% silk?? Any plans for it yet?
Planning right now to spin it without blending with any other fiber. I will change colors randomly as I spin it into a single and knit it into an Elizabeth Zimmerman Pi shawl.
Thank you all so much for all the advice!!
I wanted to let you know, that Spin de Fleece 2021 prizes from me to @KikiKnits @Carlota and @PurlgirlButtons Will be going out in the mail either tomorrow or Friday.
Please let me know if they’ve arrived safely.
I guess I will be sidelined for a while. I fell yesterday and broke my elbow in two places. I need surgery. It’s pretty hard to do things one handed. I am trying not to whine, but it’s hard. Prayers please. There seems to be a problem getting the specialist who is needed.
So Sorry to hear that ! I hope you get the specialist you need and they can get you on the road to healing.
Thnx you all. I see the Dr on the 23 and then schedule surgery. That seems so long!
So sorry to hear this! Hopefully they have a cancellation and can see you earlier. You will be on my prayer list.
Thank you Linda!
So sorry for you!! Will pray for you!
Oh rats!!! Hope you get attended to soon. Prayers from here too.
I’ve heard some good reports about the doctor I’m seeing Monday… Thank you all for your prayers
Will keep praying! So Sorry you have to wait so long!
Another online acquaintance is having shoulder surgery and she was interested in one-handed knitting. Are you familiar with that? Sort of like Portuguese knitting, using a knitting belt. I’m just fiddly enough to want to try that in a pinch.
I have covid