New Technique for Dyeing Wool Roving

I haven't been happy with the texture of my dyed roving. It always comes out "tough" in comparison to the commercially dyed roving. But as it is much more expensive I've really had to find a solution. And I think I have (do a happy dance!).

My last few attempts have been much better after I switched to using rain water rather than town water - but still had tough spots, particularly along the edges.

I've been using the microwave to provide the heat, wrapping the roving and dye in plastic wrap. The difficulty is that you cant see if the dye has "exhausted". I think the residue of unused chemical in the wool has been toughening it - even though the rinse water has been coming out fairly clear.

This time I decided to use ziplock bags instead of plastic film.

First I soaked the wool for a few hours in water with about a tablespoon of salt added.

 The gently pressed out the water using an old towel and arranged it in the ziplock bags. The photo shows 50 grams of wool (yellow) 25 grams (brown) and a small piece of margellan silk in a separate bag each.
I prepared the dye (Landscape) and allowed it to cool to room temp then added 1/3 cup of vinegar to each cup of dye.
It was easier to use a syringe to make sure the dye went where I wanted as I wanted some gradations of colour.
The bags went into a microwave safe bowl and were heated for 6 minutes at 3/4 power (Power 8 on my microwave). When I checked the bags the dye had almost exhausted.

Some of it had leaked out but you can see in this photo it is almost clear. I gave it another minute at 3/4 power and the water was clear.
The bowl went outside into my garden to catch the breeze and I left it alone until the wool was back to room temperature.
I gave it one gentle rinse in rain water and then a really long soak (3 hours) in rainwater with a glug of vinegar added before hanging it on the line.
As it was drying I gently teased out the fibre with my fingers to separate the strands and it has turned out very soft .

Are there any methods you use to reduce the toughness of your dyed roving? Please comment and share your ideas.