Monday, October 25, 2010
Shearing Shetlands
The Shetland sheep are great except that they have one little glitch. They are an heritage/primitive breed that have something called a "rise". There is a point where they begin to naturally shed out their old fleece & begin to grow a new one. The older fleece becomes matted and the break where the new fleece is growing in makes shearing a challenge. Basically, rather than just shearing them in the spring like the other sheep, we have to watch their fleece to see when the ideal time is to shear. And it looked like that time was now for some of the Shetlands. Al got seven of them shorn this weekend. This one was the most petite of them all making the task a little difficult but it all went off without any nicks or cuts.
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ooo-shearing time! That makes the spinner in me smile! I'm spinning the Tunis/mohair that I got from you on one of my spindles-it's super nice. I am going to start a bobbin on the wheel, too, so that I can start knitting sooner, but I'm enjoying the slower spindle spinning, too, since the fiber is so nice :~)
ReplyDeleteI am SO glad you are enjoying the fiber! I have been at the wheel for 2 days as this week is our final Saturday Market. I'm only taking breaks to run to the dye pot. I'd dyed up lots of pretty roving but that is drip-drying right now so I'm working on the last of a bit of light gray Shetland. My goal once Market is over is to wash, wash, wash fleece.
ReplyDeleteFun! Dyed roving!
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