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Soft, rich, gorgeous Cotswold wool, fresh off the ewe.
Skirting a fleece is simply removing the debris (hay, straw, twigs) and cutting out matted parts. If your shearer does his job right, he’s cut away the belly wool while shearing. If not, cut away the belly wool now. (Our shearer did not cut away the belly wool, so we had to do it afterward. Lesson learned–sometimes shearers need instructions! In these parts, sheep raised for wool purposes are less common than sheep raised for meat. Shearers aren’t necessarily thinking about your use for the wool. They are, in fact, most likely only thinking about shearing the sheep.)
Jacob fleece.
Find a clean place to lay the fleece out. We used our back porch, which is gated off from the dogs and covered. After sweeping the porch clean, we laid each fleece, one a time, out on the floor to “skirt” it. (A special skirting table would be even better!) Lay the wool “inside” down, inside meaning the side of the wool that was next to the sheep’s skin. The inside is already clean. The “outside” is what needs skirting. The outside of wool is dirty–the sheep has been wearing it. The “inside” is amazingly clean and beautiful.
Incredible multi-colored Jacob wool, on the inside.
Once skirted (debris removed and matting cut away), with the fleece still “outside” on top, fold the fleece over, outside part against outside part. Now the pretty “inside” is out and you can roll the fleece up. (This process always keeps the dirtier “outside” separated from the clean inside and leaves the nice, clean inside out so you can see the lovely wool.
So, so pretty Cotswold wool.
For storage until further processing, place in breathable bags. We made bags out of cotton bedsheets and left the tops open for even more air.
The next step is washing! And drying, carding, spinning, knitting………..
Should I even try to do all that? I don’t know how. I just learned how to skirt out of a book. I could give all the wool to the birds. They need fodder for their spring nests, you know. Or I could see if anyone wants to buy the skirted, unprocessed wool. And maybe keep one fleece for myself….. To practice on and learn to do all the rest! Life is a bold adventure, right?
Annabelle: “Go for it, maa-maa.”
I just love her!
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I would love to purchase some nice clean yarn from your sheep, Suzanne. Keep us posted on the progress if that is what you plan on doing with it.
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Have you spoken to the folks at paintedrockfarm.com ? They have Jacob sheep and they’re in Buckhannon. I know its a little ways from you but they may be able to point you in the right direction for help with the wool. The best, already paid for advice for you is the local county extension agent. They should tell you who, what where and when of sheep herding. Those people will even come out to the farm if its needed. I saw some videos on youtube about shearing sheep, Jacobs and Cotswold. Apparently, there is a doll on the market that teaches you the path to cut when you shear the wool. Good luck with the wool.
How’s the injured animals?
huggs,
margiesbooboo
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You can learn to spin the wool. That is something I would love to learn. But a spinning wheel is way out of my price range. But its neat to watch people spin that wool.
What an exciting adverter you are on with the sheep. Thanks for shareing it with us.
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I love that last picture. Her little nose is adorable. I have a thing for critter noses. Its something I collect on my blog.
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Demand to be taken to the groomer regularly for haircuts and pedicures.
And last but not least, demand a tiara! If Clover is the Goat Queen, then you should be Sheep Queen.
Come to think of it, a Princess tiara would do for now, Princess Annabelle!
Now doesn’t that have a nice ring to it?
signed……Your loyal subject, Shirley
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P.S. Every shearer I’ve ever known concentrates on getting the wool off the sheep quickly, with minimal trauma to the sheep, and without having to make second cuts in the wool. (Which leaves you with short bits that make noils or pills in the yarn if you don’t get them all picked out.) Skirting is a post-shearing job, and I don’t want to pay the shearer for the extra time for something I’d rather do myself because nobody does it the way I like it better than me.
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You can also find many good sites with instructions on how to wash your wool-in a nutshell, I separate batches of wool from the fleece (not breaking up the lock structure), place them in a laundry bag, and soak in Dawn in the bathtub, never agitating or running water directly on them. After cleaning, you can brush each lock to separate the fiber, then spin it. This is a very short description of the process, only to give you some idea of what is involved. You can get a lot more information by finding a store in your area, or a wool market event, and ask someone to show you–most spinners are happy to demonstrate!
Just discovered your blog, and love it. I will try your bread conditioner soon!
Brenny
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Princess Annabelle – I like that!
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I think you should sell some of the wool and get a bit of money to put towards your spinning wheel. You’ve got to try the spinning and knitting! I agree that “Princess Annabelle” should not be considered part of the herd. She’s too spoiled and cute!
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And that little lamb is just adorable.
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When you learn how to clean card and spin wool into yarn maybe you can show us how?
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Come to Iowa, give this woman (Margie) a call and she will educate you. If you can’t come to Iowa, she will probably know a buyer for your lovely wool!
Tipperary Farm and Fiber Studio
Pat/Margie Meehan
2857 Hwy. 38
Hopkington, IA 52237
(563) 926-2573
tipperaryia@n-connect.net
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http://sprucehill.typepad.com/
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You are a bad influence on me. All those pictures of Annabelle did me in. Come over to my blog and check out what you made me do.
Goatgirl aka lamb-lass
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Saw you on Ravelry (I’m goodnessgracious and I don’t post much, but lurk on the WV fiber craft whatever and some other forums) and followed you here.
Does everyone shear now? I’m wondering about my local friends who raise sheep for meat…
Anyhow, what sort of fleeces do you have and do you really want to sell some of them? I am not all that experienced (but getting more so, lol–mostly I buy a pound here and there) at processing wool, but I would hate for you to have yummy fleece just taking up space at your house! lol… I have most of a Coopworth fleece already (mine was got for me by a friend in Maine last summer), but I’m always interested in trying something new, at the right price.
I’m in Huntington.
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grace