Progression Of The Wensleydale/Cotswold Fleece

...or how you can tell I'm getting excited about the spring shearing.

A properly shorn fleece will come off in one piece - similar to, but much nicer than a pelt. This was obviously a professional job. I can't shear each sheep fast enough to risk keeping them upside down for so long, so I've learned to shear them standing up. I make one pass down the center and work down from there on each side. The best I can hope for is a two piece fleece.

So, after it's rolled out - I usually use a skirting table rather than the porch - it's skirted (all the cruddy stuff removed) and washed.

I hand pick, or fluff it, as it dries. Mostly to make sure there is as little vegetable matter in it as possible.

Even though I had plenty of other things I needed to be doing today, I then carded (all the tangles combed/brushed out) up a small sample.

An spun it using one of my kit spindles. I can't believe I can make something that spins yarn. And spins well.



I then wound it off into a center pull ball so that I could use both ends to make a two ply yarn.





Look at the combination of beautiful colors and textures. (Definitely click to biggify.)

Now isn't this fun?