Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Purchasing a Fleece

Today I went to a local sheep breeder to purchase a fleece.  The ewe you see here is Isabelle, that's where my fleece came from.


 Shetland sheep originated in the Shetland Isles.  They are fairly small and come in a variety of colors.  They are quite hardy and require minimal care.


Fleeces usually weigh between 2 to 4 pounds, but 5 and 6 pound fleeces are not uncommon. Typically, on the Shetland Islands, the fleece staple length is 2 to 4 1/2 inches. In some flocks, however, longer staple lengths of 6inches are observed. 



Dirty the fleece weighs in at 5.6 lbs.  Rolled up in there is a lovey light grey fiber.


On the way there, I noticed this pasture with Norwegian Fjords ... on the way back, I just had to stop for some photos.


It was a wonderful trip.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very cool that you know just where your fleece came from.

Great pictures!

Gracey is not my name.... said...

That's cool...love that the fleece came from Isabelle....my Spanish name in HS Spanish class....

Wanderingcatstudio said...

Wow - you'll get a lot of yarn out of that!

Anonymous said...

I agree, I love the idea of seeing the sheep that made the fleece.

Minding My Own Stitches said...

I wouldn't know where to begin with judging a fleece, or getting it from fleece to yarn, but it must be an amazing feeling to go from sheep to shawl!

Sue said...

I'm looking forward to see what you do with your fleece. The Missus has a friend from The Shetlands....who doesn't knit!