Moonshadow, my grayish Shetland wether, was in need of shearing.  His fleece was gorgeous – mostly bur-free and clean.  

Moonshadow before shearing.

 By spring it would be longer than most fiber mills care to handle – I’m thinking it was about 4″ long at this point.  Over winter it would get dirtier as well.  It needed to be done soon so some could grow back and keep him insullated over winter.  I figured – How tough could shearing one animal be?  I’d received a used electric shearer (Thanks, Meg!) so set to the task.  I had tied him with a dog collar around his horns to the trailer hitch on my truck. Well… after uncovering just a 9 by 12″ patch of skin the poor dude was about ready for a transfusion. The blades were as dull as I’d been warned they would be and my emery cloth treatment apparently hadn’t helped.

 I headed over to an Amish neighbor who sheared for me in 2013. He said he would do it but he was swamped and I’d need to bring Moonshadow to him and … I chose not to impose and headed back home.  This time I took out an instrument labeled as an “antique, English-made” hand shearer, touched it up with the angle grinder and whet stone, and started in.

The victim during the perpetration.

It took over an hour of being bent almost double, but I got it done.  Periodic breaks to unkink the spine seemed to be appreciated by Moonshadow, too.  I was able to pull the cut wool away from the work area so had very few second cuts, so the quality of the harvested wool is quite good. 

Moonshadow after shearing.

I was glad I had the extra fiber length to work with. I wouldn’t want to do it with the shorter-stapled Babydolls, but know I could if I had to. I didn’t cut super close so he shouldn’t get chilled.  The extended handling made him calmer (resigned?), not freaked out as I had feared.

The crime scene.

The chance to have my own Shetland wool to work with in a couple different shades is exciting.  I partially skirted the fleece until other duties intruded.  It was easier than skirting the Babydolls’ – cleaner and over 95% of the locks exceded the minimum staple length for my processor (2″).  I separated the wool into silver and cream piles so will have at least 2 color lots.

I’ve recovered to the point of considering shearing the other Shetland wether, Noir, too, for a third shade (black).  

That means I would have to catch him, though …

On Saturday and Sunday, October 11 and 12 the self-guided, 2014 Sheep and Fiber Farm Tour will be held in southeastern Minnesota with options to stop at 5 fiber farms plus the Faribault Woolen Mill.  Thanks to a couple of grants, the tour is free with the intention of informing the public about the associated animals, farmers, fibers, and products.  At each stop there will be tours, demonstrations, and, often, items for sale.

Three or so of my coated (see “Lambs don fatigues” post) ewe lambs and I will be camped out at Clear Spring Farm. This 40 acre yak farm is located near Welch, MN.  I will also have rovings and yarn for viewing and purchase.  The tour is open from 9 to 5 each day.  Tentatively, I will be there with the girls from 11 to 5 each day ( there IS a farm here that needs care after all…) For more info visit: 

Click to access SheepFiberTourBrochure2014_LR.pdf

Today three of the ewe lambs were outfitted with olive drab (well… almost) coats to keep their fleeces from fading and getting infiltrated with vegetative matter.  It was a bit 3 bearish – one fit a bit large, one a bit small, and one just right.  I have a couple more for an off-white lamb or 2.

It was interesting to watch the flock dynamics. Sara, who has spent lots of time with Tammy, immediately snifted her and accepted her. But then the adult ewes got spooked by the coated trio and Sara had to run away, too.  I’m anticipating they’ll have figured it all out by morning and the three won’t be pariahs.

I’m excited at the prospect of having cleaner fleeces next spring – both from the perspective of it being a higher value product, but also because it won’t take nearly as long to skirt them.  I will offer the opportunity for fiber lovers to reserve fleeces as next year’s shearing approaches.

Meanwhile… hut 2, 3, 4 eat that weed and then some more!

I made it to the market this week for the first time.  I’d replaced my old canopy so the sprinkling wasn’t an issue.  Sara and Tammy munched away at the bluegrass and clover and got lots of attention.  My offerings were wool in various stages of processing – raw fleeces, rovings and spun yarn.  Between very enjoyable exchanges with visitors, I was able to actually do some spinning, too!  The day’s earnings from yarn sales paid for the year’s market fees… and a brownie!  And yes, that’s a dog on my lap.  My pal, Joey.

Expansion has taken a couple of forms here.  I bought a couple of Shetland wethers from my friend, Allan.  They have a different fleece – more slippery, shiny and feltable and he had two colored wethers that were otherwise slated for the butcher’s table. Moon Shadow is a light gray with darker spots and Noir is pitch black.  I need to read up on Shetland color variations and terminology to be more precise than that. From the looks of them they don’t eat much so won’t be as effective as my Babydolls in the landscape management department. Currently they are walking through holes in fences I didn’t know I had, but are integrating well with the Babydolls.  

Noir (front) and Moon Shadow (rear) sharing hay with Edwin (right).

Just in the nick of time, my friends Jean and Stefan, helped me prepare the nursery in the upper barn. Claire, (who you might remember didn’t show any lambs in the ultra-sound!!) gave birth to a baby girl Sunday at around 6:00pm. After a little coaching Claire is doing a great job of mothering this year. Gott sei dank!

Little Olivia explores under the watchful eye of mama Claire.

Shearing provided some surprises in exterior versus interior coloration of the fleeces.

Shearing day was quite a success! It was warm and sunny and everyone was excited to be outside.  We had over 25 people show up to watch the sheep be parted from their fleeces and consume some tasty Amish cooking.  Brent, our shearer, did a phenomenal job quickly and carefully sheering all 41 animals, ranging from some ~150 pound Icelandic-Gotland crosses to perhaps 40 pound Shetland yearlings.  I was very pleased with the wool harvest from my Babydolls, with the adults averaging over 5 pounds per fleece even after having left the (dirty) belly wool in the scrap heap.

The wool will be shaded and as soon as possible the dirty and short bits will be removed (=”skirting”) and transferred to more breathable bags.

We found some new spotting under all that wool – a natural heather effect!

Plans are in place for the group shearing day this Saturday at the Amish B&B.  Three colors of my Babydoll Southdown rovings from last year’s shearing will be available for purchase: Espresso, Semi-sweet, and Cream at $3/oz.  Raw fleeces will be for sale at $18/lb. for virgin fleeces (Nina and Katie) and $16/lb. for the adults.  I’m pricing my fiber at a slight discount to the Shetland fiber due to general lack of public knowledge of the value of Babydoll wool.  Fresh fleeces and processed wool from both the Shetlands and Icelandic-Gotland sheep will also be for sale.  The sun is forecast to be shining for a great day for an outing!

A small group of fellow shepherds and myself will be holding a shearing open house on Saturday, March 29th from 10 AM to about 2 PM at the Amish B&B near Canton, MN.  Shetland, Babydoll Southdown, and Icelandic-Gotland cross sheep will be sheared and their fleeces, and rovings, rolags, and wool from last year’s fleeces will be available for sale.  The B&B will be hosting a light lunch ($5) and presenting spinning demonstrations.  I’m embedding a copy of the flyer OPEN HOUSE 2014 Spring Sheep Shearing that contains the details.  If you are interested in where wool starts from, purchasing specific fibers for fiber arts, or trying the wool of various breeds before adding them to you fiber flock, I encourage you to join us.  Maryann is a great cook, so I’m looking forward to the lunch, too!