First Fleece!

When faced with the opportunity to buy a charming little fleece, what could I do but buy it?!

The sheep's name is Eshme, and she's a light grey Shetland.

I've sorted the fleece roughly by body-location, and have begun experimenting with scouring it in the tub (blogged). Any tips/tricks/advice for doing right by this pretty Shetland fleece would be greatly appreciated!

Also, I'm wondering what your favorite/preferred methods for fleece preparation are: flicked, Viking combed, hand-cared, drum carded, something else? Right now I'm working with a pet brush as a flick carder, and doing mini test-spins with a drop-spindle, but I've got 3lbs here! Please share your words of wisdom!

sampling the fleece

With perfect drying weather here, it was time to wash the samples of Border Leicester that I will spin for a guild project. I use mesh bags to control the fleece while washing. Because there was such a small amount, I washed and rinsed it in my kitchen sink. The same bags work in my washer when I have lots to process.


It was a perfect day to spread it out on racks in the sun.



That is another of my favorite spindles. It is a Forrester Safari. It was a perfect choice for sampling the carded fiber. I have this posted with a bit more detail on my blog: smatterings.