Then get in there and get your hands dirty, oh and soft!! You can do this.
Knowing how to sell or buy that wool fleece will open up a whole new world of fiber arts to you. Cleaning a fleece is an art in itself. I am such a huge fan doing a little research for a bigger return, and not having to reinvent the wheel. I'm so thankful you are doing the same. When you know what you have it makes it easier to sell or buy that wool fleece. I hope you find this helpful, and I am proud of you for taking the time to get ahead even before you get started.
The first insight is...
keep that fleece intact. A fleece naturally holds together, just don’t take pieces apart. It will make assessment easier for the seller and the buyer. If you do nothing more than roll it up properly you will be miles ahead of those who just shove it All in a bag .
roll it up that wool. First just take the main fleece from the animal. Any bits that free fall and the belly you can set aside. When my fleece comes off the animal as the shearer I don’t take time to skirt it right there so fold it in half side to side, where both cut sides are touching. I roll it up from front to back, like a sleeping bag. Then I normally put it in a bag to skirt later. All the extra bits for me go in the compost pile. Even if you are a saver of all the little bits, these will take some extra care. In the long run you will want them separate, so if you want to keep them set them in a separate bag in with the fleece.
So, you have the wool, now what?
Unless you keep sheep only for meat it is a great idea to have some kind of idea about what your fleece will be in for along the process. It does take several steps to create a finished piece of fabulous art. Enjoy it, embrace it!!! Spending the time in process will pay you back dividends in future use. A properly prepared and fashioned garment or material will last your lifetime and then some.
Sheared - Bagged - Skirted - Washed - Cloud/Carded/Combed - Spun/Felted - Knit/Crocheted/Woven/Locker Hooked/Macrame/Art…
- It is easier to start with the big picture so you have an idea of what to expect and make some adjustments to fit your individual needs along the way. You can take your fleece to any point along the way and sell it from there.
- Make yourself a place to skirt the fleece - I have a lovely skirting table and will make this another post. If you are interested in getting more ideas and tricks you might want to subscribe to and see what we will be doing next.
- Decide what your tolerance point is - if you know the terminology it will be easier to let your buyers know what they are getting. Likewise if you know what you have you will not be leaving money on the table and your buyers will respect your integrity.
We all have to work hard to make things work. Let your sheep help pay for their part in this way.
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- ~How can I say?: using something for what it is intended, is satisfying to the soul. If you have fiber animals Use That Fiber! Because there are many other wonderful breeds out there that don’t need this extra step. Make sure what you have is a good match for your farm.
- ~Giving your fleece away doesn’t make good farm sense. Your animal has been working hard for that year to produce the fleece, and you have been paying their food bill to do so. It is costing you feed, vet expenses, shearing, and your valuable time to care for and nurture that creature.
- ~Giving a fleece away may sound like a good idea when you are just getting started, but I do believe that doing this also sets a precedent for future value. It devalues the market that you want to get into. “Start how you mean to go on.”
- ~Knowledge is a powerful tool- you can even sell straight from the shearing if you know what you have and how to share its value. It is important to know the breed of sheep you have even if it is a mixed breed.
All of the wool breeds have their own unique and special qualities. There are no bad wool breeds; they are different for different purposes. I love and appreciate so many natural options to create with.
So let's start right there - with some definitions.
Unskirted Fleece -
This fleece has been picked up right from the sheep after it has been sheared and is a la carte. It means you have done nothing with it. There will be plenty of dirt, tags, VM, and second cuts. And I know you won't do this, but sometimes everything else in the vicinity of the shearing area too.
Skirting -
When you take away the unusable bits or areas that are more time consuming than you want to work with.
Tags -
Many breeds of sheep have some areas that do not have fleece, like their belly, legs or face. The outskirts of these areas seem to pick up a lot more dirt and grime. Those places are normally closer to the ground and also collect more dirt. Sheep also produce lanolin which is a sticky oil that coats the fleece. Around their armpits and flank they produce an abundance of this that collects grime.
VM (Vegetable Matter) -
Sheep eat, and they mostly do so in a messy hurry. They chew with their mouths open, so they get vegetable matter all over each and anything else. This is compounded depending on what the shepherd is feeding, how they are feeding and… They also lay around and Vegetable matter can stick to and in their fleece everywhere. Ideally VM stays to the outside of the fleece, but that is not always the case and should be one of those things you are keeping an eye out for when purchasing a fleece.
Second cuts -
When the shearer uses their flat clipper blades on a round animal not all of the fleece gets cut to the same length. When they make a pass, one swath of the clippers, then make another pass next to it, the fleece they cut, gets cut again leaving short bits in with the long wool. These are not desirable. They should always be eliminated.
Skirted Fleece -
This is the same unskirted fleece that has had all of the tags, large pieces of VM, And 2nd cuts ✂️ removed. Since this is taking your time, this should also be adding value to your fleece.
Give yourself permission for what you fancy at the time. Creation has been made so abundant this is an example of guilt free fruit.
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- ~You can use all of these bits in the compost or in the garden. VM can be composted and bits of wool are good for the compost heap. I have really enjoyed watching Huw’s gardening videos. Gardening is not too far away from animal farming and this year with the price of hay I am looking into a bit more food production, but I digress.
- ~Don’t think that you have to throw even the grossest bit away. Even they can be cleaned up and used, if they are long enough and strong enough, and you have the inclination, clean them up and reap the reward and satisfaction of utilizing the whole fleece. I must be careful in this line of thinking because i have a limited amount of time and a lot of fluff, but I always have this desire to use all I can. Sometimes the better part of valor is to wrap my mind around the special use that it is in the garden too.
- ~Make skirting your own - decide what you have the time and inclination to do. Being able to say what amount of skirting you have done to a fleece will help your buyer know what they are getting.
Skirting the wool fleece if you are a seller or a buyer.
- Since your fleece was rolled up systematically you can unroll it and probably decide which way is up or down.
- Roll it out with the cut side up. If you used my method this should be easy.
- Start by picking off all the second cuts. You can move your hand over the top of the cut side to see if any bits move. Those you want to get out. This is a very important piece!! Tiny bits of wool will only take away from your finished work. It will make a weak or broken spot in yarn or felt, or make many little bits or neps later.
Flip your fleece
- When the fleece is still cut side up. Shake the skirting table and see just how much VM will fall through the mesh. If you aren't in the wind, fly it up and down on the table. The reason I don't shake or fly the fluff cut side down is because the VM is heavier and it will embed more into the fleece. That is not what you want.
- Now flip the fleece over, cut side down, and start picking out as much VM as you can. The better you pick the better your product. This is where I think working systematically from front to back is a good idea.
- Pull off all the tags - skirt out anything that is just too icky at the back end, and those bits of caked on lanolin grime around the armpits and flank. When you are headed to the finished product you want a fleece that is as consistent as possible in length and texture. So even if you want to utilize every bit, separate all that is uniform first, then come back and deal with the different fluff later.
Seller this is your test of integrity, buyer beware.
At this point it is a good idea to check how strong your wool is. You can check by taking some sample pieces from different places on the fleece. I normally take a pinch full of fluff from the chest, the top line along the back, and the britch along the back. Then placing the pinch between both hands cut end on one side tips on the other I spring it like a rubber band quickly next to my ear. You should hear a pitch sproing softer then plucking a guitar string, but with that same value. If you hear crackling or feel snapping, your fiber is brittle and will not be strong enough to make the lasting piece you want to put your time and effort into.
Here is where the rubber meets the road. There is no shame in using weak fiber in your garden. In fact this is the best use for it. It will keep the weeds at bay and supply moisture to your garden. They even make felted tree rings. It is not waisted
As a buyer it is good to know that all sellers can skirt their wool fleece differently.
- ~Now you are in the driver's seat. Most of my friends think I am crazy, but we are all different and we can make this process unique to us. There is no shame in tickling every little morsel into an avenue for something you can use. And no shame in utilizing the most uniform fleecy offerings to make your piece of woolicious perfection.
- ~For myself I skirt with a different mindset than when I skirt for selling. The idea is still the same. All the second cuts go, and as much VM on the top that I can get in about 15 min. When I shear I set the belly wool out so that it is already gone. Seconds and VM go to the compost. If the tags are sizzly and beautiful I set them aside for some special washing.
- ~This is a valuable stopping point for those who don’t raise sheep. They can have the very fulfilling process of taking this from dirty fleece to a very usable natural martial. Again take excellent pictures and make sure to describe the level of VM to your buyer.
Decide ahead of time what works for you.
Tips for selling unskirted wool fleece
Get your buyers in on the shearing experience. If you are a small scale farmer and can give a farm visit, people love that. As a seller honesty is the best police. There are those out there who are happy to take that dirty ugly fleece from dirty to delightful. The very best is to take pictures of top and cut side so your buyer knows what they are getting into. I would also recommend that you don’t sell a huge dirty fleece to a newbie without giving out help as well. If you don’t know please point them this way or find another good resource to help them along.
Get choosy when you are looking for your breed of sheep.
If you haven’t chosen your breed of sheep yet. You will not regret buying a fleece from a flock of the breed you want. I did this and I cannot tell you how it changed the breed I went with. Remember there are no bad breeds, just misguided purposes. Early on there was a breed I had picked, and it turned out that was not a good fit for our farm. Do your research, there is nothing like being certain about bringing the animals home.
Tips for buying unskirted wool fleece
Know what you are getting into!!! I recently loved the comment of a sweet farmer to a new farmer about her first fleece harvesting experience. You could tell there was quite a bit of disheveled wool, and what looked to be quite a bit of VM. She said take good photos and describe it in a lot of detail. There is a group called Dirty Fleece done Dirt cheap on FB. If your seller does not provide you with enough well rounded good pictures, you have permission to walk away. Even if it is free. However if making it clean is a satisfying adventure, by all means you will be rewarded for your effort. Don’t let those with a different tolerance level talk you into what you need to do.
Get choosy when picking your fleece.
- If you are in the market you may not have to look very far for a farmer who is willing to give you fleece of every quality imaginable. It is important to go in with your eyes wide open. Another thing to look at is how strong that fiber is, you don't want it breaking while in the process. Remember your time is valuable, and sometimes free can cost you a lot. On the other hand it can be so fun to make a treasure out of something that looks impossible. Let me encourage you if you are in the market for a fleece to check out different breeds.
You can do it. Make it happen!
So go make that animal thrive by taking that fleece off and reward yourself with a lovely natural fiber product. Appreciate the time that it has taken for that animal to make that fleece. Sell that fluff or take it to the next level. With your earnings buy your fluffy friends an extra treat with the proceeds of their work. If you are looking for the next step in adding value to your wool come Follow the Fun in my newsletter, and get inspiration for that next process. Until then take time to skirt your fleece and reap the rewards. It will be worth it.
Now you are ready to wash that fleece and really see how beautiful it is.
A good shepherd of the fiber flock should wash a fleece once - every good spinner should wash a fleece once. Even if you don’t choose to continue to do this part it will give you a great insight to what it takes. Every process gives insight into the next element. As a spinner you will also appreciate the value of a quality skirting job if you have come through that process yourself. Knowledge is a powerful tool. It is sooo helpful to know what a knitter or yarn enthusiast is looking for. If you want to or need help let me know. I have an amazing pattern for a shrug that will get you knitting right from the get go. Let me send it to you, and you will be signed up for all other farm news and pattern announcements.
I value your comments and questions, please let me know the breed of fleece you are working with. It is so fun to hear about your art.