Sunday, June 13, 2010

More Fleece Photos

I would like to share photos of fleeces I have had, or do have, in my flock. These are all from sheep I have owned at one time or another, but not necessarily from sheep I have produced here at Boston Lake Farm.
I have had other sheep and fleeces in my 6 years with Shetlands. Unfortunately I threw a bunch of the earlier samples out a while back in a fit of spring cleaning.
I don't get to travel around to other Shetland farms very often. I rely on photos, and occasionally samples, to help me understand what is going on with Shetlands in other areas of North America. So in a gesture of sharing what I would love to see from other farms, I am offering up my available fleece photos and notes, as few and insignificant as they may be, to anyone that is interested in looking.
Moorit Katmoget: 4 year spring sample photo. 3.5 years autumn midside sample tested: Mic: 28.1 SD: 5.3 CV: 19.0. Staple Length Range 1.5-3.5". This is the midside sample, which is the longest staple on the whole animal. Not offered for sale to handspinners because most of fleece is quite short.

Moorit Katmoget: 1 year spring sample photo. 6 month autumn midside sample tested: Mic: 27.8 SD: 8.3 CV: 30.0 Nice lustre, crimp, and lock shape, but fleece does not have a soft handle.

Black Katmoget: 2 year spring sample photo. 1.5 year autumn midside sample tested: Mic: 25.4 SD: 5.5 CV: 21.6 Silky, lustrous, downy soft at the base. Fleece sold immediately.

Black: 4 year spring midside sample photo. 3 year spring back hip sample tested: Mic: 28.1 SD: 6.6 CV: 23.6. Good lustre and crimp. Fleece has only a little iset. Very dense fleece. Sells with excitement for the extremely dark true black color.

White: 2 year spring midside photo. 1 year spring back hip sample tested: Mic: 27.7 SD: 6.6 CV: 23.9. Soft, lustrous, crimpy. I love the handle of this fleece.

Black Kat: 1 year spring midside photo. 7 months midside sample tested: Mic: 24.6 SD: 5.2 CV: 21.1. Incredibly tiny crimp. Soft and has some lustre. The lady that helped skirt it took it home, so I haven't had a chance to personally work with this fleece.

Modified Moorit: 1 year spring midside photo. 7 months midside sample tested: Mic: 23.8 SD: 5.8 CV: 24.2. Relaxed crimp. The most buttery soft handle I currently have in my flock.

Grey: 1 year spring hip photo. 1 year spring hip tested: Mic: 24.1 SD: 7.1 CV: 29.6. Fluffy lambs fleece. Wavy, no crimp, no lustre. Felt soft to the fingers but not to my neck.

Black: 2 year spring hip sample photo. 2 year spring hip sample tested: Mic: 30.9 SD: 10.5 CV: 34.1. Very crimpy, dull-no lustre. Felt like a greasy brillo pad. Fleece not offered for sale. Culled to freezer.

White: 3 year spring hip sample photo. 3 year spring hip sample tested: Mic: 36.0 SD: 8.1 CV: 22.4. Dramatic crimp and lustre. Described by return buyer as "fiber-optic" in its bright white washed state. Had a silky hand and I was surprised the Micron was as high as it was. Added nice length, crimp, & lustre to breeding.

Black, possibly modified: 1 year old hip sample photo. 1 year old hip sample tested: Mic: 25.7 SD: 7.7 CV: 29.9. Undercoat was tolerable if separated. Overall, an unremarkable fleece that did not feel soft on my neck. Culled to freezer at one year.

I will post more photos as I get more fleeces skirted. I will also be sending in midside fleece samples from this spring for micron testing as soon as they are assembled. That info will be posted too.

3 comments:

Michelle said...

I love what you are doing here. Like you, I don't get to see a lot of samples side by side, and it is very educational. I forgot to pull samples this spring; I plan to test everyone here next spring and will try to remember to photograph them all before sending them in.

Karen Valley said...

Hi Sabrina--VEry fun and educational photos. Will have to remember to use a bill to show length. I try to always keep a sample from each year and find it helps verify which lines are retaining their characteristics and which ones are destined to lose it. Also gives one comparisons so you can look at your young stock's fleeces and see which ones should probably be retained.

Theresa said...

Nice fleeces, Sabrina. As you unintentionally note in your commentary, it isn't all about microns - it is about handle and the SD/CV. The more variable the fleece the less soft the fleece (not including other factors that also play a part).