[Mamohau]

My Boreray are losing their fleece quite happily (assisted by the brambles!) but I wondered if I could collect some to use in my peg loom perhaps.  Trouble is that I have arthritic hands and insufficient strength to roo the fleece.  I wondered if there's such a thing as a rake/comb for rooing fleece?

I'm thinking of something like a smaller version of our wooden hay rake.

[Fleecewife]

I too have arthritic hands mamohau and I haven't actually roo'd a sheep for a few years now.  I think it could be worth trying again.  If your timing is right, and I think it's a bit early yet, then the fleece roo's more easily.  Also if you take hold of only very small locks of fleece then that will come off much more easily. Roo'ing shouldn't really be hard work, just gently teasing off the old growth.
I wonder too if wrapping a small stick around each lock horizontally so you could clutch the stick across your whole hand then gently wiggle the fleece off might help?
Of course you don't have to roo, all sheep can be shorn.
I would think that a dog comb or similar used as a rake would be just as hard on the hands as just gripping.


There's a thread about rooing in 'Sheep' Feb 2021 "Advice please! Shetland Sheep Rooing" where someone with a shedding sheep collects a handful each morning.

[Mamohau]

I'll look up the post, thank you!

I'm learning to spin too, and peg loom, and spindle spin (by far the easiest!), as well as crochet, so I'm quite tough on my hands.  If this is any indication of what life might be like in 70s or 80s then I'll be investigating hand transplants! Even typing is quite painful these days!

I'd been hoping to put some into the next peg rug which was why I was wondering, as it's coming off anyway. 

I'll try a dog comb that's like a flick carder as it might catch easily and pull off gently but quickly.

 Thank you, again!