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Author Topic: Fleeces at the Scottish Smallholder & Grower Show?  (Read 3617 times)

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Fleeces at the Scottish Smallholder & Grower Show?
« on: August 16, 2012, 08:43:52 pm »
Folks

There's been some discussion on Ravelry about spinning and spinners at the Smallholder Show.

The suggestion has been made that sheep-keepers could be encouraged to bring fleeces along for spinners to buy.

I have mixed feelings about the idea - I'm forever being told that only a spinner knows how to present a fleece for sale to a spinner (skirting, removing vegetable matter, etc) and hearing about sheep-keepers p**d off because spinners don't want their fleeces, even when they're offered for free.

What do people think?


I'm posting this in Sheep too, and Goats and Camelids, locked and linked through to here for the discussion.  Anywhere else I should hook people's attention?
« Last Edit: August 16, 2012, 08:50:02 pm by SallyintNorth »
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Brucklay

  • Joined Apr 2010
  • Perthshire
    • Brucklay Pygmy Goats
    • Facebook
Re: Fleeces at the Scottish Smallholder & Grower Show?
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2012, 09:58:43 pm »
Well I would be pleased for constructive comment of my fleeces - I don't have time to do anything with them myself so would be please to sell them, correctly presented but as a beginner isn't difficult to know what sort of job I'm doing - although did get a good compliment recently so I'm all for it - to sell or just comment - fine by me  :thumbsup:
Pygmy Goats, Shetland Sheep, Zip & Indie the Border Collies, BeeBee the cat and a wreak of a building to renovate!!

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Fleeces at the Scottish Smallholder & Grower Show?
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2012, 11:43:49 pm »
How about a 'how to produce fleece for sale/how to select a raw fleece for purchase' demo so everyone can learn.  Could be coupled with a 'how to deal with a raw fleece for spinners and felters' demo.  The Smallholders Show is an ideal place for wool producers and wool users to get together.
You could contact the British Coloured Sheep Breeders Association which specialises in just that interface and see if someone is available to present the demos.  I have let my membership lapse but when I was a member most other folk were in England, but I'm sure someone would love to travel up to Bonnie Scotland for the weekend to spread the word.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

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SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Fleeces at the Scottish Smallholder & Grower Show?
« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2012, 11:54:21 pm »
FANTASTIC ideas, FW!!

I'll have to ask Karen if there's space in the schedule for those sessions...
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

goosepimple

  • Joined May 2010
  • nr Lauder, Scottish Borders
Re: Fleeces at the Scottish Smallholder & Grower Show?
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2012, 07:43:00 pm »
I'm about to felt our Ronaldsay fleeces with the kiddies and hopefully make slippers if it works. 
 
There is a spinners guild meeting in Edinburgh I believe this coming week, sorry not sure of the website for this I'm not a spinner (but never say never).
registered soay, castlemilk moorit  and north ronaldsay sheep, pygmy goats, steinbacher geese, muscovy ducks, various hens, lots of visiting mallards, a naughty border collie, a puss and a couple of guinea pigs

Martin555

  • Joined Feb 2013
Re: Fleeces at the Scottish Smallholder & Grower Show?
« Reply #5 on: February 08, 2013, 09:51:09 am »
Well I'm about to felt our Ronaldsay fleeces with the kiddies and hopefully make slippers if it works. 

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Fleeces at the Scottish Smallholder & Grower Show?
« Reply #6 on: February 08, 2013, 11:40:02 am »
Just to update for the 2013 show  :excited:

Following on from the HUGE interest in the spinning and fleece demo last year (thanks to Sally in t'north's fantastic skills and patience  :notworthy: ) This year we'll be having some 'raw fleece' classes in the schedule as well as a talk/demo from the Edinburgh Guild of Spinners & Weavers.
So if you're new to it, get some practice at preparing them (I don't know how to do it - but I know somebody will advise about that  ;)) and we'll see you all there in September - we're actively encouraging folk who've never done it before to have a go  :thumbsup:
More details soon.......
Karen x

renee

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • jämtland
Re: Fleeces at the Scottish Smallholder & Grower Show?
« Reply #7 on: February 09, 2013, 07:29:20 am »
Great idea. More and more people are getting interested in spinning and everyone is helped by getting good fleeces out in public.

 

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