[Fieldfare]

Hi- I still have some Castlemilk Moorit fleece for sale or swap in Sheffield.  Any takers?

[SallyintNorth]

What would you like for swapsie?

And what staple length does your Castlemilk fleece have?

[Fieldfare]

Hi Sally- if you paid for postage I would happily take a small amount of the resulting yarn (10%? but happy to negotiate). I sheared them myself so in lots of bits  but clean. The best bits have a 6cm staple or thereabouts I think- although the hair is so thin it is difficult to do it accurately.
cheers

[SallyintNorth]

Sore tempted... but I have to tell you I haven't made a start on my own 4 CM fleeces yet; waaaay too short for my current skill level!  But then, mine are less than 1", and there's a good chance I've got some new growth in, which will need cutting off before spinning, making it even more short...

I don't know why my boys' fleeces are so very short; the new girls already have more fleece than the boys did at 2 years old.  I suspect they were shorn late the year before, but it could be they are just shorter-fleeced specimens.

6cm is plenty of staple.... I could spin that      How many you got, FF? (I know they're really tiny.)

[tizaala]

  The Castlemilk Moorit is renowned for its high quality fleece. The fleece is tight and even throughout with little or no kemp; it is naturally bleached at the tips and darker at the base. Minimum hair is acceptable only on the bib and crest of the rams.

Staple length 2-3 inches.

Bradford count 48-50 demi-lustre.

Average fleece weight is 1kg.

[Fieldfare]

Hi Sally- I have from 6 (5x 2-shear ewes and a ram shearling). I've not weighed them but the whole lot probably would squeeze into 2x 25Kg paper potato sacks). I've never spun wool so not sure if these will be any good.

[SallyintNorth]

FF, could I suggest you post me a sample - say about half-a-pound - for me to see if I can spin it?  If I can, it'd be worth getting the whole lot across.  I'll reimburse you the postage - it would only be £2.20 on that size packet, I think?

I have a neighbour goes to Sheffield regularly to see her mum, so if we were going to bring the whole lot over, if you could take it to her mum's house, I'm sure I could arrange that she'd ferry it - she's that kind of person.

10% of the yarn sounds entirely reasonable - but I don't know how long it might take me to get through 6 fleeces ....  I guess I'd send you back a little more than 1/2 what I spin from the first one, eh?  That'd work!   

Getting ahead of myself here...  ... let me know what you think about sending me a sample over.

[Fieldfare]

Hi Sally- yes that would be fine. I can send it this week and see how you get on?
cheers,
 
 

[SallyintNorth]

Hi Sally- yes that would be fine. I can send it this week and see how you get on?
cheers,

Oooh yes please!  I've PMed the address.

It may take me a week or so to get as far as spinning it - some fleece spins ok 'in the grease' but some needs washed, dried, picked, combed and/or carded before you get as far as spinning.    I'll keep you posted!