[HappyHippy]

I'm felting soap  My sister got me some merino tops/rovings from Christmas in a beautiful range of colours but they're all dark colours, and I want to mix them with lighter colours on the bars to try and get some patterns and nice effects.
I can understand not wanting to sell stuff you've worked on though - suppose I'd better get my finger out and just make a start on my fleece  (though I worry about the addiction aspect of all things fleecy and fibery  )

[SallyintNorth]

suppose I'd better get my finger out and just make a start on my fleece  (though I worry about the addiction aspect of all things fleecy and fibery  )

Just roll over and let it wash over you - it's gonna anyway 

Waiting for you on the other side...   

[Elariel]

It's only 5 months til shearing time 

I actually registered just to reply to this. 

If the fleeces hanging in the barn (or any other fleeces that you were talking of burning) would ultimately go to waste, perhaps consider felting them to make coats for your flock? Coated fleeces aren't common at all in the UK since handspinning is only just coming back into "fashion" now. In the US they fetch premium prices, mostly due to the expense of buying two-to-four coats per sheep for a years growth. However, having tried some coated fleece from the States, I have to admit that it really does make for a premium fleece! If you have the wool sitting about available to try making coats, perhaps it might be worth trying?

Other than that, I would agree with what everyone else is saying about making the most of your bounty. The best of what you don't want would be eagerly accepted by new spinners and even the very worst would still make good insulation, compost addition, or even pillow stuffing!

[Lesley Silvester]

Elariel, welcome to the TAS forum.   

[Fleecewife]

Hi Elariel and welcome    Thank you for coming here to answer my query.  I hope you stay and we can learn more about what you do.
 
I have in fact thought a bit about coating sheep to produce a better quality fleece.  I used to keep a flock of 'fleece specials' ie very fine-wooled crossbreeds, whose fleeces I sold at a premium.   However, I think coating must be of more use in a dry climate, where the coat prevents damage from the sun, and keeps veg matter out.  Here in Scotland it's SO wet that fleeces felt easily, even when covered, and the rubbing of the coats seems to make it worse.
However, most of my sheep are Hebrideans now and they have a lovely rain-shedding double coat which is primitive and not a finewool.  The only fine fleeced sheep I have currently are two white Shetland ewes and I will be using their fleeces myself.
 
Really my problem is that I simply can't do the work to process all the fleeces I have stored.  Also I have over the years cherry picked the best fleeces to sell or spin myself, so what's left is definitely poorer quality.  I will though have a good look through and offer for sale any which are useable, which I don't think I can make into rugs in my lifetime 
 
I have though always wanted to make some larger pieces of felt for embroidered floor rugs but, apart from going to one of the WinghamWoolWorks days when you can use their felting machine, I can't think how to make such large pieces.  Well, I have toyed with the idea of towing a big roll behind the LandRover, a bit like they tow one behind horses in Mongolia when they make a new yurt....now that would be fun     But then we are back to the fact that I also have to do the smallholding work, grow my veggies etc, maybe do the occasional bit of housework  .  We'll see.
 
 

[Elariel]

Hi Elariel and welcome.

Thank you! I just came back from visiting your site, reading about your hebrideans and cooing over the lamb photos!

[Fleecewife]

Hi Elariel and welcome.

Thank you! I just came back from visiting your site, reading about your hebrideans and cooing over the lamb photos!

I hope you enjoyed the visit      We need to update the site to reflect the fact that we now have fewer sheep.   Also the pics of the veg garden are no longer entirely true - well, not at all true    because the outside veg garden went to wrack and ruin this past year.  Inside the tunnel is fine though and I hope to be able to upload more pics this summer when all is growing.   There should    be more lamb pics in April, including a few Shetlands as well as the Hebs.

[SallyintNorth]

Hi Elariel    - I suspect I know you from Another Place, where I am known as 'castlemilk' 

I'm glad you brought up the subject of coating fleece sheep - I had never heard of it until I started spending some time on Ravelry, and I've not discussed it before as it's so new to me I have been digesting the ideas and thinking about my reactions to them.

We discussed 'unseasonal shearing' here a wee while back, mainly in the context of showing sheep and housing them over winter.  In that thread someone mentioned turnout rugs, but we didn't get into the idea of protecting the fleece to preserve it for spinning.

My initial reaction to coating sheep was that it can't be comfortable for the sheep - if it's warm, they'd be too hot, wouldn't they?  And my other initial reaction was concern about flystrike - if there are flies about, it would be too easy for them to get under the coat and lay eggs in the sheep's own fleece, hidden from the owner's view...

However, I haven't seen these problems discussed in the sheep keeper groups on Ravelry.