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Author Topic: Herdwick fleeces  (Read 12995 times)

SheepMad95

  • Joined Sep 2012
Herdwick fleeces
« on: June 22, 2013, 05:42:33 pm »
I am trying to sell two herdwick fleeces. wondering how much to sell them for. i told the person that was interested to make a offer, but she hasnt got back to me yet.
it is only the second time they have been sheared

thanks for any help :)  :sheep:

Oh - if anyone else is interested Im in Shebbear ( near Holsworthy), Devon.
3rd generation, blonde scattered brained farmer. 1 jack russel x patterdale, 1 collie, 5 chickens, 6 cats, 63 breeding ewes & 5 cows. hopefully some pigs soon!!  working on fathers beef and arable farm. and relief milker!

shygirl

  • Joined May 2013
Re: Herdwick fleeces
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2013, 05:44:39 pm »
what are they to be used for?
we used to have them but i was told herdwicks fleeces could only be used for carpets.

MikeM

  • Joined Jul 2011
  • NW Devon
Re: Herdwick fleeces
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2013, 06:05:25 pm »
I have a herdwick jumper knitted by my wife. It is very warm and I think it's fair to say hardwearing.
We're just down the road from you Sheepmad, so if your deal falls through we may be interested. No idea what to offer you I'm afraid.

SheepMad95

  • Joined Sep 2012
Re: Herdwick fleeces
« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2013, 06:29:04 pm »
i dont know what they are to be used for really, thought id see if anyone wanted them, ive seen a lot of people who do spinning etc asking for some wool.


Oay MikeM ill keep that in mind! :)
3rd generation, blonde scattered brained farmer. 1 jack russel x patterdale, 1 collie, 5 chickens, 6 cats, 63 breeding ewes & 5 cows. hopefully some pigs soon!!  working on fathers beef and arable farm. and relief milker!

landroverroy

  • Joined Oct 2010
Re: Herdwick fleeces
« Reply #4 on: June 22, 2013, 08:19:28 pm »
Many years ago my sister had one of our herdwick fleeces spun and made into a jumper for me. It was like wearing fine barbed wire. That's why they're usually only used for carpets.
 I'm not trying to be funny, but round here (Selby area) we throw or give away much finer fleeces than Herdwick as they aren't worth transporting. So  I would have thought a fair price to a spinner is "free to good home" as it isn't worth the time spent spinning. :huff:     
Rules are made:
  for the guidance of wise men
  and the obedience of fools.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Herdwick fleeces
« Reply #5 on: June 22, 2013, 09:05:03 pm »
Some people say that spinning Herdwick makes your fingers bleed...  :o

Having said which I have seen jumpers made from it.  Not next to skin, nor second next, but definitely in the hardwearing outer layer category. ;)

Free to good home, or if you don't want to do that, enough to cover your clipping costs plus something for your time and trouble.

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

moony

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Dent
Re: Herdwick fleeces
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2013, 11:06:44 pm »
Take anything you can get. Herdwick fleeces are good for carpets as others have said but next to useless for anything else and have very little value if any. Our Herdwick fleeces bar the ones we use to line the hanging baskets get burned as the money you get isn't worth the transport and time. You would certainly never cover the shearing costs. Herdwicks do however make a good sheepskin rug

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Herdwick fleeces
« Reply #7 on: June 23, 2013, 12:12:47 am »
Well there's a whole lot more to spinning than producing yet another vest, cowl or jumper.  I don't know about anyone else, but I soon get fed up with spinning the same old super fine fleece, which is why I mostly spin Heb these days, with just the occasional Shetland and never merino (sorry to those who love it  :spin: )
There is also more to using spun yarn than knitting and crochet.  Weaving (or felting) furnishing fabric, pegloom rugs and textured floor rugs all need a good firm, hard wearing wool - merino would be useless  :roflanim:
 
So why not offer your fleeces for £5 and let the spinner choose.  Be open and say in your sales blurb how coarse and hardwearing they are - 'perfect for rugs', 'perfect for hardwearing warp thread'.  There must surely be plenty of fibre artists out there who want to experiment and experience a wide variety of this country's huge choice of fleece types - you just need to find the right person  ;D .
 
I also have a Herdwick jumper which my MiL knitted for me (from yarn bought in Windermere)  :knit: .  It did make her fingers bleed, and just about cuts my throat, but it is unbelievably hard wearing and warm, and is still in top condition at least a decade after it was knitted.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

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Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

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SheepMad95

  • Joined Sep 2012
Re: Herdwick fleeces
« Reply #8 on: June 23, 2013, 12:55:52 pm »
Hmm alot of people are saying free to a good home, i just wanted some money to cover shearing costs, i mean its not like i put a lot of effort into growing them! ;)  :sheep:

Fleecewife, i will sell them for £5 as you say because it covers the shearing costs.

its good to know they are hard wearing!


Thank you everyone!!!  :eyelashes: ;D :sheep:
3rd generation, blonde scattered brained farmer. 1 jack russel x patterdale, 1 collie, 5 chickens, 6 cats, 63 breeding ewes & 5 cows. hopefully some pigs soon!!  working on fathers beef and arable farm. and relief milker!

shygirl

  • Joined May 2013
Re: Herdwick fleeces
« Reply #9 on: June 23, 2013, 06:06:42 pm »
can u not put them on ebay for arts and crafts or something? teddy bear stuffing maybe. (obviously needs washing at some point)
out of interest, how would you get a fleece into a hanging basket felt shape? sounds a good idea if you know how.

landroverroy

  • Joined Oct 2010
Re: Herdwick fleeces
« Reply #10 on: June 23, 2013, 06:19:02 pm »

out of interest, how would you get a fleece into a hanging basket felt shape? sounds a good idea if you know how.
You just grab a lump of fleece and just spread it out inside the hanging basket. Then add the soil, which keeps it in place.
Rules are made:
  for the guidance of wise men
  and the obedience of fools.

shygirl

  • Joined May 2013
Re: Herdwick fleeces
« Reply #11 on: June 23, 2013, 06:25:42 pm »

out of interest, how would you get a fleece into a hanging basket felt shape? sounds a good idea if you know how.
You just grab a lump of fleece and just spread it out inside the hanging basket. Then add the soil, which keeps it in place.

i was meaning commercially? if you could get the fleeces cut to shape and sold as an eco friendly hanging basket liner? i suppose it needs felting??

Chris H

  • Joined Oct 2011
Re: Herdwick fleeces
« Reply #12 on: June 23, 2013, 07:05:10 pm »
I think a while ago BWMB were marketing hanging basket liners, seems an easy idea. As to herdwick fleece, a lot depends on the age of the animal, first clip can be a nice fleece, as a rug weaver I love the older paler fleece. It also knits well for hats and welly socks, the National Trust did used to sell herdwick knitting yarn with Gansey patterns with the yarn oiled.
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

17AndCounting

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Kent
Re: Herdwick fleeces
« Reply #13 on: June 24, 2013, 12:36:42 am »

This is very interesting. I guess for very hard wearing but warm yarn I'd have recommended making rugs or maybe throws/blankets. I'm a crocheter and there certainly is far more you can make than just jumpers and the like!

I'd advertise it on eBay or Preloved for a starting price to cover your costs. I have bought quite a number of fleeces that way.

SheepMad95

  • Joined Sep 2012
Re: Herdwick fleeces
« Reply #14 on: June 24, 2013, 12:51:10 pm »
thank you for the replys,

someone is interested an has offered me £1.50 per kilo, and it weighs about 5 kilos. a good price i think.

 :innocent: ;D
3rd generation, blonde scattered brained farmer. 1 jack russel x patterdale, 1 collie, 5 chickens, 6 cats, 63 breeding ewes & 5 cows. hopefully some pigs soon!!  working on fathers beef and arable farm. and relief milker!

 

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