Count Your Blessings, and Your Sheep!

Yerba
Icelandic wether

We have a small flock of sheep that are more pets than anything else. Their crazy antics bring comic relief to stressful days and their fleeces provide me with a hobby. I have been thinking about adding a few more sheep to the flock and for me that is more involved than simply purchasing a few, driving them home, and opening the gate.  Health, breed, disposition, and fiber qualities all play a factor in my selection.


There is more to the definition of animal husbandry than simply "concerned with the production and care of domestic animals." We cannot show interest for a fleeting moment when we purchase an animal and then never again.  Anything in our care must require constant and diligent attention, concern, and maintenance.

Mate`
Icelandic twin sister of Yerba (Hence YerbaMate)

Unfortunately, that means getting up early and feeding everyone even on a "day off"!   Like the lyrics from the hit song by Toby Keith and Willie Nelson, "Whiskey for my Men, Beer for my Horses! (Well, maybe not the best example!)

A few of my flock are Icelandic, and although I may seek another breed, I wanted to showcase Icelandic sheep today for those who may be interested in their background information.  Much of the information that I am sharing is from an excellent resource book, The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook, by Deborah Robson & Carol Ekarius.

Mate
February - weeks away from all that wool coming off!

"Vikings settled Iceland between 870 and 930 CE.  They brought sheep with them and added a few more a short while later.  Since then, it's been illegal to bring in more sheep (to Iceland).  Developed in almost total isolation, the Icelandic breed is one of the world's purest livestock populations..... Although sheep are grown primarily for meat in Iceland, the breed is best known elsewhere for its fleece."

A scarf out of spun Icelandic yarn
is just one of the many things you can do with their wool.

All the Icelandic sheep in North America are descendants of Yeoman Farm in Ontario, Canada.  In 1985, they brought the first Icelandic sheep to our continent followed by another flock in 1990.


Icelandic sheep are double coated, meaning they have an outer and under coat.  The outer coat is called tog and is anywhere from 4-18 inches, 27-31 microns.  The tog's long fibers may be worsted when spinning and may not be so comfortable to wear next to your skin.  Believe it or not, the fiber will feel and handle differently if shorn at different times of the year.  What may not feel nice next to your skin one year, may feel entirely differently with next year's fleece.

Batting for a quilt is an awesome
application of the wool! Ahh, sweet dreams!

The thel, the under coat, is usually 2-4 inches in length, 19-22 microns.  The thel should feel wonderfully soft next to your skin and should be woolen spun.  You don't have to separate the two coats to spin.  I have spun them combined and also separated.  It just depends what you will be using the yarn for that determines how you spin the wool.  The terms tog and thel are applied to all double coated animals, such as llamas, sheep, or others, but originated with Icelandics.



Icelandic sheep come in a wide range of color - White, tan, brown, grey, black, and mixes.  One of the most interesting conversations I have had about sheep, happened last year at the Kentucky Wool Festival while talking with the farm owner of Flat Creek Wool and Pottery . www.flatcreekwoolandpottery.com  Her booth was right across from mine and in between customer visits, we talked about sheep color genetics.  I was so fascinated!

Wool can make beautiful decorations for the home.

Leader sheep -
"Within Icelandic flocks, especially intelligent individual sheep play important social and protective roles in the flock, alerting the others to hazards like predators and storms.  Called Icelandic Leadersheep, they are specially identified and bred. In 2000, the Leadersheep Society of Iceland was founded to conserve them."





Whether you choose a sheep, dog, horse, or any other animal, please remember that your selection is a long-term commitment. Don't make a whimsical decision at the expense of a creature that is dependent upon you for food, shelter, nurturing, and safety. That being said, animals bring a special element to our lives and I wish you well in your quest.

If you aren't ready for the commitment,
perhaps a yard ornament would work better (smile).
allisonsconcreteky.com

"Woolly Wordless Wednesday"

We Bid Ye Welcome!!

Dolly Llama and Serendipity in new field

Mate'  likes fooood!

Strauna

J-J-J-Jenna! I am precious and lovable!

I am Yerba and I am mighty!!

Voyager- He's "outstanding in his field"   lol!!

Song checking out the new field.

Silver Waiting for Dinner Bell!

Fancy Face checking out the yard

Imax alerting me that "The Horses are Coming, The Horses are Coming!"

How to Process Wool

My banner for the
KY Wool Festival

Have you ever faced a task so daunting that you just can’t find the strength to begin? I know it sounds wimpy; but, for me it is my wool processing (this year anyhow)!  So, I figured if I spelled it out step by step and had to take photos along the way to make the tutorial more interesting, I would already have completed some part of it…..and as they say, “parts do add up”.

These three are each very different-
Shetland, Icelandic,Tunis

So, to process wool, you must first begin with WOOL! You get wool from sheep. (For those who may not know, not all sheep have wool, some have hair and they don’t need to be shorn. These animals are usually raised for meat.)  Just as we all have different hair types, sheep have different wool types.  You cannot say that one type of sheep is better than another, because each has wool suited for a specific purpose. 

For instance, some sheep have very coarse wool. Well, rather than making a soft, cozy sweater to be worn close to your skin, that wool would be better suited for a rug, able to withstand heavy traffic. Some wool has more lanolin, thus being more weatherproof (do fishermen’s sweaters come to mind?)  Some wool or fleeces have a loft or spring to them. These are awesome for snuggly blankets made from thickly spun yarn or multi-seasonal quilt battings (remember that wool is flame retardant).  

Her wool is very lofty and
makes excellent quilt batts.

Some have a tight crimp and that makes it very stretchable for ribbing on a sweater or socks! Some even have a very high sheen or gloss to their locks. So you see, you can’t just choose a sheep and expect it to have all the qualities in its wool that you might ever want. That’s why I have a small (very small) flock!  Each sheep has different qualities and each of those qualities I appreciate.  I really “need” (?) more sheep, but I just can’t do that right now.

Imax's Fiber is very different from
 the other llamas on our farm.

I process my llama fiber the exact same way as the detailed steps of wool processing that I will outline below. And I will tell you, that llamas have as many varied types of fiber as the sheep have of wool.

We won’t dwell on the shearing aspect today. We will assume that it is off the sheep and we are ready to go!

I keep each fleece separate.  Because I have different wool types and colors of fleeces, I don’t want them mixing. So, I am very careful to clean up my shearing area in between each shearing…or move locations.

Wool from Stella (unwashed)

Once I have the shorn fleece.  I take it to a comfortable work area.  I’m going to be there awhile. First I do what is called “skirting” the fleece.  That means taking away all parts of the fleece that are not worth trying to salvage. If urine is on the wool and you are planning on dyeing it, color reacts to urine, even though it’s been washed. So usually right around their rear ends, I discard that wool. Also, a band around their entire necks usually has debris, seed heads, etc., in it and it would be too tedious a task to clean to make it worthwhile. Some years I discard a lot, other years, it’s not too bad. I will never blanket the sheep just to keep them clean, but I sometimes threaten them with that.  I just try to keep them from finding ways to play in the hay, and dragging the flakes across each others’ backs.

Wool from Stella (washed)
The lanolin allows dirt to cling to fleece and
looks like a different color from what it is.
Although it was cinnamon colored dirty,
it is white when cleaned. 

Now comes the important part--When I feel that I’ve done a thorough job skirting, I fill my washing machine (yes, MY washing machine) with the hottest water it will do. When it has filled, I STOP the machine. This is absolutely the most important thing to remember! Then I add about 1/2 cup of DAWN Dishwashing liquid to the water and using my arm, swish it around a bit. Then, I add either 1/2 or all of one fleece (this depends on how heavy or how dirty the fleece is). Keep it STOPPED.

Llama fiber, after clean and carded.
 Not wool at all, but I still process the same way.
There is no lanolin in llama fiber.

I GENTLY make sure the fleece is submerged, but I DO NOT  allow the machine to agitate.  If it does, you have just FELTED your fleece and will not be able to use it in a traditional way. It won’t even be traditionally felted!  Anyhow, do not, I repeat do not let it agitate.  Close the lid to keep the water hot and then set your timer for between 15-20 minutes. Let it SOAK only.

When your timer beeps and lets you know the time has passed, advance the dial to DRAIN/SPIN. Yes, your fleece stays in for this ride. It will drain and then spin out to get rid of all water. (Do NOT let it begin to refill while your fleece is in the machine!!)

When water is gone and machine has stopped, remove the fleece and put in a laundry basket. Your washing machine will be AWFUL looking….but don’t panic.  This is good; this means the wool is coming CLEAN!!  When you begin wiping out the machine drum, I imagine you will think of The Cat in the Hat and that horrible mess! It is VERY simple to clean your machine.  Use a wet dish rag (deemed only for this) and wipe sides of drum. Rinse rag and wipe again. Repeat. Repeat, until inside is clean. You could use paper towels and throw away, but that’s such a waste.

Shetland Wool from Jenna

Now, fill the machine with HOT water again.  Add Dawn dishwashing liquid again. STOP the machine again. Put fleece in again.  Let soak for 15-20 minutes again. Drain and Spin again. Remove fleece and clean machine again.

Now, if you are happy with the cleanliness of your fleece, we’ll move on to the rinsing phase.  If you think you’d like it a bit cleaner, do the whole process again.

But, if you are ready to rinse, still fill the machine with hot water.  Never let the temperatures fluctuate drastically between soaking and rinsing. This time do not add the soap.  NEVER let the water fill while the fleece is in machine; that simple agitation of water landing on it could felt the fleece depending what type of fleece (some felt more readily than others).

How you card the wool will enable you to
blend the colors in various ways.

Now after it has spun out, remove fleece and clean machine for the final time.  I usually run the machine through the rinse cycle just to ensure that dirt doesn’t stay and dry in the machine for my clothing. I run some vinegar through it, too.

Inspect your fleece.   If there is any debris that can still come out, pick it out now.  Otherwise, let it dry.  Do not put in direct sunlight. But, it can be on a covered porch, etc.  Toss or flip it from time to time to ensure it is drying. This can take a ½ day or so.  I usually wash for a few days and the fleeces begin to dry while I am washing others.

Clean and waiting to be picked!

Now comes the “picking” phase.  You will be grabbing handfuls of wool and
“picking” it.  Hold a clump in one hand and pull with the other. It begins to separate and lighten the feel of the cleaned fleece.  While you are “picking”, usually more debris (organic matter as it’s lovingly called) falls out. So, do NOT do the picking over your clean wool.  Stand to the side so that it’s not all falling out only to land in the other wool that you haven’t done.  

Llama fiber not washed yet.
So different from wool when it's not washed.

This should be done OUTSIDE to make you a happier housekeeper! 

When the picking is done, the wool is now ready to be carded. Carding is done with instruments that have many teeth/combs, much like a dog’s brush.

You can use hand carders, or a drum carder.  A very sweet friend of mine has loaned me her beautiful drum carder in the past and it has been so much easier on my arms than the pair of hand carders that I have; even though I love the feel of holding the wooden handles in my hands while carding! 

Small batts ready for spinning.

If you use the hand carders, you roll the combed wool off the carder and they stay in little rolags (Scottish Gaelic – roileag meaning small rolls) until you are ready to use them for spinning or felting.  If you’ve used the drum carder, the wool comes off in small batts, and they may be placed aside until you need them.

Both Fiber and Wool animals
must be shorn AFTER they use the
warmth to get through the winter!

Last note:

Worsted Wool – is thin and flat. The hairs are all the same length and parallel to each other; not overlapping.

Woolen Wool – is fluffy and springy.  This is from short and long hairs mixed together, overlapping, and twisted while spinning.

Hope you’ll try it.  If you have tried it and done it differently, please let a note!

Feeling a Bit Sheepish to Confess this

For years we thought that adding sheep to our farm would be wonderful; however, we also had always heard that sheep were stoic and would suddenly die with no explanation.  Since it would be trial by error with them anyhow (we had read all about them, but hadn’t experienced them), we were hesitant to adopt ovines and have them die on us “without any apparent reason”.   So a few more years passed and still we didn't add any sheep to the farm.

Then one day I overheard a conversation a young teenage girl was having with several farmers.  She was trying to find a home for a Shetland sheep. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to give sheep a shot! After asking several questions, I decided to drive out and meet the Shetland ewe named Strauna.  She was tiny and black.  Although she had recently had a lamb, it was already weaned and the girl’s family wanted to keep it.  I checked out Strauna’s teeth, eyes, hooves, and pellets.  She seemed to be healthy and her wool was beautiful, so I decided to make my first sheep purchase!   

Strauna came home in the back cab of my truck.  It hadn’t seemed worthwhile to take the large horse trailer to pick up an 80 pound animal. We put her in the paddock with our young girl llamas and she seemed to adapt instantly. Normally, we don’t buy single animals because of our concern with them becoming lonely.  However, before I even had a chance to ask if they’d ever sell any more sheep,

they called me and asked if I wanted an Icelandic wether (no longer a ram). I was thrilled! “Yes!”, I said before I’d even checked him out!  I drove out to the farm that next day after work and brought home the young wether named Yerba. His wool was as white as the Shetland’s was black. I brought him home also in the truck and placed him in the paddock with the llamas and Strauna. Life was good.  I had two sheep and they were happy and healthy. 

Because both Shetland and Icelandic can be shorn twice a year, in late August I thought I would try to give them both a “trim” and see how their wool “handled” when cleaned.  They were both very gentle and relaxed while we snipped off a few locks of their wool. I loved the Icelandic and Shetland fleeces equally. They both have the outer coat (Tog) and under coat (Thel).  Their fleeces aren’t as laden with lanolin as some breeds. Although I didn’t sheer much off of them that first time, it allowed me to become more familiar with working with wool (so different from llama fiber).

A wonderful surprise came later that same fall.  I got a telephone call from the young teenage girl saying that she and her family were moving and she would need to sell the rest of her small flock. She wondered if I’d be interested!  I was too thrilled for words when I realized that my two sheep would be reunited with their flock.  Again, I said yes and drove out to get them.  Little did I know that the flock’s guard llama was part of the deal.  I hadn’t needed him, nor necessarily thought I wanted him.  I wasn’t sure he was entirely healthy and I certainly didn’t want him bringing parasites onto the farm to come in contact with my llamas. But, when I saw how stressed he looked to be taken away from his flock, and then learned he would be auctioned at the stock yard, I decided to buy him, too.  This time I had brought the horse trailer and I was glad that I had!