I have purchased another load of fleece this weekend. It came from
Miller's Ark, a fab farm that takes the animals out to visit schools and nursing homes. I contacted them a while ago after attending one of their open days and asked if I could take some of their fleece coming shearing time.
Elizabeth, who runs the place, very kindly agreed to let me take some for the princely sum of £5 each.
I went over to collect them on Bank Holiday Monday at about teatime. They were stored in British Wool Marketing Board bags in the barn....all bundled up and ready to go. There were quite a lot of them and it was hard to choose, it took me forever. It would have been easy to go mad and take more than I could process but I had to be realistic...I also have to store them somewhere.
The first one that caught my eye was a black fleece, which I suspected to be the Balwen but when I got home and checked against my breed book turned out to be the least likely. It is a fairly short staple but is very crimpy. I think it may be a Shetland. I am really not sure.
Next I chose a grey one with a long staple but next to no crimp, that I thought may have been a Jacob but again that seems unlikely and may be a Herdwick...I really am not sure.....again!
I picked up a white fleece next with a long staple but quite crimpy. It is so soft. This may be the Portland.
I have taken some photos of the fleece and I think I will have to ask Elizabeth if she can identify the fleece. I would love to know what I have come away with!
As the fleece have been freshly shorn they are quite greasy but the grease is so much more pleasant when it is fresh. They were also quite damp as it had been raining a lot and then may have been sweating in the bag. I have since aired and dried them a bit, they still feel damp but I think this may be down to the grease. You certainly know when you have handled it! They have now all been put into old duvet covers until such time as I can get around to picking over them and processing them.
