A Good Fleece

This post is at the request of a friend who wanted to know how one evaluates a sheep fleece.

Start with an unwashed fleece. Imagine that the sheep could step out of its fleece (they used to be able to, and some primitive breeds still can) and that it “unzips” along the belly and up the neck. The sheep scampers off delighted to be free of the heavy wool, and you are looking at what seems to be a large garment: the fleece.

There are two sides to the fleece: the cut side, which was next-to-the-skin; and the tip side, which took all the weather and everything the sheep went through in the last 12 months.

You might bundle the whole thing up until you get to a clean place where you can spread it (tip-side out) carefully so it looks like a flat sheep. It will take a space of about 6 feet/2 meters. First discard (going down the social ladder to those who will have to try washing those encrustations out before spinning it) any wool that is caked with dung (you know where that is most likely to be!).

Next examine what ought to be the best part: from the front legs up over the shoulder.  Does it look clean? You do not want to see lots of trash such as brambles, briars, hay or mud and dirt in the fleece here. You will certainly see some because the sheep has been living 24/7 for about 365 in this wool, doing all the things sheep do. Too much trash will make fleece almost impossible to clean and will limit the amount of combable wool (very labour intensive for too little return).

Choose a lock and carefully pull it from the fleece by putting one hand down firmly on the fleece, fingers splayed to keep other locks in place, and pull the lock out between two fingers.  

·         Examine the crimp (curl) of the lock. You want a series of tiny ripples.
·         Examine how thin or thick the individual hairs are in the lock. You want them thinner and closely packed.
·         Examine the tip  of the lock. Does it break easily? Is it discoloured? You hope the answer is "no".
·         Examine the cut end of the lock, pull it. Does a bit of wool come off? If yes, there are second cuts in the wool and much may be wasted in this part which should be the best! Does the cut-end show signs of “dandruff”? It will mean less successful combing – more waste.
·         Look again at this portion of the fleece. Are the locks more or less equal in length? You want a “yes” answer. 

These tests determine whether any part of the fleece is high quality “keeper” with good tax-payment potential. If the fleece fails at this point, it may still be usable but not high quality.

If the foreleg and shoulders portion pass the test, move on to test the two “sides”, which begin part way up from the “zipper” centre belly and the back. The two sides ought to be the second best quality fleece. Examine a lock from this area.

Turn the fleece over by rolling it up from one side to the other, then turn and unroll it. Now you are examining the cut side. Is it clean? You want a “yes” answer. You do not want to see sand, dirt, debris, or many hints of second cuts.

Generally wool from the belly and back is third quality, and while it may be combable it is not “best”. It is often less dense and with less crimp.

The best book I know of on wool, including which sheep breeds go back to which historical time (ancient, 18^th C 19^th C…) and place (Cotswold, Dartmoor…) as well as the general use (carpets, upholstery, clothing, wigs…) for each breed’s wool is: In Sheep’s Clothing: A Handspinner’s Guide to Wool by Nola and Jane Fournier ISBN: 1-931499-38-1, may be available through your local library. It has excellent photos of the wool locks.