Finished up the last three guys this weekend!
It all went pretty smoothly,, but my back and legs are really shot.
Here is Griff making his wool donation-
(And Edgar making sure that Griff doesn’t get all the attention.)
Freshly shorn, with the next volunteers waiting in the shed behind
Short video of Felix’s haircut in progress:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC-a0mP15eY&w=480&h=390]
And all the boys in their birthday suits:
That wasn’t so bad, right guys?
Here are some samples from the harvest:
Clockwise from bottom left: Griff, Chone, Edgar, Felix/Frank (they are pretty much the same, and got jumbled together)
Neat, eh? I was thinking that Griff and Edgar were pretty much the same color, but it turns out that underneath, Griff is a much more walnuty-smokey brown, where Edgar is a more reddish tone. Griffs is also a bit shorter and crimpier, where Edgar’s is more wavy. Hurray for variety!
I combed up a little bit of Felix and Chone this afternoon.
I’m mighty anxious to take this for a test spin,, but there are just not enough hours in the weekend.
Girl, as fast as you work, I’m surprised you don’t have a Fair Isle vest made out of your harvest already! hee
heh heh heh. I don’t have the patience for colorwork right now 🙂
You are fast. I cannot believe you got anything done after the wool cuts. It is interesting to see the difference between the brothers’ fleeces.
I can’t believe I did either. were were both pretty well done for after shearing saturday and hooves sunday. just can’t keep my hands off the wool, though! And I am really glad that they are so different, variety bein’ the spice of life, and all.
This is so exciting to see. I even called my husband in to look at the photos.
I just love the idea of shearing your own sheep, carding and spining your own wool and making something with your own sheep’s yarn.. The whole process is so organic and complete.
I would love to have a few sheep. Are there some breeds that do well in really hot summer weather?
I love this breed that you have (the most beautiful faces) but I suspect that they wouldn’t do well in our hot foothill summers.
These photos are wonderful!!
Thanks- I think that’s what I like so much about the process.
Having the sheepers has really deepened my appreciation for the fiber, There are prbably sheep for almost any climate. Maybe something like a navajo churro or a karakul cross would work?
Boy that white is positively gorgeous and long!
Such cute and friendly little critters. They are tiny sheep…how old are they?
Yeah, it sure is. Think I’m going to do a little feature on the Franklin/Felix wool next weekend. It is long, soft, lustrous, and springy. Frank and Felix were born last April, so they’re almost a year old, and the colored guys are just a few weeks younger. They look so much tinier now that they are shorn!