The boys are shorn in the spring using old-fashioned hand shears in the spring, and sometimes again in the fall. I take it slow and and try hard to keep the guys comfortable and stress-free.Sometimes this means letting someone walk around around half-shorn for a while if they get antsy and uncooperative.
A sheep-to-sweater project can take as long as six months to complete, depending on size and complexity.
Each garment is made to order, using your measurements, preferences and design specifications. The process can be documented for a small additional cost.
If you are interested in a handcrafted custom sweater, contact me directly using the Contact Form.
| Size | Yardage req’d | Approx. Knit Time | Base Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child | 400 | 8 | 100 |
| Adult Small | 800 | 16 | 200 |
| Adult Medium | 1200 | 24 | 280 |
| Adult Large | 1600 | 32 | 350 |
| All prices subject to adjustment based upon project specifications. | |||
Raw fleece can be pretty dirty. Some of what is in the fleece comes from the sheep themselves, like lanolin and suint (sheep sweat). There can be a fair amount of dirt and sometimes some hay/straw that gets tossed around at mealtime. I wash fleece in small batches (about one pound) with a mild detergent and dry them in the sun (when it’s available).
Before spinning, it is generally necessary to separate and align the fibers to ensure a smooth and consistent result. A drum carder (pictured) is immensely helpful to getting this done fairly quickly and efficiently. Fibers come off the large drum in a sheet called a “batt”, and I usually wrap them up in little balls to keep them neat and tidy until they are spun.
Hand carding results in smaller batches of fibers, which are generally rolled off the carders into “rolags”.
