{"id":7191,"date":"2021-11-20T07:41:28","date_gmt":"2021-11-20T06:41:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/waltin.se\/josefinwaltinspinner\/?p=7191"},"modified":"2021-11-20T07:41:32","modified_gmt":"2021-11-20T06:41:32","slug":"fleece-happens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/waltin.se\/josefinwaltinspinner\/fleece-happens\/","title":{"rendered":"Fleece happens"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sometimes fleece happens. Sometimes I buy more than I can handle. Here is how I handle my unhandleable amounts of fleece, through note taking, sorting, washing, drying, picking and storing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most important fleece buying period for me is the late autumn. This is usually when the best fleece is shorn in Sweden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Autumn shearing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first shearing of the year is usually in late winter when the lanolin content is higher, the sheep are in the stable and the lambs take a lot if the energy from the ewes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Newly
Newly shorn autumn fleece from a Swedish Gestrike sheep.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Come October the sheep have grazed on fresh pastures all summer and without lambs in their wombs. The wool shorn this time of year has usually grown since just before lambing and the tired, greasy and vm-y fleece is all gone. Read more about shearing in this blog post<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fleece championships<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The autumn is also when the Swedish fleece championships happen. After the medalist have been revealed most of the fleeces are sold on an auction. This is an event that I won’t miss \u2013 the best of the best in one place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Fleece happened. Nypon (Rose hip), a silver medal winning finull fleece.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For a few tips on finding a fleece, check out this blog post, Finding a fleece<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fleece happens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So autumn with the general autumn shearing and the fleece championships is the a time when I buy lots of fleeces. I tell myself that it’s my only chance this year and I tend to buy just a few more than I have time and space for. I still end up buying in the spring. As it turns out, fleece happens in the spring too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometime too much fleece happens. The oldest fleeces get brittle and and the fibers break. They end up as mulching in the garden. A terrible waste spinwise. Therefore I need to think twice when I buy a new fleece, store them wisely and plan the order in which I spin them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n