FFSSA launched!

The launch of the Fine Fleece Shetland Sheep Association is official!  We are a group of serious breeders of fine fleeced Shetland sheep that adhere to the 1927 Shetland breed standard as clarified by the Shetland Sheep Society's Appendix A.  FFSSA is all about education and the promotion of our sheep and wool products.

Background:  The men who gathered to form a Shetland Flock Book Trust in 1926 wanted to preserve the native breed of sheep on Shetland.  They drew up a breed description, which is referred to as the 1927 Shetland breed standard.  The vernacular of that day and the pecularities associated with the terms used on Shetland caused much confusion in the Shetland Sheep Society in the 1990's.  Therefore, a committee was commissioned by the SSS to clarify the standard using words and phrases of the modern era (circa 1999/2000).  This committee was composed of long time Shetland breeders who had much experience with the breed.  They had visited the Shetland Islands and had quite a lot of interaction with the Flock book breeders themselves, especially since Shetland sheep were being imported to some of these UK breeders from time to time from the Island.  Some of the Flock book breeders have had Shetland sheep for generations, including before the time the standard was written.  This is an important point to remember for these are the breeders who intimately know the breed.

The result of the committee's research is what is called Appendix A.  This Appendix in no way supercedes the breed standard, but clarifies it so that we know today what the Shetland Flock Book breeders have known all along - what differentiates a breed standard Shetland sheep from other sheep.

Examples:  Why did they use the term 'wavy' instead of crimp?   Because wavy was the terminology of the Island - Islandspeak, so to say.  The word 'crimp' was not in the everyday language of the common people.   Why 'longish'?  Because Merino wool was short (~2"), and Shetland wool measured 3-5".  It was not considered 'long' because long wools and Scottish Blackface were in that category.  The Islanders knew of Merinos, and they had most definitely seen the Blackface.  Other breeds that did not fit the description of the breed were the Cheviots and Romneys, other crossing breeds used on the Island.  The Shetlanders knew of these breeds and their specific characteristics for wool, type, and bone.  They knew what they were referring to when they mentioned things such as 'fine' leg and 'nose prominent but not Roman' because they were differentiating between breeds that were used for crossing and the native breed of Shetland.

Present day:  FFSSA was formed to protect, preserve, and promote these sheep - the 1927 breed standard Shetland sheep as clarified by Appendix A.  The same goals as the Flock Book on Shetland and the SSS in the UK.   A grading system for the fleece was set up, based on a multitude of data collected from the Flock book Shetland sheep on the Shetland Islands, and purebred registered Shetland sheep from Scotland, England, Canada, and the US.  The system incorporates the wool grading scale used by Oliver Henry who is the Jamison and Smith Shetland wool grader and who has around 40 years experience in grading Shetland wool.   FFSSA has further refined the system by using the collected micron data to apply a criteria based on visual inspection (the wool itself and crimps per inch) and measured data (AFD, SD, CV) as well as conforming to the clarified standard.  This system has been set up to allow breeders the chance to have a set of standards and parameters to grade their fleeces and see how they are conforming to Shetland sheep around the world. 

FFSSA is for the breeder of fine fleece who would like education regarding the whole sheep, not just the fleece.  Correct breed type is of utmost importance.  Shetland breed type should fall within a certain set of characteristics, not as a cookie cutter breed, but as a breed with a variety of colors and markings with a fine fleece as was intended by the RBST's denoting the breed with minority status in the late 1970's (see The ARK article by Dr. SHU Bowie, 1983).  FFSSA's goal is to fulfill this intention by education and promotion of fine fleece Shetland sheep.

FFSSA is also for the buyer looking for fine Shetland fleece in any form be it raw, roving, combed top, handspun or millspun yarn, or in any number of finished knitted, woven, or felted goods.  We are here to help you find that special color in most grades of Shetland wool that you would prefer, and as our name implies, we are specializing in the finer grades.
I want to welcome all who are seriously interested in producing, preserving, and protecting fine fleece Shetland sheep and their products to visit our website at FFSSA.

Fine Shetland wool

"extra fine, soft texture, longish, wavy, and well closed".

Note:  FFSSA is NOT a registry.