Under The Son Farm: Lambs and a peek at a finished project

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Lambs and a peek at a finished project

Warning - picture heavy.

I dewormed the lambs again on Thursday. Yeah, all 100 of them . . . by myself. It's actually not too bad. At least this time I didn't have to tag them. But, I separated out the purebred ram lambs and ewe lambs from the adults and the crossbred lambs so that I could get some group shots. Wonderful conformations and fabulous fleeces on this bunch!! I'm having a VERY hard time trying to decide who to take to the Wisconsin show in Sept. And I need to do it quickly!

I know which ones I'm keeping. That wasn't a problem. Not nearly as many in years past. I will hang on to a few ram lambs because they are so nice. You can ask about which ones are for sale (but I did list them individually on the last post). Please give me a holler soon as we'll be shipping those we aren't keeping shortly, regardless of quality!!

I also have 13 crossbred (Cheviot/Shetland) ewe lambs available for commercial stock. Wow! Huge girls. Will be great ewes for a grass-fed market lamb flock. Also, if you are in need of a crossbred ram or would like to butcher one, I didn't wether the Cheviot/Shetland boys this year. I'll send them to market soon, so ask if you are interested.

Scene across the pond yesterday morning. It is good to live in the country.

Ewe Lambs

(and 3 yearling ewes - 1 moorit and 2 whites)

the moorit in the center is a yearling (FS)

the white ewe in front is a yearling (FS)

Ram Lambs

Fleece shot of Keemun's spotted fawn kat (FS)

Fleece shot of one of the black rams (FS)

Fleece shot of Blue Castello (Stronsay/Jade). He is turning gloriously blue and is extremely soft and very fine. This ram lamb I'll use on my modified ewes for a mioget and emsket lamb crop next year. The group will only be about 4 or 5 ewes.

Another probable keeper ram lamb. No, he is nowhere near as crimpy as the above rams, but so what? Crimp is a good indicator of fineness, but not always. Shetlands are not cookie cutter sheep and this ram is very silky and fine! That is a trait that I value highly and the fleece style is just a bit different. Actually, the fleeces of all of the above are not the same on the outside. Similar, yes, and within the range of the diversity of the breed. It's when you start losing the crimp structure altogether or don't have any in the first place is where the boundaries of the standard and the breed are compromised.

A couple of crossbred lambs with their mother. And these two are about the last born ones!

And finally, a sneak peak at my just finished handspun lace shawl! I love it! Six days to spin (and spun almost twice as much as what I used), and 14 days to knit. Not bad for me.

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Welcome to Under The Son blog!

There are about 50 Shetland sheep on our farm during the winter months and over 100 with the lambs in the spring time. Most patterns along with a few spotted sheep are here on the farm. I specialize in breeding classic fine fleeced Shetlands that are the hallmark of the Shetland wool industry and have been for hundreds of years.

Blogs posted will be relevant to our Shetland sheep farm goals such as working towards a classic type fleece - a fine to very fine, dense, silky, lustrous, 3-6" Shetland fleece, raising conformational correct pure Shetlands and growthy Shetland cross market lambs, as well as all manner of Shetland fleece production through to the finished products.

I am a spinner, weaver, knitter, felter, crocheter, dyer, soaper and have done all manner of other crafty things such as basketry, beaded jewelry, sewing, quilting, cross-stitch, etc.

Wool for sale includes raw fleece, washed fleece, rovings, spinning batts, quilt or comfortor batts, felt yardage, handspun yarns, millspun yarns, and finished knitted, woven, or felted goods such as fingerless gloves, purses, scarves, shawls, ponchos, ruanas, vests, jackets, and blankets.

Vist my Ravelry group for even more information. http://www.ravelry.com/groups/fine-shetland-wool

About Shetland Sheep

Shetland sheep are a heritage breed dating back a thousand years or more and are related to Soay sheep. They have primitive characteristics such as a naturally short fluke shaped tail, wool that 'roos' or sheds in the springtime, small size, and fine bone. They are famous first and foremost for their fine, soft, naturally colored wool that is very lightweight and warm. This wool was one of the two pillars of the Shetland Island economy for centuries.

Shetlands, the 'kindly' (soft) wooled native breed of sheep, were preserved because the Shetland wool industry was facing extinction with the the infiltration of coarse long wooled big sheep on the island. Steps were taken, such as the writing of the breed standard and paid ram incentives, to ensure the existence of this rare native breed and the continued existence of the woolen industry that employed so many of the women of Shetland.

Garments made from breed standard 'kindly' Shetland wool can be next-to-the-skin soft scarves to warm, soft outerwear sweaters. It is a fine wool with crimp (called 'wave' by the writers of the standard) and is normally used for knitted garments with good memory such as stockings/socks, hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, shawls, under clothing, and the famous Shetland sweaters. It is a 'longish' wool, around 3-6", depending on crimp. It is sometimes good for felting and some fleeces are very silky. As it is a heritage breed, there is quite a bit of diverseness found within the breed, especially in the colors and patterns that run the gamut of browns, blacks, greys, and white as well as spots and patterns. All in all, it is one of the premier handspinning fleeces to be found.

From the Shetland Sheep Society

"Shetland sheep have for generations been noted for their very soft and well crimped fleece. The wool is the finest of all native breeds and shows an amazing variety of colours and patterns. There are 11 main whole colours and 30 recognised markings.

By selecting from coloured fleeces a range of naturally coloured yarn can be produced. This eliminates the need for dyeing and therefore retains the soft feel of the natural fibre and is favoured by those who prefer a totally natural approach.

Shetland wool fibres are of a simple construction witha central cortex covered by a thin scaly cuticle, and have an average diameter of about 23 microns. However there is a range from 10-20 microns for neck and shoulder wool to 25to 35 microns for britch wool. the average staple length is 3.5 inches. The amount of crimp varies, and is most important in providing the 'bounce' required for knitwear. There is a positive correlation between fineness and crimp, with wool of the finest quality being crimped at between 8 and 12 to the inch. Wool from shetland sheep is used to produce gossamer lace, the famous 'Fair Isle' knitwear, and fine tweeds. Pure bred Shetland sheep tend to shed their fleece in sprin. The growth of new fleece can cause a rise or weak point and where this is present the fleece can sometimes be plucked or 'rooed' by hand. The timing of this can be different in each sheep, however, it is worth taking the care to get it right as rooed fleece can be amongst the softest because the fibres have no harsh cut ends as occurs with a sheared fleece.

Shetland fleece can be handspun straight from the fleece or made into rolags and then woollen spun. It can also be sorsted spun by hand, used on a peg loom or handwoven. It also felts well using either dry or wet methods. When processed commercially the wool can be made into the finest lightweight worsted cloth or heavier weight, harder wearing fabrics and tweeds."

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Saturday, July 13, 2013

Lambs and a peek at a finished project

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