Under The Son Farm: May 2014

Friday, May 9, 2014

Lambs, Shearing, New Shop, Sales listings

Springtime on the farm is always so busy! Lambing is done, so I've been shearing . . . by hand. I take awhile to do each sheep because, for the ewes, I put them on the stand, uncoat them, trim hooves, take pictures, shear, maybe take another picture, then send them on their way. I try to shear on the rise line, so sometimes that is close to the skin and I have to go very slow. This gives me a premium fleece, shorn just at the right time, and leaves next year's fleece just right as well. Sometimes, I have to roo part or all of the fleece, which takes time as well.

Etsy
I have finally opened an Etsy shop. https://www.etsy.com/shop/UnderTheSonFarm?ref=si_shop
It was a bit intimidating at first, but I finally got the hang of it. I'll be offering raw fleece, top, roving, yarn, hides, and custom drum carded roving. You can always just contact me directly though or come to the farm!

Ewe Microns
Adult ewe micron stats came back and I'm VERY pleased with the results! Most of the ewes have fleeces that are low grade 2, which is where I want them. A low grade two fleece is fine and soft enough for almost any project you want to make with it. There are a few grade ones, and only one grade three by SF. Combine that with a 5.2 SD, an 18.8 CV, and a 9.1 CEM ewe flock avg and you've got the best breed type Shetland spinning fleeces you could ask for.

Sales
I'm starting my sales listings early this year for the sheep. We need to move several and I'm not going to keep many of the lambs this year. I REALLY like my flock as it stands so keeping lots of lambs doesn't make much sense. This is your opportunity to capitalize on some really good stock. Next year there will be fewer purebred lambs available as I'll be putting most of the ewes to the crossing ram.

Adults listed are proven and I have genetics from most of them already in the flock.

I'm keeping several yearlings and all of these listed that are for sale are basically duplicates of others that I'm keeping. This means that the quality of them is similar to the fawn kat ewe lambs I showed at WSWF last fall. Those two placed as first place pair ewe lambs and Coolea (Stronsay/Chenille) won 1st place ewe lamb. Stronsay had several daughters last year as well as some this year, and I'm already keeping several of them.

Sheep Sales listing:

Adult Rams
There are a couple for sale. Please inquire.

Adult Ewes
Ewe Name	YOB	NASSA #	Sire Name	Dam Name	Color	Comments
UTS Britta	2006	S 22099	UTS Brandon	Sabbath Farm Rosamund	emsket	RESERVED
UTS Ruby	2006	S 22086	UTS Brandon	Underhill Crystal Gayle	moorit/fawn
UTS Morel	2007	S 24635	Drum Jings	Thistle Keep Prairie Smoke	black iset
UTS Paxina	2007	S 24632	UTS Cleggan	UTS Prairie Wind	white
UTS Galerina	2007	S 24637	UTS Brandon	SheltrgPines Guinevere	emsket
UTS Onyx	2009	S 29556	Bramble McDreamie	UTS Piemonte	shaela
Whistlestop 0929	2009	S 30652	Whistlestop 0727	Whistlestop 0702	white
UTS Jasmine	2010	S 31254	UTS Broderick	UTS Taos	fawn kat
S'More Rumba	2011	S33848	UTS Apache	S'More Spunky	fawn
UTS Fara	2012	S 35993	UTS Dungaree	UTS Ellie	Moorit


UTS Chaumes	2013	S 37947	UTS Earl Grey	UTS Cypress	fawn kat
UTS Anjou	2013	S 37941	UTS Stronsay	UTS Jasmine	fawn kat
UTS Galette	2013	S 37939	UTS Stronsay	UTS Galerina	Lt. Moorit
UTS Raschera	2013		UTS Stronsay	UTS Ruby	Moorit
UTS Anari	2013	S 37932	UTS Stronsay	UTS Assam	white

I'm only keeping a few lambs, mostly emskets (to replace older gals who I'm moving on to help other flocks), and a handful of other ewe lambs. Some ram lambs that are being retained to replace sires (I need a Dreamie replacement so looking at a couple of his sons) and a couple of other nice ones to watch.

I'm just beginning to evaluate lambs so the comments are not filled in except with the briefest of notes. Fleeces on most of the lambs are typical, meaning that it is a crimpy coat with a few birth hairs - which will turn into a breed typical crimpy fleece. Dog coats normally lose the hair around 3 months and will become crimpy to very crimpy. Wavy fleeces can stay wavy or get crimpy (usually several months). The two modified emsket rams lambs will either be a silky wavy or get crimpier. My emskets are very silky soft and the yarn from them is my best seller (I don't sell those fleeces!).

2014 Lambs
Dam	Sire		DOB		Color	Comments
Madeline	Castello	R	3/17	tw	emsket	NFS until further evaluation, wavy silky fleece
Cinnerella	Castello	R	3/23	tr	emsket - few wh hairs on head	scurred, wavy, silky fleece
Pashmina	Dreamie	E	3/17	tw	grey kat
Moreen	Dreamie	E	3/18	tw	moorit
Moreen	Dreamie	E	3/18	tw	black
Chenille	Dreamie	R	3/24	tw	moorit w/frosted ear
WS bl 0932	Dreamie	R	3/25	Tw	black	Wavy coat
WS bl 0932	Dreamie	R	3/25	Tw	black	supercrimp
Ceann	Stronsay	R	3/24	Tw	Black HST	small horns/scurred
Ceann	Stronsay	R	3/24	Tw	black	scurred
Colla	Stronsay	E	3/24	tw	Ag grey spotted
Colla	Stronsay	R	3/24	tw	Ag grey yuglet	big horns
Kerrara	Stronsay	E	3/25	Tw	fawn kat
Marina	Stronsay	R	3/25	Tw	grey kat
Vaila	Stronsay	E	3/26	Tw	black with a bit of white hairs on head	Pet Q
Iona	Stronsay	E	3/30	Tw	black krunet	dog coat
Iona	Stronsay	R	3/30	Tw	black	Wavy coat
S'More Rhapsody	Stronsay	E	3/31	Tw	mooritHST
S'More Rhapsody	Stronsay	R	3/31	Tw	moorit HST
Innis	Venaco	E	3/21	tw	dk moorit smirslet
Arran	Venaco	E	3/22	s	black	wavy, silky, stocky
Mercure	Venaco	E	3/22	tw	Ag grey kat spotted
Mercure	Venaco	R	3/22	tw	black krunet	wavy silky dog coat, big horns
Damask	Venaco	E	3/25	Tr	black
Damask	Venaco	E	3/25	Tr	moorit
Damask	Venaco	R	3/25	Tr	grey kat	scurred, supercrimp
Shannda	Venaco	E	3/25	Tw	moorit krunet, 2 rear socks	hairy dog coat
Shannda	Venaco	R	3/25	Tw	moorit HST kat
S'More Giga	Venaco	E	3/26	TW	black spotted kat
S'More Giga	Venaco	E	3/26	TW	moorit spotted kat
S'More Maraca	Venaco	E	3/26	Tw	grey kat
S'More Maraca	Venaco	R	3/26	Tw	grey kat
Spice	Venaco	R	3/26	TW	moorit HST	scurred
Spice	Venaco	R	3/26	TW	grey kat spotted	scurred

Here are a few pics of the sale lambs.

Kerrara's fawn kat ewe

Colla and her twins. Ram has good horns.

Cinerelle and her triplets. The scurred ram is in middle. I'm retaining one of the ewe lambs and the other is reserved.

Spice's grey kat ram.

Innis's smirslet moorit ewe.

Innis's again.

Iona's black krunet ewe.

Colla's grey ewe again.

Moreen's twin ewes.

Chenille's moorit ram. His right ear is frosted. His black brother is being retained for the moment as a Dreamie son replacement.

Arran's black ewe.

Giga's fawn kat spotted ewe.

Vaila's black ewe lamb.

Fara and her moorit ram lamb.

Shannda's moorit krunet ewe.

Rhapsody and her twins. Sheared Rhapsody this morning and she is a silver fawn color.

There are more to post but need to get back out and shear some more ewes!

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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Friday, May 9, 2014

Lambs, Shearing, New Shop, Sales listings

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