FINNSHEEP Raw Fleece, Light Silver Grey, Carolina 2022, 3 pounds 3.1 ounces, free shipping

This is Carolina’s 2022 Raw Fleece. Carolina is a purebred young finnsheep ewe that was coated/ jacketed much of the year. Very low on VM (vegetable matter- hay, straw, grass from the pasture). I skirted this myself. I’m a hand spinner as well as a shepherd. I dislike VM as much as the next spinner…in fact, maybe more so. I get a little ruthless about skirting and removing all wool that has VM in it so you are only getting nice wool with Point of View Farm fleeces.

It weighs 3 pounds 3.1 ounces. She is not coated all year long so you will find some VM in there but not very much, I promise. I spent a good amount of time on the skirting table picking out any stray hay bits I found making sure that this fleece is as nice a spinning experience as possible.  My skirting notes are that this fleece is clean, almost no vm, silky and full of luster.   Nice one.  Show quality.

Carolina was born at Point of View Farm in 2016 and has produced lovery fleeces each year as well as being and outstanding ewe and mother to her lambs.  If you have visited the farm in person, it is quite likely she greeted you.  She loves attention and treats, especially orange peels.  Weird but, she does.  She is nearing retirement from our program because we have kept a few of her ewe lambs.  She will stay on here as a wool producer in her senior years and continue to greet visitors.  Stay tuned for future grey fleeces from her.

Raw fleece means it has not been washed yet so it will smell like a sheep and need washing either before or after spinning (if you like to spin in the grease- this fleece would be a candidate for that). Violet’s fleece was carefully and professionally shorn New Zealand style (in a single piece) by a shearer who takes pride in his work, is careful, gentle and knows what he is doing. It is not easy work but, a good shearer makes it look easy. Our shearer has shorn all our award winning fleeces at Rhinebeck and Maryland Fleece show and sales for many years. He has been shearing sheep for decades and he helped mentor us when we were new shepherds. In kind, we do the same for shepherds as well. We very much appreciate his quality shearing and sheep handling skills. He is good at what he does. He’s fun and always has a joke and good story to tell.