FINNSHEEP Raw Fleece, Sienna 2022, 2 pounds 5.3 ounces, fawn, free shipping (Copy)

This is Siennas’s 2002 Raw Fleece. Sienna is a purebred finnsheep that was coated/ jacketed most of the year. Low on VM (vegetable matter- hay, straw, grass from the pasture). I skirted this fleece 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. That being said, I took a photo of the spine area near her shoulder which has a bit of tiny VM. I noted that. It’s is not a big area but we are al about full disclosure. I didn’t want to skirt that out because wool there is so crimpy and nice. If you don’t want it OR want it bagged and separated prior to shipping, I am happy to do that if you let me know.

It weighs 2 pounds 5.3 ounces. Sienna puts her energy into growing some nice wool this year. Way to go Sienna. Did I mention she gave birth to quads this year? She did! The portrait of her was taken in the barn in the evening while she was watching over her little lambs. Such a good mama.

Raw fleece means it has not been washed yet so it will smell like a sheep and need washing either before or after spinning. The fleece was carefully and professionally shorn off Sienna 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. This 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 is a good friend. Your purchase helps not only support our farm but his farm as well. The great big circle of the fiber world connects us all.

Sienna was born at Point of View Farm in 2018. Her technical color genetics are a brown based agouti blue. She is registered as a brown badgerface. In lay terms, that means she displays (phenotype) both a color and a pattern. The pattern (agouti blue) ‘makes’ portions of her brown fleece lighter, mostly the saddle area. Since this is the wool area you purchase when you buy a coated fleece from us much of what is in the bag is her lighter colored fawn wool (and why is is labeled as so). It is a creamy light color. Not white but, very very light. Generally, the brown portions of her fleece have been skirted off however, I have left as much of the brown portions that I thought were useable for you so you get the variations in color.

Finnsheep fleece takes dye like a dream and would also blend beautifully with other wools where you want to add luster and drape. It is also known to felt quite nicely. I often like to dye these lighter fleeces when I’m in a rainbow mood because the base color already gives a bit of depth to build on color wise.