Shetland Fleeces for Sale

As soon as our flock of Shetland sheep have finished lambing, we will be having them sheered.  If you wish to reserve a fleece in advance please contact us.

Colours of fleeces for sale 2010

We will have the following colours available once shearing and sorting has been completed:

 Black                   -    Black

 Grey gulmoget      -    Dark grey body with light grey belly

 Grey bersugget     -    In various shades of grey

 Katmoget             -    Light fawn coloured body and darker colour on belly

 Moorit                  -    Reddish brown

 Fawn                   -    Very pale brown

 Prices

We clean the raw fleece of all traces of urine and faecal material including vegetable matter as much as possible prior to posting. This way you are not paying for wool that is unusable.  The postage will reflect the price of the skirted fleece.

Please telephone or e-mail Sue@ShetlandsheepinFrance.com to confirm availability of your fleece choice. We will need an email address as well as a postal address so that we can calculate the cheapest method of postage. Once this is done we will send you an email advising you of the full price of your chosen fleece including postage.  Upon receipt of your cheque we will dispatch the fleece.

Pure Black                  7,00 EUR Per Kilo

Gray Gulmoget            4.50 EUR per Kilo

Gray Bersugget           7,00 EUR per Kilo

Katmoget                    4,50 EUR per Kilo

Moorit                         4,50 EUR per Kilo

Fawn                           4.50 EUR per Kilo

 

Shetland Wool

"Shetland Wool, taking all its properties together, is perhaps the completest article of the kind in the universe, possessing at the same time, the gloss and softness of silk, the strength of cotton, the whiteness of linen, and the warmth of wool."
Sir John Sinclair
September 22, 1790

Shetland sheep are noted worldwide for their very soft and well crimped fleece. The wool is the finest of all native British breeds and posses an amazing wide range of colours and patterns. In total 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 with a central cortex covered by a thin scaly cuticle, and have an average diameter of about 23 microns. However there is a range from 10 to 20 microns for neck and shoulder wool to 25 to 35 microns for britch wool. The average staple length is 3.5 inches. The amount of crimp varies, and is 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 spring. 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 hand spun straight from the fleece or made into rolags and then woollen spun. It can also be worsted spun by hand, used on a peg loom or hand woven. 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.