Frequently Asked Questions

The first section will be for those who haven't purchased an entire fleece before and would like to branch out from commercially prepared rovings.

Home Processing

This takes a little time but not much actual work if you have a washing machine.  Of course you can also wash your fleece in the bathtub or outdoors in a series of buckets.  But let's stick with the washing machine for now.  When you get your fleece, carefully unwrap it outside on a table and just admire how wonderful a fleece is.  Now start taking your fleece apart in approximately 1lb sections.  Lingerie or mesh bags can be helpful for washing but in my experience not necessary, if you have some put a section in a bag.  Half fill your washing machine with warm water (110-115F) and add the detergent of your choice.  I use Seventh Generation laundry liquid; others use dishwashing liquid, shampoo or Orvis Paste.    After the tub has filled add your fleece and gently poke it down.  Now you can leave this to soak for 20-30 min. before letting the tub drain out and spinning the fleece - just find the spot on your machine's cycle where spinning happens without water.  Remove the fleece, bring more warm water in, add your detergent, then the fleece after the tub has filled like before. Let soak 20 min. or so and then spin out.  Now at this point I would myself, do a rinse soak, so same as before but without the detergent; 2 washes usually seem enough and the yarn will be washed later anyway. After spinning, set the fleece out over an old window screen across the arms of an outdoor chair.  The next day I flip the fleece over, tease open any dense areas and let dry that day.  Unless very humid,  a fleece should be dry after 2 days.  At that point you can store it in a pillowcase or paper sack but please not a plastic bag.  For those who prefer to wash outside there are great directions in Alden Amos' book of Handspinning.

Sending a fleece to a Mill or Processor

Just make arrangements with the mill of your choice, they will charge you for the services requested and after shearing, skirting & weighing I will send it off to them under your name.  This will save you some postage costs and streamline things.  I will send you a note just so you know when it left and how much it weighed.

How does this adoption work?

Glad you asked!  This is a no strings attached way for you to become a virtual shepherd.  You pick out the sheep, send in half the adoption fee and pay the balance with the postage added after shearing.  During the year you will get updates about your sheep, the farm in general and if this is a gift I'll send an ecard too.  We shear in March, every weekend, and those sheep adopted are done first so that you don't have to wait.  After shearing, I skirt and willow the fleece, carefully wrap it up and weigh it so that the postage costs are actual & accurate.  After your final check is received the fleece will be sent out ASAP,  'cause as one lady has said "I can't wait to get my hands on it!"  An adoption runs from the time we get your deposit check until shearing, then we start over.  You can  reserve the same sheep or change around.  We hope and are sure that you'll find our sheeps' fleeces so wonderful that you too will become part of our farm family.  And to that end we also hope that you will send us ideas, suggestions and encouragement!