• Four Winds Farm
    • about the dream
  • Shear Bliss
    • fleeces
    • handspun yarns
    • handmade items
    • knitting patterns
    • events and links
  • Jacob Sheep
    • Our Flock
    • Sheep For Sale
    • lamb gallery
  • sheep thrills blog
  • woolgathering
  • Four Winds Farm
    • about the dream
  • Shear Bliss
    • fleeces
    • handspun yarns
    • handmade items
    • knitting patterns
    • events and links
  • Jacob Sheep
    • Our Flock
    • Sheep For Sale
    • lamb gallery
  • sheep thrills blog
  • woolgathering

Four Winds Fleeces

We let our sheep graze naturally, and enjoy just letting them be sheep, so fleeces do contain some VM (vegetable matter) and dirt. Most of the smaller VM will float out in the bath when washing; the larger VM is easier to pick out from washed fleece, though I have picked out and shaken out much while skirting (removing unusable wool).

To take advantage of the multi-colored fibers of Jacob fleece, when first preparing I suggest laying the whole fleece down (cut-side down) on a bedsheet and sorting into color piles. The line of fibers along the color changes that is hard to separate makes a separate pile, and will make a wonderful, variegated yarn when spun, or a nice grey if blended thoroughly when carded. To wash, put fleece in mesh bags (to keep locks of fibers together and reduce stray fibers clogging your drain). Fill a washing machine or tub with very hot water (you can barely stand your hand in it) and just a few squirts of Dawn liquid detergent. Push the fleece down gently into the water and let soak for 20 minutes. Take fleece out and drain water (you can spin the water out with the fleece in the washer, but do not ever agitate--this will felt the wool). Fill the tub again twice more with just hot water, to rinse the wool. Water should be clean when you are done. Always handle the fleece gently, to avoid felting. Spread the washed fleece out on a bed sheet or screen outside to dry.


Picture
blue areas indicate skirted wool on our fleeces


Our fleeces and wool products are completely hand-processed.
All fleeces have been skirted for undesirable wool.




Fleeces in general reflect nutrition, weather conditions and stress levels of the sheep.

Jacob ram fleeces are considerably larger than the ewe fleeces. People tend to think ram fleeces will be coarser than ewe fleeces, but our breeding rams are selected to have excellent wool, so as to pass fleece characteristics on to our lambs.

Wether fleeces
often are of extraordinary quality, as wethers (the castrated males) usually experience less stress than either bred ewes or feisty rams.

A sheep's first shearing, their hoggett fleece, is generally the best fleece that sheep will have. Their lamb wool is so soft!



listed prices include California sales tax

Shipping Information

Ordered items will be shipped by USPS as soon as payment is received. Costs are by weight of items.
Contact Lorraine by e-mail to order items; give zip code for shipping estimate.



Shearing Day 2018 will be in April or May. Check back for available fleeces. 

2017 fleeces are all sold or in use by Shear Bliss.   


e-mail me for available older fleeces
    

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  • Four Winds Farm
    • about the dream
  • Shear Bliss
    • fleeces
    • handspun yarns
    • handmade items
    • knitting patterns
    • events and links
  • Jacob Sheep
    • Our Flock
    • Sheep For Sale
    • lamb gallery
  • sheep thrills blog
  • woolgathering