Care of the fleece begins at shearing time

Claire Boley gives a guide to sorting and storing a fleece so it’s in good condition for spinning

- Claire Boley

After shearing has taken place and if the fleece is not going to be used straight away for hand spinning, take the fleece to a clean/clear area of concrete to take a closer look at the fibre and then sort it.

Fleece sorting is the dividing up of the different parts of the fleece, it is critical to get this right. If using just one fleece for a project you need to make sure that there is consistency in both colour and evenness. If different parts of the fleece are used it may spoil the appearance as different areas of a fleece differ considerably in texture. If using two fleeces for one project make sure they have the same length staple and the wool comes from the same part of the fleece.

Release the neck band which is securing the fleece then unroll it out on the concrete to its full length and open out each side making sure the tips of the wool locks are facing upwards and the fibres that were closest to the sheep before shearing are facing the floor.