The setting of fleece

Graeme Bethune explains how the health of his sheep at this time of year is critical for the growth of good wool

- Graeme Bethune

AUTUMN IS busy on the farm, and there are big yarn shows every other week. As I write this, I've just got back from Yarndale and I have not even unpacked my boxes. I am off again tomorrow to The Knitting & Stitching show in London for a week. Somehow I squeezed in some good sheep work. I had everybody in for a good look at their body and fleece condition; to check their health and evaluate how their fleece is progressing. By the start of autumn there is already about two-thirds of the fleece set on the sheeps. Sheeps don't wait for winter to lump on the wool, they have been doing that since shearing in mid-June.