I've been helping a shepherd friend with shearing and skirting. He raises lovely Romneys and consistent top quality fleeces. I wish he had many more, but he has limited land. Of the thirty two fleeces we skirted most are show quality. For the first time ever, I found a bad, broken fleece. The shepherd was in denial when I showed this to him. I pulled locks from several sections, and pulled till it broke, quite easily and consistently in the same spot. It was a young ram fleece, and he couldn't think of an explanation. That fleece went straight home with me for processing into felt in my new 81" wet felt rolling machine. I also take all of the neck wool and skirtings. Some of the neck wool will be saved for hand combing projects, ie backstrap weaving, and the rest will also wind up as felt.
Anyway, the other fleeces were great, especially the colored fleeces. The whites are really good, too, but have a little bit of cotting from the covers they wore. I reserved a very soft white and a dark grey lambs fleeces. They have to go through a whole show season till I get them. I'm glad I get to work with the "left overs".
Though this is a pointless ramble, I thought I'd see if anybody is out there on this forum. I love processing wool. therefore the wool mill.
Aunt Janet