Well Skited & Washed Shropshire Fleece

This fleece has been washed twice & is ready for your next project.

(It will contain small amounts of vegetable matter that will fall out with carding.)

The average staple lenght of our wool is approximately 3 inches.

100% Pure Shropshire Fiber. Price is $5.99 per 4 oz.

 Sorry ! We are currently Sold Out of Raw, Washed Fiber for 2012. 

We will have more available in the spring of 2013.

If you would like to be updated when our 2013 wool clip is available for purchase, feel free to send us your e-mail address & we will send you a notification.  Thank you!

[email protected]

A little More about Shropshire Sheep & Wool....

Typically considered a meat breed today, the shropshire sheep breed is indeed a dual purpose sheep.  It was once prized for it's lovely fiber, especially suited for wool yarn, but as wool prices dropped throughout the ages, people seemed to disregard this lovely asset. Such a shame!  Shropshire wool is simply a delight to with which to work and possess some very unique characteristics that make it a great fiber. We hope that you will agree.

Excerpt from Wikipedia-
"By the 1930s the Shropshire had been dubbed in the USA as "the farm flock favorite". But in the 1940s US breeders began producing Shropshires with more wool cover and decreased size. This led to the breed having increased wool cover around the eyes, and thus needing to be trimmed around the eyes for better sight. This hindrance and overall loss of size led to the numbers of the breed decreasing among American farmers. They were no longer the most popular breed of sheep, and became increasingly rare around the world, even in its homeland.
 
In the 1950s, some progressive Shropshire breeders began going back to the original traits that made the breed so popular. They imported some select open faced Shropshire rams from England with larger size, which helped once again to produce a breed of sheep with medium size and good wool and meat production. The Shropshire became an increasing popular breed among farmers with their ability to adapt to varying environments.
 
Despite its popularity in the early 1900s, today the traditional Shropshire sheep is considered a rare breed. However the modern Shropshire is rising in popularity as a show sheep, especially in the mid-west. Its gentle nature and medium size makes it very popular with 4H exhibitors. The mature weights for modern Shropshire rams are between 225 and 250 pounds and between 150 and 180 pounds for the females." 

Read on to learn all about the wool...


Wool Classification: Down
Staple Length: 2-4 inches
Fleece Weight per Animal: 4-6 lbs
Yield Grade Average: 70%
Handle: Soft, Springy, resilient, great memory, loft & bulk


Grade
Old Blood Grade: 3/8 Blood
Numerical Count 60's to 54's
Micron 24-32.5


Shropshire wool is a down type fiber.  What exactly is a "down fiber"?

Shropshires originated from the English Down country, meaning low lying areas as opposed to the hill country.  Down fiber has a spiral crimp, unique to down breeds of sheep. This spiral crimp gives shropshire wool many of it's wonderful qualities.  The elasticity, spring & loft is unlike other types of wool.  The fiber also has great memory, meaning it does not crease or fold easily and gives beautiful stitch definition.  The wool has a soft handle with little luster, appearing more "matte" than some types of wool.



Can Shropshire fiber be felted?

Shropshire wool can be needle felted. In fact, it is excellent for felting dense, tight cores with little to no halo.



What about wet felting?

Shropshire wool is highly resistant to wet felting.  Being a down type fiber, it is naturally comparable to "super washed" wool.  In fact, some people claim they have washed & dried shropshire wool items in the washer & dryer & had little to no felting or shrinkage!  I haven't tried this myself, so I can't recommend this.



Why is the fiber "felt resistant?"

All hairs or fibers of animals are covered in tiny microscopic scales...picture a fish covered in scales.  When wool is felted the process of dunking in hot water causes the scales to open; like little umbrellas.  The swishing motion then causes all the little scales to stick together.  The more & more the fiber & water are agitated, the more it sticks together, until...you have felt!  The scales on the fiber of shropshires are very few & spaced widely apart.  It is the closeness and the number of scales that determines the feltablity of the fiber.  Thus, shropshire fiber is naturally felt resistant.



What about Spinning / Yarn?

Shropshire sheep fiber is best spun into a medium to thin yarn. It has a soft, bouncy, unique handle with a spiral crimp.  It blends very nicely with long wool fiber to add even more resilience and some sheen to the yarn's appearance.  Pure shropshire wool yarn makes spectacular knitted and crocheted items. It is soft enough to be worn next to the skin, yet durable enough for sweaters or blankets as well.  The spectacular "felt resistance" nature of the shropshire wool yarn makes it especially great for socks, hats, mittens, scarfs and outerwear that may need more frequent washing. Although it is highly felt resistant, it is still recommended to wash items made of wool yarn in cold water by hand & lay flat to dry.



Can I dye my Shropshire fleece / Roving / Wool Yarn?

Yes! Shropshire fiber & Wool Yarn dye very well with great steadfastness. Metallic or organic dyes will adhere well to the fiber.  There is very little, if any kemp in shropshire yarns or rovings.  Hand dyed yarn or items make beautiful, one of kind work.  Let your artistic touch go wild!



Please enjoy browsing through our Country Store, we offer only 100% Shropshire Wool & Woolen Products produced from our flock in southwest Wisconsin.  All Natural Honey & Hive Products are also available.
                                                            Thank you for visiting!

To learn more about Sugar Ridge Ranch's Shropshire Sheep & Shropshire Wool Products, please visit

http://jondstephenson.com/All_About_Shropshires.html