Thoughts on preparing her fleece

Belle was a sheep rescued by Caroline of The Woolly Patchwork Sheep Sanctuary near Lampeter. She had been used for breeding and for wool but as she was getting older she and her daughter, Bonnet, were going to be sent for slaughter the following spring with another frightened little soul, Blue. They weren’t really cared for in their last winter on the farm and all were bags of bones, not suitable even for slaughter. Caroline was able to rescue them.

To tell you more about Belle, I think it’s probably best if I simply quote from Caroline’s page from when Belle died in April this year.

Belle was the sweetest, most gentle little ewe. The smallest ewe I’ve ever had in the flock. A Bowmont, which is a cross between a Merino and a Shetland, bred for very fine wool, which Belle had.

I rescued her from going to slaughter on 11th April 2018 along with Bonnet, who I believe was her daughter and Blue. I don’t know exactly how old she was but I believe late teens.

Whilst deeply saddened by Belle’s passing, I’m comforted by the knowledge that she had five happy, carefree years here and was able to spend her last days surrounded by her friends in a warm, safe, loving environment.

Belle may be gone, but she will always be remembered as an individual, who’s life meant something.

I will never forget her little “gimme a biccit” pleading face, which was impossible to resist.

How I came to have Belle’s fleece

I’d been reading about Bowmont sheep having soft fleeces so looked on Caroline’s Facebook page to see if she had one (Caroline sells the fleeces to help raise money for her rescues). And there I saw Bonnet. The only other Bowmont fleece Caroline had was from poor Belle. Her fleece was left over from 2022 when it didn’t sell. I had to have them both.

I washed sweet Belle’s fleece a couple of days ago. It was heavy with lanolin as many fine fleeces are. Apparently, because of the fine fleece, more lanolin is needed to keep the rain off. So, the fleece took several washings in soft soap and several rinsings. There is still quite a bit of lanolin in, but that’s ok. It’s clean and more will come out after I spin it. Despite being hung out to dry for some time it’s still a bit damp. If we don’t get a dry day soon I shall put it on a heated air-drier.

Belle’s fleece is quite matted and I don’t want to spoil it. It is beautifully soft. So, I have been experimenting with the best was to prepare it for spinning. I think putting it through a drum carder may well tear it. I tried using combs, which worked, but made a lot of waste. In the end, flick carding seemed to best option.

And, I am hoping that the results will due justice to Belle. She was a very lucky sheep. Thank you Caroline for giving her such love in her final years.

Here she is on Caroline’s Facebook page in 2022.

Here she is on Caroline’s Facebook page in 2022:

“Little old Belle is hilarious! After all this time she’s finally developed a love of biccits  You can also see she has a love of her molassed smallholder block!!!

Every morning and night and often in between she comes to ask for her special treat. Who could resist that little face and velvet nose?”