# Shearing Day



## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Yuh gotta start somewhere.

The first we did was our chocolate heather ewe.
She was standing so nice, to begin with, I just started snipping and opened up a spot just ahead of her tail. 
Sure enough, that spot just kept getting bigger and bigger, and before we knew it, (Rachel was assisting and even took over shearing for about half that fleece) we had fleece rolling down off the sides of said chocolate heather ewe. 

When we got almost to the neck, being the obsessive/compulsive type that I am, I changed direction and started trimming the top of her head and moving toward the neck from that end, and it seemed to work really well. :huh:
So, on the next sheep, our white, ornery, presuming and uppity ewe that we named Jill........... I actually started at the head and worked toward the rear.
She didn't cooperate so good (namesake and all) and for her whiteness it was a little more difficult keeping a true cut and the wool was a completely different consistency (wonderful, down under there, but tough to gauge for a first-timer)  ) so the finished trim looks rather hodge-podge to put it nicely. :ashamed:

BUT....then there was the ram. 

I don't know what "we" named him, but he is beautiful......rich auburn at the tips and coal black underneath. What a sweater HE'S gunna make. 

Ready for photographic representations ?
I'm pretty delighted with how he sheared, and his attitude throughout.

Here be a good representation of his outer auburn.








Here we are in the thick of it. Get it ? The thick of it ? Hahahaha


















Some days really do go better than others.










After I finished the top, back and sides, I had him stand while I cleaned up his lower legs and underside. The ladies could sure take a few etiquette lessons from that dude, let me tell yuh.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

So you did them all 3 with the hand shears?
Was your arm about to fall off from that much clipping or what?

Great photos. You must of been distracted and forgot not to smile.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Of course I did them all three with hand shears. :indif:

I can see, with practice, getting my time down to 20-30 minutes per sheep.
The first one took two hours.... the last, maybe 45 minutes.

I did almost develop one blister on my shearing hand......but it calloused back, overnight. 

I also did imagine all sorts of ways, WIHH, to keep my fleecing area cleaner for next time, but, then, we wouldn't want to make life too easy for the fleece cleaner.

Just don't tell anyone that I was caught smiling.

Goodness. What a holocaust _that_ would be.


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

Found it! I bet RACHEL will do some washing!


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

HA!!!

She told me, while we were shearing, that she'd do animal chores (cuz she loves her some animal chores and stuff) and even help shear, but that was as far as she was going. The fiber handling, cleaning, spinning and knitting is woman's work, she said with a scowl.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I only had one sheep who would stand and let me clip him. My Corriedale ram, and then only to get the back portion off. I do love it when the shearer comes out. You can see how beautiful the fleece is when the new wool near the skin shows. I also have coal black sheep and that fleece is so beautiful.


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## Falls-Acre (May 13, 2009)

Beautiful black fleece there FR, I love the photos.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

FR looks great! The shearers I know usually lay down a sheet of plywood or cardboard to work on. The sheep can sort of be scooted around easier since it isn't as easy for them to gain purchase on something slippery like cardboard.


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

Forerunner said:


> Of course I did them all three with hand shears. :indif:


Had to laugh at your response as this was exactly my though process when I saw the shears. 

"He did them all by HAND?!" 

"It's Forerunner, _of course_ he did them all by hand." :smack

That's one handsome ram.


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

LOL, tell her, I would have said that too when I was her age; but now, HA! that woman's work is looking REALLY GOOD to me now!


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

You have VERY cooperative sheep, FR!

Good job. I take about 30-45 minutes per sheep, too, and I shear the same way. I have to put mine in a headgate though, there's no way they'd just stand there for a haircut and I'm not strong enough to wrestle with them. 

Nice work!


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## Mrs. Homesteader (May 10, 2002)

Wow, great job!!! I can't believe they just stayed there for you.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Well, I did have to talk him into holding still, just a little longer, half a dozen times or so.
But he was very obliging, each time.
Chocolate was pretty much the same way.

But that Jillian. :grit:


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## Ana Bluebird (Dec 8, 2002)

Absolutely unbelievable---no wonder you posted pictures---we HAVE to believe it. Thanks for sharing a rare moment.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

What's so unbelievable about it, Ana Bluebird ?


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Personally I found it quite believable.

The pics were still nice. :whistlin:


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

Life sure would be BORING without the Jillians of this world, wouldn't it! :yawn:


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I'm proud ( as my momma would say) that your sheep cooperated so well for you. Next time, maybe you should think about having them lie down in the shade? 

Our shearer used hand blades this year. He did my six in just over an hour. Before that, he did 10 others at a different farm. He tries to limit his hand cutting to 80 sheep a day!


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## Lythrum (Dec 19, 2005)

I'm impressed! I'm glad it went well for you (and the sheep). :clap:


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

And he wonders why Jillian won't spin for him ....

I don't think I've ever seen you smile that big, FR!

Great job with the sheep! Are the fleece in the vat yet?


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## Katherine in KY (May 11, 2002)

Great job, FR, and you didn't even have to tie their feet! That black fleece looks gorgeous! Keep those blades sharp, and you'll get your time down in no time.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Sharp blades are rather a specialty of mine. 

I have one in the vat and the rest waiting patiently for their turn(s).

While we're at it......

Chocolateygrayheatherwhathaveyou.... Rachel doing the shearing.









Then me......









.......and then me with that Rascal......









Yeah, yeah........ I know.......cardboard or some such for a work area keeper cleaner....... next time, promise.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Forerunner said:


> Sharp blades are rather a specialty of mine.


I was quite surprised last October at Bishop Hill Fiber Fest that you didn't have a pocket knife on you ... given your love of sharp blades. So glad you appreciated the sharpness of mine. :duel:

The one in the vat ... did you skirt it at all or just throw it in?? 

For the next two, remove the neck, belly, leg and the worst of the britchen wool and put them DEEP in the compost and just vat the "saddle" area wool.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

I used to carry a p-knife, but got to where the feel of it in my pocket got on my nerves.

I'll try to remember to have one with during HS weekend.


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

That heather gray is gorgeous. What kind of sheep is she?


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

I was told that my ewes were Lincolns, and my ram a Rambouillet (sp?) :shrug:

I do thoroughly appreciate the natural color of each of them.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

I think I actually see the sheep smiling too. You should smile FR. That was an accomplishment worthy of great smiles!

Nice looking fleeces--can't wait to see the sweater!


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Whoa, now......let's not get ahead of ourselves.

I have to _spin_ all this first.


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

NO, WASH it all first! :nono:


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Will you wash it for me ? :kiss:


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

I'm washing fleece now, IT'S FUN!!! 
I've got more fleece than I'll ever know what to do with!


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Bet _I'd_ know what to do with it all. :yawn:


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

Those fleeces are beautiful!! :rock: I cant wait to see what you make out of them.

I'm going to have to learn how to use that drop spindle :sob:


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Just keep dropping it. 
:hysterical:


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

I did last night, gre: And I even watched a few videos :hair
I need to find a class around here, or just keep trying. Which I probably will.
I would love to be able to buy a fleece and see what I can do with it. :thumb:


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Does it get cold enough in N.AZ for fiber to be fun ? :shrug:


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

During the winter nights some really heavy sweaters could come in handy. Mostly when the winds get going.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

There are some ski resorts in AZ. Flagstaff.


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