By Jill Parmer
Shetland sheep are basically the "Swiss Army Knife" of the fiber world—they are incredibly hardy, on the small side, come in a stunning array of natural colors, and their wool is a dream for handspinners because of its versatility. These sheep come from the Shetland Islands of Scotland, where the harsh, windy climate shaped them into the resilient, primitive breed they are today. They are one of the smallest British breeds. Known for being smart, curious, and having strong mothering instincts. They can thrive on rough moorland where other sheep would struggle.
Identifying Shetland sheep: Their tails are short and fluke-shaped (broad at the base and tapers rapidly to a fine point.) The very tip of the tail is usually covered in hair. There are 11 classic colors of shetland sheep from white to black in gray tones and brown tones.
One grading system of shetland fleeces uses 1 (super fine) - 5 (rough), giving a knitter or weaver fiber to make anything from fine lace to rugs.
Scadder - This is a marking of coarse, longer, dark hair down the back from the neck to the tail. It is rare and like finding an archeological treasure from ancient native Shetland.
The class was very well organized and moved at a reasonable pace. Over two days we sampled 12 fleeces. Most of the fibers were hand washed fleece making it lovely to spin; not so dry like commercially prepared fibers. One fleece came from Jamieson and Smith, the renowned Shetland wool company. Most of the fleeces came from the US, with one from Colorado, making Shetlands within reach of anyone in our community who might like to process it.
Deb is incredibly knowledgeable and delighted us with tidbits of information from her years at Interweave press and researching fibers and future endeavors related to the rabbit hole of information that comes from sheep and fibers.
Snippets that might be useful to NCWG members:
The longish fiber makes spinning Shetland relatively easy. The lanolin left in handwashed Shetland fleece allows for one to spin very fine. Makes one understand the capability of spinning lace. The finest one can spin and still hold together is 3 fibers.
Shetland fiber being “grabby” allows for steeking and cutting without unraveling knitted items. The wool takes dye beautifully. And now you can see why fairisle sweaters are so indicative of the Shetland islands.
