Photo courtesy of Windswept Farms.
Last week I received two glorious pounds of white Shetland roving, all of which got their little color baths earlier this week. My friend, Kristi, has been requesting a Shetland Sheep of the Week post, I suspect because these guys are so dang little and cute. Now, I’m as big a fan of little and cute as the next person, but I’m not a big fan of the scratchy and I wasn’t sure the adorable Shetland would have a fleece with that next to skin softness I crave. Turns out, the little guys have a storied past and there’s no guarantee either way. But if you do your homework (or get lucky), your Shetland fiber could be some of the finest fiber you will ever work with.
Shetland sheep are known as a primitive, or “unimproved,” breed. They survived in extraordinarily harsh conditions for a thousand years on the Northernmost British Isles where they practiced being hardy and adaptable, long-lived and tenacious. As a result, they are an easy breed to care for. Not wimpy and delicate like Waterford crystal. Sturdy, like a Ball jar. Not to mention calm, docile and, did I mention cute? Your Great Pyrenees guard dog will be bigger than your Shetland Sheep. They are ideal for a small flock and ideal for micro-farmers (otherwise known as people in the suburbs who want livestock in their backyards).
What sets the Shetland sheep apart from other breeds are rainbows and linguistics.
Shetland sheep are known as a primitive, or “unimproved,” breed. They survived in extraordinarily harsh conditions for a thousand years on the Northernmost British Isles where they practiced being hardy and adaptable, long-lived and tenacious. As a result, they are an easy breed to care for. Not wimpy and delicate like Waterford crystal. Sturdy, like a Ball jar. Not to mention calm, docile and, did I mention cute? Your Great Pyrenees guard dog will be bigger than your Shetland Sheep. They are ideal for a small flock and ideal for micro-farmers (otherwise known as people in the suburbs who want livestock in their backyards).
What sets the Shetland sheep apart from other breeds are rainbows and linguistics.
Photo courtesy of Windswept Farms.
There are 11 recognized colors in the Shetland rainbow (some are extremely rare) and at least 30 Old Norse terms used to describe their markings. The Shetland mystique holds that these terms are historical and romantic and specific to the Shetland breed. You could have an emsket bersugget yuglet grazing in your backyard. Or a snaelit bielset. You could have a mullit or a mirkface or a flecket. To decipher the code, visit Shetland Sheep Info or pick up the Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook (my new favorite read).
To summarize: the Shetland Sheep is complicated. Do your homework and know what the breeder’s goals are before purchasing fleece. Windswept Farms in Michigan graciously let me use photos of their sheep for this post. Of their breeding program, they say, "Our primary flock goals are excellent conformation and health. Secondary goals are preserving a diverse range
of colors, patterns and fleece types." They will be shearing soon.
Photo courtesy of Windswept Farms.
See how little and cute! My poodle is bigger than this award winning ram. Photo courtesy of Windswept Farms.
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