[He] Coulda Been A Contender

I always pick a fleece or two (or three) to keep for myself each spring.  Usually it's a special friend who's getting older (this year, Henri), someone who's given me LOTS of gray hair (Maisie :-o) or someone with an interesting color pattern that I think will change as they get older (Daniel Not-Boone).

I knew Daniel had a "nice" fleece, but it wasn't one I was especially excited about.  It was definitely a huggable fleece, but not really my type, being a coarse wool girl ;-).  Still, I wanted to keep it because I could see his moorit brown was quickly fading to oatmeal and his white lightning streaks would never show as well again.

I didn't bother to skirt it before the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival, knowing I was keeping it.  When I laid it out on the table the other day, I felt a little sick.  Somehow, in all the heavy hay feeding during a long, brutal winter, Daniel managed to keep himself almost spotlessly clean.  The cleanest fleece I've ever raised here.  But that's not all.

It was a huge fleece, especially for a lamb shearing.  The color was very pretty and interesting.  The locks structure was nice and pretty consistent from front to back.  The length was consistent throughout. The crimp was pretty and pretty uniform from base to tip and head to tail.  There was very little britch wool (the coarser wool from around the hips and back legs).  And did I mention that it was clean???

If I'd had any idea that's what was in that bag, I'd have entered it in the fleece competition!  Even if it really wasn't as nice as I thought, I'd have loved to have gotten some feedback on it.  While it's sure nice to get ribbons, I'd always rather learn something.  I think I blew it :-/.

The first side folded over to roll it up.  Keep in mind this is a 4'x8' skirting table.

The other side folded over the top of the first side.

And now pretend it is rolled up nice and tight and not flopping out the sides, top, back...

Nine and a half fat ones!

I bagged it up rather than tossing it in the wash because as much as I like to wash wool, I'm going to get more enjoyment looking at it for a few more days :-).

Teefers!

More under the table shots tomorrow.  Right now someone who's been very patient (such a good lambie), needs to go outside and play!

"Hurry it up mom!!!"