Sheep Shearing Not Too Different From Poodle Grooming

I took this video of sheep shearing back in the spring, but it's been stuck on my camera since then. My husband's computer wouldn't download it. To my great surprise my new laptop took it right off no problem. So, here it is.

What I found amazing was the speed at which one with experience can shear a sheep. This guy could do a whole sheep in less than 5 minutes. My husband says it takes 3 hours to shear our poodle. He needs to watch this video and get some pointers.

It also amazed me how the sheep reacted just like a poodle being groomed. The sheep looked over at me with pleading eyes "Please help me!" Then there was the half hearted struggle in the middle of the grooming just like a poodle. Then resignation that the grooming was going to occur with or without their cooperation.
Watch the sheep shearing.

Can Life Get Any Better?!

Welcome to the "Spinning and Weavers" guild meeting for May. This is not a group I belong too. Not that I don't want too, but I came as a friend of a member. Way out of my realm of knowledge. I just haven't gone there...yet. I don't think I've ever met a more creative group of women. Not only do they spin their own yarn, but some of them raise their own sheep for the wool. I am very impressed.

The gal 3rd in on the left in the blue shirt with the long dark hair is named Barbara. She invited us all to entered the "Sheep to Shawl" contest at the Sacramento County Fair in May. She said she needs some competition. Then she got flustered saying not that she's tooting her horn, but that no one enters and sometimes wins out of default.

The gal on the far right of the picture in a blue sweater has a Knitting Machine set up at work. She machine knits as part of her work. I'm SO jealous. We got to talking about machine maintenance and she wanted my info on how to refurbish a sponge bar since I have done 2 successfully. Felt so good to be able to contribute to a group of such creative experience ladies.

Isn't this a gorgeous place to meet. It is Horton's Iris Farm. We were surrounded with Iris everywhere! I'm not exaggerating. We sat and did whatever fiber art we brought. Lots of spinners, some knitters and I brought some crocheting. Then we had lunch. We all packed a lunch and the gal hosting provided tea and Cinco de Mayo cupcakes. I never wanted to rejoin the real world. I just wanted to sit amongst the flowers, spinning wheels and crochet forever.

The Iris farm isn't far from my home and I didn't even know it was there. I'll be back to probably buy some Iris. Or maybe they'll see me sitting in the middle of the Iris crocheting some time. They'll have to run me off with a stick.

My favorite Iris were these 2 Iris right by each other. The colors were glorious. It had rained the night before and everything was SO fresh and beautiful.

Sheep Shearing

I was invited to come watch a sheep shearing in March. Since I've been really into knitting and crocheting the past 6 months I was very excited to see this. I met women who not only knit, but raise their own sheep for their wool. They take it from the sheep to the yarn. Carding their own wool. Spinning their own yarn. I am not quite that into fiber arts. Don't think I'll ever raise my own sheep or spin wool, but I love watching others do it.Here's where they start wrestling the sheep in for the shearing. It really struck me as funny. Being the owner of a poodle and we groom her ourselves how very much alike the whole process is. First you have to find them and wrestle them onto the grooming area.Then you have to wrestle them into position to start the grooming. With me kicking and wiggling to get away the whole time. Just like a poodle once laid on their back they submit to the grooming with very little wiggling from then on.Oh I'm not saying they don't continue with the "poor pitiful me" look or that "please come rescue me" stare.The big difference in shearing a poodle and shearing a sheep is the sheep takes just under 5 minutes each. I couldn't believe how fast this guy was. It takes about 3 hours to shear a poodle! I video taped one of the shearings to show my husband just how fast it could be if he just sheared off all the poodle's hair. Not very stylish, but sure would save time.Once the fleece was off the sheep it was taken over to this make shift table where the women would "skirt" it. That is removing all edges of the fleece that are too mangled or dirty to be used. This was when I was first enlisted to help. I thought I was just there to watch, but when the experienced older lady says jump one jumps. There was a pile of the skirtings that she asked me to put in a pillow case. They still save them. I asked why, but really didn't understand the reasons being new to all this. So, much to learn that day. Anyhow I had my tiny camera and thought I really don't want to get my hands dirty, but as I said I was a guest and I was asked to help. Not going to say no and risk not being invited back next year. I turned off my camera slipped it into my pocket and reached out to grab the small pile of skirting with my 2 hands cupped together. I knew the wool had dirt, pee, poop etc. on it. Nothing soap and water won't take care of. What I didn't realize was how much lanolin was on the wool. I knew lanolin came from sheep. I didn't know how one got it off them. Squeeze a lanolin gland? Pull it out of an ear? Honestly, I hadn't ever thought about where it came from. I know now right off their wool. As soon as the wool touched my hands I was instantly creeped out. My hands were coated thickly with lanolin, pee, poop, dirt and loose wool. I couldn't believe the amount of oil on my hands. I couldn't believe what a big baby I was being ... in my mind... I wasn't about to let the old sages see me whine. I quietly wiped my hands on the pillow case the skirtings went into and walked to the house to wash my hands. I knew then I wasn't touching any more wool that day. I did help with sweeping and shoveling of loose wool to help keep the shearing area clean. The more I thought about it I just wasn't prepared. Next year if I'm asked back I'll dress for digging in and helping with the skirting. I'll just plan on my hands being coat with lanolin all day. Many of the ladies said their hands were so soft after a morning of skirting.