Is this a reasonable price for a fleece?

[freemotion]

This was a reply to my query regarding a CL ad on fleeces for sale:

"These are whole fleece, some have been skirted. There is minal vegation. The fleeces are desirable by
hand spinners,medium length and good cripping.

The fleeces are $ 60.00 each."

Good, average, or high price? Anyone know? How much yarn comes from a fleece? Enough to make a sweater, or more?

 

[justusnak]

I guess I am not understanding what a "fleece " is. I was thinking it was the hide of a sheep...then I saw it said...

The fleeces are desirable by
hand spinners,medium length and good cripping.

When I was looking for "spinning wool" It is sold by the pound. Is that what you are looking for? Spinning wool? I think I am a little confused...not hard to do.

 

[hwillm1977]

there are a lot of factors that make up what a fleece would be worth... the length of fibers, breed of sheep, weight, colour are a few... usually it would be sold by the pound.

Our local fiber farm sells whole Shetland wool fleeces for $25, they are around 4-6 pounds of raw wool, white can be more expensive, beige or grey wool not as much. The fibers are around 4 inches, the wool is nice and soft for spinning...

You can find fleeces (or wool by the pound) on Ebay too, I've bought some from there... that's how I found the local farm actually... funny that I had to go on Ebay to find a farm 10 miles from me

Here's their current auction:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/Shetland-Wool-Ra...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_2?hash=item4836c2b2ab

A fleece is all the wool shorn off of one sheep... it can come off as almost a solid piece sometimes and almost looks like a hide... it's not washed, or carded, so it comes with all the dirt, hay, and sawdust included

 

[ksalvagno]

Do you know for sure this is sheep and not alpaca? Sounds more like an alpaca fleece price. It would definitely depend on weight, staple length and softness. For that kind of price, that sheep better be shearing about 10 lbs but I don't know what Merino or Lincoln or one of the softer sheep wools go for.

 

[freemotion]

Here is the ad: http://westernmass.craigslist.org/grd/1519558208.html

I'm starting to think this is an outrageous price, huh?

 

[freemotion]

Here is another one, don't know if it is still available: "2 years shearing from 4 sheep. Great for spinning into yarn & other projects. LOTS of wool." That was the ad.

I asked for details, color and amounts, this is the response: "white & 1 gray. Won't divide they gray, but the white can by dyed any color.
I posted this for my neighbor who used to breed & raise sheep & was very in to
spinning. She would be able to give you a lot of information.

I know she want's to use some of the gray, but I'd have you come & negotiate with her.
Let me know if you'd like to come & take a look & pick up some to spin."

Oh, and the price was listed as $75, but I couldn't get a straight answer as to how much wool was involved. The ad said 2 years shearing from four sheep.....wouldn't it be easier to say 8 fleeces? Then the response said she wanted to keep some. So I don't know what amount it is. It is pretty far from me, too far to go see it unless it is possibly worth my while.

I figured I'd pick your brains first and at least know if I'm getting fleeced or not!

 

[freemotion]

justusnak, my understanding is that a fleece is the entire hunk of wool sheered off of one sheep, complete with dirt and bits of grass and such. Hopefully no poo!

 

[valmom]

Well, it said it was skirted so, hopefully no poo . Sounds like an awful lot of money for one fleece, though. (I got a fleece free at the Big E this fall from the shearing demo- I asked what they did with the wool after shearing and the guy said if you have a bag to take it it is yours! A bit short in the fibers, but spins OK for free.)

I might spend that much on an alpaca fleece, though.

 

[Ohioann]

OK.. Step 1-shear the sheep, 2-skirt the fleece (take off all the manure and urine soaked parts. Now if you want to buy a fleece raw (off the sheep skirted or not) you will have to wash it to get ready to spin. Some people spin in the grease (unwashed) but most want washed fleece because once it is spun it is almost impossible to get all the grease and accompaning sheep smell out of it. Grease, by the way, is lanolin. Once the fleece is washed it must be combed/carded to get it in the best condition to spin. Remember that depending on the breed of sheep the fleece will loose 1/3 to 1/2 of its weight. I can buy washed and carded, ready to spin, fleece for $8-$10.00 a pound for natural colors $12-$15 for dyed. I have seen it for much higher too. I am experienced and I personally would buy a raw fleece ONLY if it were a superior fleece or a good spinning fleece of a very unusual color. Be sure you know what breed of sheep the fleece came from, some breeeds have been bred for meat production and the wool is less than desireable for spinning. The "wool pool"where producers sell wool in the US is very low right now and the producers are getting pennies a pound for the commercial (meat) breeds so may be advertising their wool for sale other places. I'm not saying don't buy raw wool but study to know what you are buying. And if you do have wool that you bought and then couldn't work with it makes great mulch in flower beds/gardens. It mats down, rain can filter thru, weeds have trouble growing thru it and it slowly breaks down.

 

[murphysranch]

Shows you what a newbie I am. I read the title and thought of JoAnn fabrics and how much their plain and patterned fleece goes for by the yard.