We have been selling raw fleeces since 2017 and keeping sheep much much longer! Everything we sell comes from our own flock here on the edge of the Dartmoor National Park. Fleeces are carefully skirted and checked before being packed in one of our paper sacks and weighed. We aim to take lots of pictures to show the true condition of every fleece as well showing the staple length.
There are a variety of breeds here at Rushlade. Each one produces a fleece with a different character, perfect for different projects and crafts. The following guide is aimed at giving you some direction for breeds you maybe haven’t used before or even heard of but please do get in touch with me if you have ay further questions!
Marker/Paint. We use marker on our flock for a variety of reasons, from an owners mark for the hill sheep to a scanning mark to enable us to manage ewe health during lambing. Often this colour is removed during skirting but sometimes it will be left because we can’t bring ourselves to waste good fleece. Most customers don't mind it as it is lost in the spinning process of dyed out. We would never include lots in the charged weight.
VM: Vegetable Matter. There will always be some. We aim to remove as much as possible but these are animals living in the Devon countryside and some will encounter more hedge row exploration than others!! Likewise, all poo should be removed be it is never guaranteed and you should always wash your hands after handling fleece.
Packaging. Fleeces are packed in paper sacks. Clean new sacks, great for the fleece because they allow it to breathe. Bags will sometimes have some marks from the moisture and lanolin of the fleece but we would rather this than trap it in with a plastic bag. We do however use plastic bags made from recycled materials for the outer packing in postage.
Micron testing. We do not micron test out fleeces as standard although if you require this we can arrange for a fee.
Breeds
Teeswater: A curly lustrous fleece. Great for art yarns and felting projects with the curly locks being full of character.
Masham: A breed bred away from a Teeswater Ram and Dalesbred ewe it is another curly lustrous fleece. Similar to the Teeswater this is popular with spinners and felters alike.
North Country Mule: A tight curl and a lustrous fleece. Bred from a Bluefaced Leicester and Swaledale. A well known popular fleece with spinners with its Bluefaced Leicester characteristics.
Merino: An incredibly soft fleece, rare in the UK but growing in numbers. These are sheep that we keep purely for their incredibly soft fine fleece. The fine fibre means that it is very unlikely to cause any irritation or scratch and is fantastic for garments designed to be worn agains the skin. Fine fibres also respond well to felting. Spinners will generaly work with Merino fibre in its raw state, simply combing out the tip which holds some dirt whilst the main body of the stable is usually incredibly clean thanks to its dense structure. The wool can then be washed as yarn to remove the lanolin.
Dartmoor Merino: A cross of the incredible Merino and our Whiteface Dartmoor Ram in our 2018/19 breeding. We were very happy with the cross which maintained much of the Merino softness with more fleece per animal and a hardier animal. Having been crossed back to Merino many of these Dartmoor Merinos are now much more Merino than Dartmoor. With more curl, a sightly warmer tone and a longer staple often distinguishing them from their maternal fleece.
Herdwick Mule: These are great characterful ewes of which we have just a couple. Bred from a Herdwick with a Bluefaced Leicester ram they are a mule and have the lustrous curly fleece. This isn't quite as soft and lustrous as the NCM but still a really wonderful fleece to add to your fleece journey.
Wensleydale Merino: We only have a couple of these, very vocal ewes! We affectionately call one Elvis with her mop of wool on the top of her head and her love of making noise!! The Wensleydale brings curl and lustrous to the soft merino fleece.
Whiteface Dartmoor: A curly hill breed full of character. We don't often have many available online so please get in touch if you are looking for this breed specifically.
Dalesbred: These hill ewes have a coarse fleece so we do not generally offer these but if you would like any please get in touch.
Animal Age and Gender
We have ewe, ram and shearling fleeces available across most of our breeds. The younger the fleece the softer it will be. Generally we do not shear our lambs so the shearling fleeces have a good staple length and are lovely young soft fleeces.
Any questions? Just pop us an email to rushladewool@gmail.com
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