Last week we got the call, and headed for Gillette, Wyoming for shearing day. We arrived late Thursday evening, and headed to the farm at 6:30 the next morning. By 6:45 the shearer was already hard at work!
Watching a sheep being shorn is a fascinating experience. In just a few minutes, a full year’s growth is removed, revealing the shape of the animal beneath and leaving behind a remarkably intact fleece.
This year the sheep fleeces were exceptionally clean. Because of the warm winter the sheep primarily grazed on pasture rather than hay, and were fed corn for extra nutrition (corn doesn't stick to the wool the way hay does).
Skirting the Fleece
After shearing comes one of the most important steps: skirting.
This is where the fleece is laid out on a table and carefully inspected. Edges are trimmed away, and any areas with excessive vegetable matter, second cuts, or coarser fibers are removed. What remains is the best of the fleece, the portion that eventually becomes yarn.
My partner, Rolin, and I were in charge of skirting the fleeces after they were sheared and weighed. The average weight for a Targhee ewe fleece came in at just over ten pounds, with an average micron count of 21 and staple lengths ranging between 3.5 and 4 inches. All in all we skirted 66 ewes and 30 yearlings, for a total of over 900 lbs of wool.
Why This Step Matters
Taking the time to skirt properly has a direct impact on the finished yarn.
- Cleaner fleeces produce smoother yarns
- Consistent fiber leads to even spinning
- Removing weaker sections improves durability
It’s one of those behind-the-scenes steps that you may never see when you pick up a skein, but it makes all the difference in how that yarn performs on your needles.
Heading Home
The family invited us to stay for a delicious mid-day dinner. Then it was time to head back to Colorado with a van full of wool. The yearling, aka "hogget", fleeces were sorted and bagged separately (notice the yellow tape in the picture below).
Yearling wool is a bit shorter, and even finer, than wool from their mamas. They will be dyed and carded into rovings for hand-spinners. Look for them at our booth this year at the Estes Park Wool Festival - June 13th & 14th, 2026. Later this summer the remaining wool will be made into a soft, pill-resistant DK weight yarn.
Spending time at the ranch always deepens my appreciation for the materials we work with. From the feeding of the sheep to the skill of the shearer, there is a long chain of care behind every finished skein. It also reinforces something I come back to often: natural fiber yarns are not just materials, but a reflection of place, season, and stewardship.
If you’ve never worked with breed-specific yarns, or explored fiber beyond the skein, I encourage you to take a closer look. Visit a farm if you can. Watch the process. Ask questions. Or simply pause for a moment the next time you pick up your knitting and consider where that yarn began.
From fleece… to fiber… to finished.
Happy Knitting!
