Working with Wool

Sustainability is the heart of the landscape solutions grazing project, by working in partnership with the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’s Sustainable Development Fund a ‘Working with Wool’ project was established to raise awareness and links between wool producers and crafters by following the cycle of a sheep’s fleece, from shearing through to making a variety of different crafts.

The project was split into two main aspects which was the shearing and the craft making, the first session was an introduction to shearing held by an experienced female shearer, where five ladies attended. Everyone managed to shear a couple of sheep with one or two managing to shear a couple more.

The following sessions were held by Gwlangollen a local company who works to promote and preserve wool-based heritage skills. During the first session the group all had a raw fleece and learnt how to skirt it, test it’s staple and how to wash it. The fleece was then left to dry naturally until the next session where it was put through the picker and carded, the group had a go at hand carding as well as trying the drum carder.

Many members of the group were wool producers and during these sessions the group were taught what needs doing to the fleeces in preparation for crafters to purchase. We hope the Working with Wool project has opened new opportunities for them to sell their produce. Once the wool is washed and carded it can then be sold to crafters.

Once the fleece was carded it is then ready to be used to make crafts, the first craft session was an introduction to spinning, where all group members had a go on the spinning wheel, spinning the carded wool from the previous session to create yarns, these yarns were then used in the next session which was an introduction to weaving. Two further sessions have been arranged for the group in the new year where they will experience different types of felting

Most group members followed the process the whole way through from the shearing to the craft making, we hope this project has influenced and raised awareness of the possibilities for sheep fleeces for these producers in the future.