Wool And Fleece In Winter?

Although the main shearing season for sheep is from May to September across the UK, there is plenty of fleece being harvested at other times of year.

Lambs are shorn in autumn to encourage them to grow and save wool from the abattoir

Angora goats are normally shorn in March and September, or around those times, as they grow enough mohair to produce two harvests a year

Alpacas may be shorn later in the year

Some sheep are shorn prior to winter housing, to ensure better hygiene and welfare

Some long-woolled sheep are shorn twice a year, firstly in late spring and then in late autumn or early winter, as, like angora goats, they yield two clips

Show sheep will be shorn in December or January in order to have grown the perfect fleece length for summer shows

So there is plenty of opportunity for crafters to get hold of fresh fleeces or for wool mills to find work to do throughout the year. Obviously some of these quantities may be smaller than the main summer clip and, for example, lambs’ wool may be short so not suitable for all types of yarns or craft products. Very short and soft wool can be perfect for felting projects though. Equally, for smaller goat herds, the two clips together will provide enough fibre for some of the minimum batch requirements at mills.

Also the opportunities from mohair and alpaca for smooth or lustrous additions to wool blends or to spin as pure yarns are all wonderfully inspiring and mohair and alpaca are harder wearing than the soft, fine wools, so make the ideal partners for colourful dyed projects and sock yarns in particular. 

It is important all the same to ensure that later harvested fleeces do not contain undue amounts of anti-fly-strike pesticides as neither the mills nor the hand spinners nor the crafters want this risk. 

Fleece quality and yield on housed animals