Menoturals; First Friday Filmclub, Sheep 101

The galdogs at LLB have let me get away with some cheeky connections to their Nature Friday meme! This one continues my current theme of sheep and shepherding, but today, a little puppy fun. Sean has three of the traditional black and white Border Collies working with him, but recently added a fourth member to the pack, a red and white BC named Copper. She showed interest in doing her work very early on, so she is presenting him with a slightly different training challenge. Watch her go!

In keeping with my ongoing intro to sheep breeds, the flock being used here are of the Hebridean variety. Little but mighty! Although when crossed with other breeds, these can be good commercial sheep for meat, the Hebridean has mainly found a place as a conservation grazing breed, and is also suitable for training sheepdogs.

These are technically full black sheep, but exposure to the elements and ageing can both alter the black to dark brown and shades of grey. There can be minor patches of white, but this is generally seen as a 'fault' for the purists.

The wool is double-coated, with a longer length, courser fibre, and a shorter undercoat which is dense and extremely warm. The staple length of a Hebridean sheep's fleece typically ranges from 5 to 15 cm (2 to 6 inches)... although, strangely, the Society page linked above states '3-37 cm', which I have to say is an extraordinary difference and causes me to wonder if there might be a typo! All the salesrooms and the British Wool Board state the 5-15cm. The crimp is variable, and any yarn produced would be for jackets, rugs and furnishings. The fleece is also one of the best for felting, if that's your thing.

In The Grey, I have a Hebridean sheepskin to keep me cosy as these wintry days arrive. It's brilliant and keeps me well-snug.