Make a Connection to Agriculture

Display the following items and ask:  What do these things have in common?

  • Fire fighter’s gear/uniform
  • Lotion/Moisturizer
  • Carpets
  • Sweaters
  • Baseball

It’s WOOL!  Sheep provide fiber for clothes, lanolin for lotions and moisturizers, and is a healthy meat choice.

Clothing

Wool is nature's wonder fiber. It is naturally antimicrobial, insulates even when wet, is flame resistant, washable, and holds its color. Wool is a natural, renewable fiber that offers a ‘green’ fabric choice. Wool is also biodegradable-making it an eco-friendly product.

Firefighting

Sheep’s natural grazing skills make them ideal for controlling weeds naturally, and for preventing fires by clearing undergrowth in forests and wooded areas.   Sheep improve pasture and rangeland quality by recycling nutrients back into the soil, minimizing erosion and encouraging native plant growth. 

Did You Know?

  1. Sheep are sheared in early spring.
  2. Shearing doesn’t hurt—it’s like getting a haircut.
  3. The wool from one sheep is called a fleece the wool from many sheep is called a “clip.”
  4. A female sheep is an ewe, and a male sheep is a ram.
  5. The average weight of a fleece is 7 pounds but can range from 2 to 30 pounds.
  6. The amount of wool depends on the breed, genetics, nutrition, and shearing interval.
Making Wool Bracelets
  1. Take a piece of carded wool approximately 14" long.
  2. Fold a half inch of wool over the end of a spinning hook. Hold the end by the spinning hook between your fingers and start twisting or spinning the hook.
  3. Back your non-spinning hand out as the wool is spun. This is called drafting.
  4. Draft out the wool so the spun wool is taut but not bumpy. If you get twisted bump is in your spun yarn, let out more unspun wool. When you have twisted the entire length of the wool, hold on to the end and don't let go or it will unspin.
  5. Plying the yarn will keep it from unspinning and make it stronger. Plying is the twisting together of two single strands of spun wool.
  6. Have someone pinch the center of the twisted wool while you hold the ends.
  7. Bring the ends of the wool together and have your helper let go of the center. The wool will twist together. The twisted double strand is now called plied yarn.
  8. Tie the plied yarn around your wrist to form a bracelet.