Episode 2: In Skilled Hands

To bring you high-quality wool yarn, sheep need a little help from a shearer. Once a year on most wool farms, an experienced professional comes to remove the fleece from each sheep, which makes the animal more comfortable and gets the fiber ready for the mill. Yankee Clippers’ Siri Swanson is a young shearer who works with a variety of farms across the Northeastern United States. A shepherd with her own flock, she and her partner bring tenderness, strength, and skill as they visit small flocks. On shearing day at Wing & A Prayer Farm, a group of helpers gathers to prepare the fiber, give the sheep a hoof trim, and enjoy the camaraderie of the fiber farm.

Additional Resources for Episode 2:

• Yankee Clippers Shearing
• Sit down with Siri to learn more about Yankee Rock’s breeds of sheep, the fleeces and yarn they produce, and how they took on the tough job of shearing.
• Hear the podcast episode with California-based shearer Stephany Wilkes about her perspective on the wool industry. Subscribers can hear a bonus episode featuring her shearer’s-eye view of knitting.
• You’re cuddled up in your wool garments, but sheep are standing in the fields with their warm fleeces sheared off. Why shear in cold weather? Stephany Wilkes shares five reasons why.

Watch Next:
If you’ve ever wanted to see yarn being made and understand how fiber makes its way to you, you’ll love peeking inside the mill in Episode 3 of The Yarn Chronicles.

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