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Wool and Wool Colours in Shetland Sheep

The exceptionally fine soft wool of the Shetland sheep is the finest of any British breed. it is used to produce gossamer lace, the famous 'fairisle' knitwear, and fine tweeds. The Society's Shetland fleeces are freqent prizewinners and have been exported to handspinners in the USA and Japan

There are eleven main whole colours in Shetland sheep, with many shades and variants in between. The eleven whole colours are shown in the images below, which are taken from photographs by Dr SHU Bowie. There are two samples of Shaela because of differing meanings in different parts of the Shetland Isles.