FLEECE

Shetland wool had a Bradford count usually in the upper 50's to lower 60's and a fiber diameter range of 20-25 microns. Shetland wool is one of the finest and softest available. It's wool that is spun so fine from the neck of the Shetland sheep that the shaw can pass through a wedding ring. Fleeces usually weigh between 2 and 4 pounds (1-1 1/2 kg) and have a staple length of 3-5 inches. Shetland wool comes in the widest ranges of colors of any breed. Besides the white, these sheep produce several shades of wool. There are 11 main colors as well as 30 marking patterns many still bearing their Shetland dialect name. Some of these colorings and markings have become quite rare as historically white wool has commanded a better price.

Shetland Sheep come in a wide variety of natural colors and markings. These colors and markings are organized in a series of index charts.

Color Index

White

Greys to Black (listed from light to dark)

• Light Grey
• Grey
• Emsket - dusky bluish-grey
• Shaela - dark steely-grey, like black frost
• Black

Browns (listed from light to dark)

• Musket - light greyish-brown
• Fawn
• Mioget - light moorit (yellowish-brown)
• Moorit - shades between fawn and dark reddish brown
• Dark Brown

There are also shades between these main whole colors, so there can be a very pale fawn, etc. Select the closest color from the above list. If uncertain, please use the more general "moorit" for varying shades of brown and "grey" for shades of grey.
Also use the official name for any markings.

Marking Index
Bersugget - irregular patches of different colors; variegated
Bielset - having a complete circular band of different color around neck
Bioget - with white back and darker sides and belly, or conversely
Blaeget - having a lighter shade on the outer part of the wool fiber, especially in moorit and dark brown sheep
Blaget - with with irregular dark patches resembling ground partly snowcovered
Blettet - with white spots on nose and top of head
Bleset - dark colored with white strip down forehead, or conversely
Brandet - having stripes of another color across body
Bronget - dark colored with light-colored breast, or conversely
Flecket - white with large black or brown patches (not as well defined as in Jacob sheep)
Fronet - black-spotted with white head and black spots around eyes
Gulmoget - having light under parts with dark-colored body; opposite of katmoget; Mouflon pattern
Ilget - white with spots of a different color (usually grey or black)
Iset - dark colored with many white fibres giving bluish hue from a distance
Katmoget - having a light colored body (usually grey or moorit) with dark belly and legs, and moget facial markings
Katmollet - having light-colored nose and jaws
Kraiget - having neck (usually only front part) of different color from rest of body
Kranset - dark colored with white around eyes and neck
Krunet - dark colored with white patch on top of head
Marlit - various shades of different colors, mottled
Moget - see katmoget and gulmoget. Moget-faced is applied to the characteristic dark and light patches usually around the mouth, eyes and ears.
Mirkface - white with dark patches on face
Mullit - white with dark nose and jaws, or conversely
Sholmet - of any color, other than withe, with a white face
Skeget - stripes of different colors on sides
Smirslet - dark colored with white around the mouth, head or neck
Sokket - with legs of different color from that of the body
Sponget - dark colored with small white spots, or conversely
Snaelit - light-colored body with snow-white face
Yuglet - having color around eyes different from remainder of body