two bags full

when i volunteered to spin a few weeks back, the compensation was a fleece from the sheep that live at the shelter. yesterday i got a call that they were shorn and ready. i immediately wasted no time in contacting amy~thefibergoddess~ for her help. i have only chosen one fleece in my short spinning career and the only reason i got a good one was beginners luck. so this time i was leaving nothing to chance. amy happily (she's that kind of gal) agreed to be my teacher.
there were fourteen bags of wool and it was raining when they were shorn, so it was damp wool. getting right to business, amy opened a bag and dug in. i mean that literally. she parted the wool at the top of the bag and reached in and started looking at the overall quality. that doesn't mean how pretty it is. (i asked:) she looked for dense areas of vegetation and soil, how long the lock was, the lock strength (i finally get the snapping of the wool) and crimp. the fluffier ones will produce loftier yarn, the crimpier ones yield denser yarn.
she narrowed it to these three and let me choose. so i came home with the grey one and the top one.

my lock choices. each had so many great elements and the best part is that i think i've really got a grasp of the process. i'm not ready to fly solo, but the young jedi is learning.