Emily flips the sheep on their backs and holds them securely as they lie still and calm during the shearing process as though they were enjoying an exclusive spa treatment. The fleece on the belly and hind quarters is discarded and used to mulch Lisa's garden. The rest is cut off in a single piece, which is folded and rolled in preparation for cleaning. Lisa washes the fleece in very hot water with Dawn dish washing detergent in an old washing machine. They are soaked without agitation, spun, and rinsed again in very hot water. The clean fleece is then sent to a mill for processing.
Emily uses both hand and electric shearing methods. The hand shears she uses are purchased but have to be modified substantially before use to fit a handle, hone the blade, and set the closing distance to fit the shearers personal preferences. Blades must be re-sharpened after every 2 sheep and dipped frequently in soapy water during shearing to help the shearer cut through the lanolin.
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