Local Travel Features

Going to the Baa Baa Shop: Sheep Shearing at the Homeplace

April 1, 2019 | Staff Report

The Homeplace sheep are ready for their spring haircuts, after a whole year of growing out their wool! The Friends of Land Between the Lakes invite you to watch and visit with sheep shearer Gary Lawson as he demonstrates the historic skill of hand shearing sheep on Saturday, April 13, 10 am to 12 noon and 1 to 3 pm at the 1850 Homeplace inside Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, 4512 The Trace, Dover, Tennessee, 37058. Compare them “before and “after”—it is pretty amazing!

Additional programming includes:

Meet And Greet The Sheep, April 13, 12 noon -1pm

On shearing day, The Homeplace’s heritage breed sheep are in the spotlight! While the barber is away at lunch, take the time to meet these sheepish stars up close and personal and learn more about them and why they are on the farm. This event is ideal for home educators.

Give Fleece a Chance - Wool Week Challenge, April 13-19, 11am-3pm

The Homeplace ladies have set themselves a challenge to “spin yarns”—and they don’t mean tall tales! As soon as the first wool fleece is cut off on Sheep Shearing Day, it’s ready for the first of many steps to turn it into knitting yarn. In only seven days, does finishing the fleece stand a chance?

Saturday: “Picking Party” - picking the wool to prepare it to be washed
Sunday: “The Rainbow Connection” - Natural Dyes and starting to card and spin white wool
Monday: “Have ewe any clean wool?”— Washing wool and carding and spinning
Tuesday: “We Can Work It Out” – Carding wool and washing more if needed
Wednesday: “Let the Spinning Wheel Turn” — Making Yarn
Thursday: “Just Keep Spinning” — Making even more yarn
Friday: “We Can Ply, We Can Ply, We Can Ply!” - Twisting Yarn

Admission to the Homeplace 1850 Working Farm is $5 for ages 13 and up; $3 for ages 5 - 12; and free for ages 4 and under.

Fourth grade students can go to https://everykidinapark.gov/, get their free Every Kid in a Park pass, and get their family in for free. For more information, call the Homeplace at 931.232.6457

More Features & News