I got my SE2SE passport!

I signed up for Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em (SE2SE)! I’m joining kind of late. SE2SE began in February of 2019. I don’t have accounts on Facebook or Ravelry so I’ll share things I make with SE2SE wool here. But I’m jumping ahead. First, let me explain what SE2SE is.

Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em is an initiative by the Livestock Conservancy. Its goal is to help make it more profitable for shepherds to raise heritage breed sheep by encouraging fiber artists in the United States to use their wool. There are prizes if an artist completes 5, 10, or 15 projects from breeds in the SE2SE Passport. This video from the Conservancy gives a great overview.

For each project, you need to purchase at least 4 ounces of a single breed’s wool. When you purchase the wool from a SE2SE seller, you receive a stamp to put in your passport. Here’s what the passport looks like inside (and the back of the Livestock Conservancy brochure featuring the Florida Cracker breed).

Then you make your project, post it on social media, and send photos of it, including the appropriate stamped passport page, to the Livestock Conservancy.

You can purchase heritage breed wool as roving, batts, or yarn, but it is also sold “raw” meaning unwashed.

I’m interested in learning to process raw wool. If you are wondering why you probably want to do this before using it to make an animal, check out my Can you needle felt unwashed wool? post. I’m also interested in learning how to dye small batches or wool. I tried doing this using Easter Egg dyes and was thrilled with the results. Purchasing unprocessed and undyed wool will be a great way to explore both of these.

Participating in SE2SE is a way to celebrate these lovely animals and support the shepherds that are rescuing them from extinction. That’s an opportunity I’m not willing to pass up!

Last Updated on June 9, 2024