Bella, one of the lambs from last season, got her leg tangled and stuck in a fence overnight and cut off circulation in her leg for too long so she had to be dispatched. She was super healthy otherwise so we butchered her and received a lot of meat and a beautiful skin. I decided instead of burying the skin to tan and save it to bring home. Immediately after coming off of the body, I stretched it and nailed the edges to a pallet. To tan the skin and get rid of any organic matter without any horrible chemicals, you mix kerosene and baking soda into a thick but spreadable paste and lather it and work it into the skin for a number of days. When the paste dries out, you scrape it off, mix new paste and do the same. I started the process about nine days ago and a couple of days ago decided it was finished. The skin looks very dry and white now but is still soft and bendable. There are no capillaries showing anymore and all sign of blood and muscle tissue is gone. I cut out an oval shape of the cleanest wool on the hide and (in order to get it through customs) am now brushing it out and cleaning it up more to make it look professionally done. I think it turned out really well and it is a great way to honor and remember Bella.
The skin fresh off with kerosene and baking soda spread onto it
Brushing out the dirt and grimy bits after I cut the ovular section out
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