Turns out we're not the only ones fairly bleating with happiness as we rid ourselves of winter outerwear.

Just ask a goat. No kidding. Professional shearer Kristen Rosser stopped in at the Holly Road Fiber Farm, Barnesville, operated by Frank and Cathy Riotto, to trim the fleeces from their mohair goats.She's a professional what? You can just imagine that conversation."Mom, Dad? Thanks for supporting me while I pursued that art major degree, but I've decided to become a shearer."Who knew such a career existed? But Rosser said there's a demand for shearers, and various schools in the area, such as one affiliated with Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.Rosser, a native of Philadelphia, attended the Tyler School of Art there after high school. She became very interested in textiles, especially textiles woven from wool.She did a summer internship on a farm near Williamsport, then owned and run by Hilary Ball, who has since moved to Colorado. Ball was on the board for the Pennsylvania State Association for Sustainable Agriculture.After college, Rosser apprenticed with a shearer from Ohio. Presently, she works a circuit of about 200 farms in Pennsylvania, shearing goats and sheep. The animals are sheared every six months.Some farms may have only one or two animals, while some may have about 100."I can shear about 45 goats a day or about 80 sheep. Goats tend to wiggle around and take longer," she explained."It's hard work but a good business. There is definitely a need for more shearers."Once a fleece is removed from a goat or sheep, it must be washed several times.The fleece is then carded (pulled across a toothed tool to get all the fibers going in the same direction) before it can be spun into yarn.Rosser also knows how to spin yarn, and knits various projects.Riotto also spins and knits, and is a regular winner at state fairs for her finished projects."I know it's not a traditional career but I love doing it," Rosser said, as she packed her supplies into the trunk of her Toyota Camry."I get to meet really nice people too."