Random Bits

Tour de Fleece Day 13: Polwarth

One of my favorite wools. Soft as merino, good luster and longish staple. Which makes sense, as they were developed by adding 1/4 Lincoln with 3/4 Merino.

This sample spun like butter. I tried to spin thicker, but I only managed to get to sport. My two ply made a nice string of pearls.

I can find undyed white Polwarth top at all the expected stores. World of Wool also carries a grey undyed top, and a number of luxury fibers blended with Polwarth. Most hand dyers use Polwarth for hand dyed braids. One of my favorite sweaters (pictured) is a raglan I knit from yarn from three colors of Polwarth dyed by Frabjous Fibers. I have another sweater quantity spun up from various braids of Polwarth and Falkland (not a breed, but many Falkland sheep are Polwarth) that I need to pick a pattern for.

References:

Ekarius, C., & Robson, D. (2013). The Field Guide to Fleece: 100 Sheep Breeds & How to Use Their Fibers. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Robson, D., & Ekarius, C. (2011). The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Smith, B. (2014). The Spinner's Book of Fleece: A Breed-by-Breed Guide to Choosing and Spinning the Perfect Fiber for Every Purpose. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Sheep pic (https://nzsheep.co.nz/polwarth/), the rest by me.

Tour de Fleece Day 12: Perendale

Despite what the sample packaging says, the Perendale was developed in New Zealand by a guy named Peren (pictured) by breeding Romney and Cheviot.

It reminds me quite a bit of BFL. Same length and crimp, but slightly coarser (but not by much) and much less lustrous. I was in a mood for something different, so I spun my yarn as a large 2 x 2 cable yarn. I have 8 ounces undyed in my stash from Yarn School years ago. Maybe a couple of poofy hats?

I found undyed white Perendale top and batts at the usual sources, though for less than BFL. World of Wool and Mohair and More carry various dyed batts. The only hand dyed braid I found on Etsy was from an Australian dyer.

References:

Ekarius, C., & Robson, D. (2013). The Field Guide to Fleece: 100 Sheep Breeds & How to Use Their Fibers. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Robson, D., & Ekarius, C. (2011). The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Smith, B. (2014). The Spinner's Book of Fleece: A Breed-by-Breed Guide to Choosing and Spinning the Perfect Fiber for Every Purpose. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Sheep pic (By Massey University - https://massey.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/308, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=150123810), the rest by me.

Tour de Fleece Day 11: Norwegian

Again, a place not a breed. There are a number of breeds in Norway, derived from the Old Norwegian sheep with addition of the classic British sheep. They are mostly dual coated, with varying difference between the coat lengths and fineness. Reading between the lines, the fleeces are in a general pool without regard to breed.

This sample feels like a rougher Shetland, with 3-4 inche staple. I couldn't easily separate the under and outer coats. My sample is grey, but white Norwegian top is just as easy to find from the usual shops in the US (and it seems like most of the Norwegian sheep are white). The sources say it felts well, which I suspect is the undercoat. I spun my sample worsted, fine with a good amount of twist.

I think it would make good outwear or a blanket.

References:

Ekarius, C., & Robson, D. (2013). The Field Guide to Fleece: 100 Sheep Breeds & How to Use Their Fibers. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Robson, D., & Ekarius, C. (2011). The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Sheep picture By Thomas Mues from Berlin, Germany - neat sheep, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3524947, rest by me.

Tour de Fleece Day 10: Manx Loaghtan

The Manx loghtan is one of my favorites for a very shallow reason - Isle of Man is one of my long term special interests. It's where my blog name comes from, as it was the uniquely medieval Manx name that I picked for my SCA persona 30+ years ago. And with their extra horns and rich caramel color, they are such neat looking sheep. A someday project would be to make a Manx cloak with locks woven in to make a hairy fabric.

The staple length is 5 inches in this sample top, with small hunks of not well blended shorter fibers which I pulled out as I encountered them. The crimp is bold and uniform. The Field Guide of Fleece describes the fleece as having enough grease to protect it, which might be why it has a discernable sheep smell and some remaining lanolin for commercial top. It most reminds me of Shetland, medium staple length, medium softness and great natural colors.

I spun the last few samples finer, so I tried for a fatter yarn this time, though with a lot of twist. I used a short forward draw, but wasn't careful about staying even. Nicely squishy yarn.

I've spun Manx loughtan from both 100% top and as part of blends. The usual sources all carry the natural dark brown Manx loaghtan top. Hipstrings carries a nice line of BFL, Shetland and Manx loaghtan top called Bouy. Forever in Fiber on Etsy has a Manx loaghtan/eri silk blend top that look luscious.

References:

Ekarius, C., & Robson, D. (2013). The Field Guide to Fleece: 100 Sheep Breeds & How to Use Their Fibers. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Robson, D., & Ekarius, C. (2011). The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Sheep picture By Chris Bramhall at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2253548, rest by me.

Tour de Fleece Day 9: Lincoln

I swapped my rest day for my challenge day because I decided that biking 31 miles in July heat and humidity was a good idea. I feel like my legs were fine, but my attention was not. So Lincoln is a day late. I'm still debating my challenge spin as today is a headache day and my brain is 75%.

Lincoln Longwool is one of the classic British breeds. Look at those ridiculous locks, which is what the breed is known for. The longest staples in my top with 7-8 inches long. Which makes me curious about the staple length of the wool was the primary export of England throughout the high medieval era. World of Wool notes that it is best woven, which tracks.

The most interesting (to me) sample in Smith's book was the low twist lace yarn, so that's what I went with. I found it difficult to do a short forward draw with this top because I kept pushing the incoming ends out of the twist. I quickly switched to a short modified back draw, which worked well. I did notice that the fibers got shorter (3 inches) as I got to end of my top. I suspect the draft had already pulled out the long fibers. I pushed the edge of to little twist for the fineness, and my plies (and yarn) broke several times during plying. Good thing this is a sample and not a large project. Most of the breaks were during the beginning of plying with the last spun part of the singles (with the shorter fibers... ).

World of Wool, Mohair and More, R.H. Lindsay and Woolery all sell (off) white top. The 2 ounce sample I dyed for my challenge (which I may or may not spin today, head depending) is labeled as from Louët. I think at one point they also sold/resold fiber, much like Ashford and Kromski do. I found Lincoln roving and locks (both natural and dyed) on Etsy, but no hand dyed top.

References:

Ekarius, C., & Robson, D. (2013). The Field Guide to Fleece: 100 Sheep Breeds & How to Use Their Fibers. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Robson, D., & Ekarius, C. (2011). The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Smith, B. (2014). The Spinner's Book of Fleece: A Breed-by-Breed Guide to Choosing and Spinning the Perfect Fiber for Every Purpose. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Sheep pic (By Jane Cooper Orkney - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45899869), the rest by me.

Tour de Fleece Day 8: Icelandic

Everyone's favorite dual coat primitive sheep. This is the breed that gives us the terms þel (thel) and tog for the soft, short inner fleece versus the strong, long outer coat. The breed needs this coat to survive the harsh Icelandic weather. And since importation of new sheep is banned, this is one breed that hasn't been improved by adding in new genetics.

My sample is commercial top. I ran it through the drum carder to get a more woolen prep. Commercial top is usually a blend of both coats, but I saw only a little of the undercoat, which I suspect is partially removed during the combing. The classic lopi yarn includes both coats, however medieval woven fabric separated the coats for warp and weft.

One of the other nice aspects of this breed is the variety of natural colors. World of Wool carries five different colors, and the stores in the US usually carry at least the white and light grey (like my sample).

While I didn't recreate a lopi yarn, I did try to make a lightly twisted woolen single. It's still a little thin (16 wpi before finishing) and twisted, but it was fun because the batt drafted so easily.

References:

Ekarius, C., & Robson, D. (2013). The Field Guide to Fleece: 100 Sheep Breeds & How to Use Their Fibers. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Robson, D., & Ekarius, C. (2011). The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Smith, B. (2014). The Spinner's Book of Fleece: A Breed-by-Breed Guide to Choosing and Spinning the Perfect Fiber for Every Purpose. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

All photos by me.

Tour de Fleece Day 7: Gotland

To the Baltic Sea! Gotland sheep were developed from the local landrace sheep of Gotland island.

Gotland is an unusual wool, it's the mohair of sheep. Wavy crimp, lustrous and usually some shade of grey. The staple can be pretty long, though I measure 3-4 inches long in this top. I love the different greys blended together in this top.

This is my first time spinning 100% Gotland top, though I have two 4 ounce braids in my stash. I did a previous project from a fun blend (back when I was getting fiber boxes from Paradise) of 50% Gotland, 25% Merino, 25% tussah silk and viscose tweed in black and white. I dyed the white as a purple gradient and made a Knit Half the Sky shawl that I'm pretty proud of.

Of my usual US sources, only the Woolery had any top in stock. World of Wool has some in stock, and it can be included in a custom blend by them. I couldn't find any dyed Gotland braids on etsy.

References:

Ekarius, C., & Robson, D. (2013). The Field Guide to Fleece: 100 Sheep Breeds & How to Use Their Fibers. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Robson, D., & Ekarius, C. (2011). The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Sheep pic By Jens Bonderup Kjeldsen - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16629938, the rest by me.

Tour de Fleece Day 6: Falkland

But wait, you say, Falkland isn't a breed. It isn't at all, it's a wool source. Most Falkland wool comes from Polwarth sheep, which is one of my favorites. Other common breeds are Merino and Corriedale. It is one of the more common designations for wool. I've spun at least 3 pounds over the years, with the biggest project spun as a combo spin that I knit into a Campside Cardigan.

The staple length in this top is 3-4 inches long, with some long crimp. It's not super soft/fine, but on the softer side. I spun it fine with a short forward draw and made a two ply. I think this the first time I've spun it undyed, and it drafted so easily.

It's an easy wool to find top for sale. My local store is out of stock, but I found white top for sale at all my normal stores. Cheapest I found in the US is RH Lindsay, at $12.50 per pound for white top. Some stores have breed specific (Polwarth or Merino) top listed. Due to it's commonness and price, it is one of the common breeds for hand dyers. I've spun braids of Falkland dyed by Hello Yarn, Greenwood, Happy Fuzzy, Nest, and Into the Whirled. Your favorite dyer probably has some braids, if not it is easy to dye your own.

References:

Robson, D., & Ekarius, C. (2011). The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Sheep pic (https://www.falklandwoolgrowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/CNV00080.jpg (Falkland Wool Growers, 2019) ), the rest by me.

I woke up this morning with a migraine. The drugs mean I'm not in pain (and I was fine for volunteering with the kiddos at the wetlands), but my brain is not running on all cylinders.

But I do not like this breed. It's wiry and prickly. I don't think it would even make good rug or rope; it sheds to much. Maybe if I'd gone finer with more twist, but I'll admit I didn't want to spend more time with it than I had to.

Tour de Fleece Day 4: Dorset Horn

And on to Britain for the Dorset Horn. This is my second time spinning this breed, it was one of the ones I included a previous breed study (because an ounce of fleece was cheap). Some put it in as down like (Smith), while others put it in it's own group (Ekarius and Robson). It was developed from cross breeding Merino and local Welsh sheep, and seems to be the root stock for a number of other breeds, including the very similar/basically undistinguishable Dorset polled (which has no horns).

The staple for this breed varies between 2.5 to 5 inches. This top has a long staple length (5 inches), while the previous fleece I spun had a 3-4 inch staple length. Wool is white, and dyes well. It's a medium fineness, with a strong but irregular crimp. It supposedly doesn't felt much (downlike?).

I actually had plans for the day (morning of catching bugs in a creek with random children and afternoon of kayaking), so tried to spin a bit thicker than normal as Swiss and Columbia fail to score on each other. Defaulted to a short forward draw.

It looks like you can get a carded batt from most of my normal sources, and undyed white top from World of Wool and Woolery. I only found one seller with dyed top on Etsy (Made by Elizabeth).

I like it, and would do a good outer sweater or socks.

References:

Ekarius, C., & Robson, D. (2013). The Field Guide to Fleece: 100 Sheep Breeds & How to Use Their Fibers. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Robson, D., & Ekarius, C. (2011). The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Smith, B. (2014). The Spinner's Book of Fleece: A Breed-by-Breed Guide to Choosing and Spinning the Perfect Fiber for Every Purpose. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Sheep pic (http://afs.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/dorset, (Oklahoma State University, 2020), originally from The Livestock Conservancy PO Box 477, 33 Hillsboro St, Pittsboro, NC 27312), the rest by me.

Tour de Fleece Day 3: (Navajo) Churro

Since this is a Euro tour, we're going to pretend this breed comes from Spain and not Diné lands. The Spanish Churra is one of the parent stock of the Navajo Churro, so close enough.

And here's where I admit that prior to this sampler, it was my second least favorite breed to spin (Karakul how much I loathe you). I enjoyed it more this time because I was more willing to let it be itself than trying to turn it into sock yarn. Also, the VM and kemp pulling is much less of a pain for 0.5 ounce than four ounces.

This sample is sliver (roving?), so I decided to draft it woolen (semi-supported long draw). Which I'm also more comfortable with than 8 years ago. Also, the traditional method to spin it is rolags on a Navajo spindle. I would try again, especially if I had part of fleece. Staple on this fiber was over 6 inches, with the kemp length more variable.

Churro comes in a variety of natural colors and takes natural dyes well. This sample is a slightly brownish off white. I see why it is usually used in traditional rugs, it would be sturdy.

References:

Ekarius, C., & Robson, D. (2013). The Field Guide to Fleece: 100 Sheep Breeds & How to Use Their Fibers. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Robson, D., & Ekarius, C. (2011). The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Smith, B. (2014). The Spinner's Book of Fleece: A Breed-by-Breed Guide to Choosing and Spinning the Perfect Fiber for Every Purpose. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Sheep pic (By liz west from Boxborough, MA - happy man, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10379723), the rest by me.

Tour de Fleece Day 2: Charollais

And now we move to France for the Charollais (sheep, not the cattle). It's the secret bonus wool in this breed study set. I haven't spun the wool before, but it's actually in my reference books (Bergs(c)haf isn't listed in either of the breed guides I own).

Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook states that they were bred from Leicester Longwool crossed with the local (Charollais) landrace. Also that the short wool (1.5- 2.5 inches). Thankfully this top a bit longer, I measured 3-4 inches, which matches the description on Paradise and World of Wool's websites as 80 mm. Since the wool isn't part of the breed standard, my thinking is that the length varies quite a bit and the fleeces sent to mills tends to be longer than average for the breed. The wool is quite crimpy, and relatively soft (especially for a meat sheep). It is white with a chalky luster.

This is the softest meat sheep wool I've spun. One reference recommended a fine worsted spin with plenty of twist, so I took it as a challenge. I'm still waiting to see the post finishing length, but I got ~90 yards out of 1/2 ounce.

I doubt it will be a frequent fiber for me, but would spin again. I'm thinking gloves or a sweater.

References:

Ekarius, C., & Robson, D. (2013). The Field Guide to Fleece: 100 Sheep Breeds & How to Use Their Fibers. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Robson, D., & Ekarius, C. (2011). The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

Smith, B. (2014). The Spinner's Book of Fleece: A Breed-by-Breed Guide to Choosing and Spinning the Perfect Fiber for Every Purpose. North Adams: Storey Publishing, LLC.

sheep picture By Bobjacktim - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=99917092, rest by me

Tour de Fleece Day 1: Bergschaf

I decided to start spinning my TdF samples in alphabetical order, so Bergschaf. This is my first experience with Bergschaf. I don't hate it, but not one I'd spin a lot of.

It's a dual coat, and I could pull out 4 inch crimpy wool and 6+ inch overcoat, making it pretty prickly. If I was going to spin it again, I would prefer a fleece so split it into "tog" and "thel" (to compare to icelandic) before spinning. I feel like it wanted low twist, probably due to the overcoat. I would only use it for rugs or outerwear.

From spinblr, I get the sense it's more common in Europe than it is in the US. The write up I got says it's loved by dyers, but I haven't seen a hand dyed braid of it for sale at stores or shows I've been to. There are a few braids for sale on Etsy, but my usual online sources have only white and natural grey. Mohair and More does have commercial batts in about 10 different dyed colors.

It's a meat sheep from the Alps (Austria and Italy). Most is naturally white, but some Bergschaf are spotted or grey. The name literally means mountain sheep, and is a lop eared mountain sheep. Those lop ears are kind of cute.