The first fiber that most beginning spinners try is wool - generic fluffy white wool, usually fairly long staple. Once you get a spinning magazine, you quickly realize that there are many, many breeds of fleece available to the handspinner. Which to choose??!!! The array of possibilities can be mind-boggling, especially if you're just beginning to discover that they are all so different, are appropriate for different uses, and often require different preparation and spinning techniques.

Over the last several years, the spinners on Compuserve (GO FIBERCRAFTS) have been very active. We've had lots of swaps to exchange samples. The topics for these swaps have included specific fibers (flax, cotton, metallics, pet fur, blends ), specific spinning tools (one swap was for spindle spun yarns) and dyeing (Koolaid-dyed mohair, Easter Egg dyed mohair).

If the fall of 1995, we decided to have a Sheep Breeds Swap. (You can see a complete description in the Summer 1996 issue of SpinOff Magazine.) Each person chose a breed, and provided information, a lock of fleece, and a one yard sample of yarn for each of the other participants. They also included a one ounce baggie of yarn for each person. I collected the information, reformatted it and created notebooks for everyone with sample pages at the back. Each member received a box containing all the one ounce baggies plus their notebook. We are currently having a "Spinalong" - every few weeks, we work with the next breed, going through the list alphabetically. It's been a lot of fun, a great learning experience, and we ended up with a terrific resource for our fiber libraries. Enjoy! (P.S. Sorry this file is so large, which I know takes a while to download. This is part of my first shot at getting a web page up, and I expect to split this information into several files in the near future.)

• Swapmeister's Note
• Introduction
• Black Welsh Mountain
• California Variegated Mutant
• Castlemilk Moorit
• Cheviot
• Columbia
• Coopworth
• Cormo
• Corriedale
• Cotswold
• Dorset
• English Leicester
• Finnsheep
• Gotland
• Herdwick
• Icelandic
• Jacob
• Lincoln
• Manx Loughtan
• Merino
• Navajo Churro
• Polwarth
• Polypay
• Rambouillet
• Romney
• Roux du Valais
• Salish
• Scottish Black Face
• Shetland
• Suffolk
• Swiss White Alp
• Targhee
• Wensleydale
• Miscellaneous Other Breeds

Here it is at last! I hope you will be as excited about this wonderful resource as I am. How many of us have the time, money or inclination to research and purchase 32 different types of fleece? It's amazing what we can accomplish together! This notebook contains breed information sheets, sample sheets, and a few appendices. Due to the variety of baggie types , I decided to attach the samples to cardstock and then slip those into sheet protectors. This should make it easier to flip through and do comparisons. You will also note that there are varying amounts of spinnable wool for each breed, due to cost, limited availability or misadventure. Still, there is plenty of each breed for you to get a feel for the preparations and spinning of that breed.

        American Sheep Industry Association, Inc.
        6911 S. Yosemite St.   Dept E/C594
        Englewood, CO  80112-1414
        (303) 771-3500
        Fax (303) 771-8200

What a marvelous opportunity this is to compare a variety of different fleeces and their qualities! We do need to keep in mind, of course, that these samples represent only a small portion of the various sheep breeds in the world. There are literally hundreds of breeds of sheep. Not all breeds grow a useable wool coat. Those breeds which do vary widely in type of fiber produced. Some wool fibers are nearly invisibly fine; some are very long and wiry. Some sheep produce a "double- coated" fleece which is a combination of two very different grades of wool. And nearly every fleece (with Merino being a notable exception) varies in quality and fineness from area to area within any one fleece.
Wool is grown only by the ovine species, known to most of us as sheep. Fur or down products from other animals, such as mohair or cashmere, are really types of hair fibers. Although we may use these products as though they were wool, microscopic examination of the exterior and interior of the fibers will reveal significant differences. Prior to the invention of man-made fibers, wool was considered so important that production and stockpiles of it were considered vital to national security. With the advent of synthetics, which can mimic many (but never all!) of wool' s attributes, wool and the raising of sheep has become much less important in the world. However, many modern consumers - and, of course, modern fiber craftspeople - are rediscovering this wondrous natural product.
When shopping for a fleece for handspinning, it's important to keep in mind that the vast majority of sheep raised today are kept for the production of meat, with fleece being either a distant second or entirely irrelevant.

AMERICAN      BRADFORD COUNT      MICRONS

Fine          > 80's              Under 17.70
Fine          80's                17.70 - 19.14
Fine          70's                19.15 - 20.59
Fine          64's                20.60 - 22.04
1/2           62's                22.05 - 23.49
1/2           60's                23.50 - 24.94
3/8           58's                24.95 - 26.39
3/8           56's                26.40 - 27.84
1/4           54's                27.85 - 29.29
1/4           50's                29.30 - 30.99
Low 1/4       48's                31.00 - 32.69
Low 1/4       46's                32.70 - 34.39
Common        44's                34.40 - 36.19
Common        40's                36.20 - 38.09
Common        36's                38.10 - 40.20
Common        < 36's              Over 40.20

(1 micron is 1/25,000 of an inch)

It is important to remember that this system measures only individual fiber diameter; not "softness" per se. Generally it is true that the thicker the individual fibers, the coarser and potentially scratchier the finished yarn. But other factors do affect what we call the "hand"; that is, the feel of the fiber against our skin. These factors include - but are not limited to - stiffness and cleanliness of the fiber, yarn twist, weave or knit selection, and mordants and dyes used.
The source for the above comparison chart is the American Wool Council. Back to Table of Contents
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BREED DESCRIPTION
Black Welsh Mountain sheep originated in (surprise ) Wales, and pure breed flocks can now be found through the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, France, Canada and the United States. They are very small - ewes are 20 to 22 inches tall, weighing 75 to 100 lbs, and rams are only slightly larger - 22 to 24 inches tall weighing 100 to 125 lbs. Rams have curved horns, while the ewes are polled. They have no wool on their faces or on their legs below the knee. They have blue skin. It is the only black breed of sheep to be found in the United Kingdom. Welsh Mountain Sheep have been prized since the Middle Ages for both excellent meat and their black wool, known as "Cochddu" , which means reddish brown. About a century ago, breeders decided to capitalize on the commercial potential of the black wool, and began selectively breeding to produce Black Welsh Mountain Sheep. They are hardy and self-reliant, and the ewes are excellent mothers. They are gentle and display a strong flocking tendency.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
BWM fleece is dense, intensely black, very springy. It is considered medium fine, with a 3 to 4 inch staple, between 26 and 40 microns, with a count of 44-52. A typical fleece is 3 to 4 lbs. It is finer than the white of Welsh Mountain sheep.

METHOD OF PREPARATION
Because this wool is so springy, I think carding is the best method of preparation. I tried both handcarding and drumcarding, and then tried combs just for fun. Carding seemed to better preserve the characteristics of the wool. The raw fleece I purchased was fairly dirty. I washed it in my washing machine by filling the machine with water and Crystal White Octagon, adding fleece, letting it soak for about 15 to 20 minutes and spinning out the water. Then, I lifted the fleece out, refilled the machine and repeated the process. I washed three times, rinsed twice. Still, the tips were pretty matted, so much of the dirt didn't wash out of them. After washing, I handpicked the fleece before putting it in baggies, and found that I discarded almost as much as I kept. I noticed in picking that this fleece must have been stressed, since removing the tips often broke the fibers.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
Again, due to the springiness, this wool is well suited for a long draw, woolen technique. I haven't perfected that yet, so my samples, while still spun woolen, were done with a short draw. 

RECOMMENDED USES
I don't think I would care to use this for a garment next to the skin, but I think it would work well for jackets or sweaters or hats and mittens. It would also make great blankets.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
I purchased two different forms from two different sources.
Roving:
Burp Hollow Farm, Tom & Jacque Rogers, 23640 Hall Rd.,
Cheshire, OR 97419
(503) 998-8749 $20 per lb
Raw fleece:
Mondello Miniature Ranch, Joe & Mary Mondello, 3110 Vineyard
Canyon Rd., San Miguel, CA 93451
(805) 467-3206 $8 per lb

RESOURCES
Brochure, North American Black Welsh Mountain Sheep Registry
Text copies from one supplier, origin unidentified
The Essentials of Yarn Design for Handspinners, by Mabel Ross
(This is an incredible resource!! It includes, among many other things, a great deal of information about wool, including breed information (naturally focussing on breeds in Great Britain), grading of fleece, faults to look for in a fleece, methods of wool preparation and spinning techniques. If I could only keep one spinning book, this would be the one I would keep.)
Encyclopedia of Handspinning, by Mabel Ross (Interweave Press)
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BREED DESCRIPTION
The California Variegated Mutant, or CVM, is a mutation of the Romeldale sheep, a breed developed by A.T. Spencer in the early 1900's. Mr. Spencer crossed New Zealand Romney rams with his Rambouillet ewes to increase the staple and length of fleece and to improve the carcass quality. Through many years of selective breeding, the Romeldale breed was thus developed. During the 1960's, Glen Eidman found a multi-colored ewe lamb in his purebred Romeldale flock. Two years later, a ram lamb with the same coloration pattern was born. When the ewe and ram were crossed, the resulting offspring also had this unique color pattern. Through subsequent breedings and further mutations, the CVM breed was developed over a 15 year period. During that time, Mr. Eidman did not sell any of the CVM sheep so as to have complete control over the breeding. In 1982, the entire flock was dispersed.
The CVM sheep generally has a clean face, although sometimes wool is found on the forehead. The body is sturdy and well- boned, with a long, straight back. Hooves are black in color. Legs are medium in length, and neck and shoulders should be mostly free of skin folds. Eyes are large and ears are medium in size. Mature rams weigh from 175-200 pounds while mature ewes weigh from 120-150 pounds. There is a large variety of colors and color patterns, including dark gray, black, brown, moorit, white, silver, and spotted. The original CVMs had a barred face badger pattern which can still be seen in some sheep.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
The fiber from the CVM is a long staple, fine wool with a spinning count from 60s to 62s. The staple length averages between 4 and 6 inches. On the fleece being provided here, I counted anywhere from 7 to 12 crimps per inch - providing I was counting correctly! The locks provided are all from ewes with the exception of the black fleece. This fleece came from a ram and won Supreme Champion Fleece at the Wyoming State Fair this year!

METHOD OF PREPARATION
I personally feel that, due to the length of the fiber, the best preparation for this particular type of fleece would be combing. The fleece I received for this swap is of such high quality that I feel flicking the tips and spinning from the lock would also be very appropriate. If carded, I believe that hand carders would work better so that the spinner could ensure that the fibers would not fold over. I would be reluctant to send this out for commercial preparation due to the length and the relatively fine count.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
I would use the same techniques for this fiber as I use for finer wools such as Corriedale. I frankly do not see any limitations on ways in which this fleece could be spun.

RECOMMENDED USES
The fleece is soft as is the resulting yarn. I would use this wool for next-to-the-skin items and delicate lacework to show off the fineness of the wool. I do not believe this wool would hold up particularly well for harsher uses, such as in rugs.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
I purchased these fleeces from Myrtle Dow, Black Pines Sheep, 12535 Weld County Road 80, Eaton, CO, 80615 - telephone (970) 834-2629. Myrtle raises many different breeds of sheep and has about 300 head. She told me that she shears year 'round, depending on who is ready to be shorn, so although she may not have a large selection in any one fleece at a particular time, it also seems that she will always have something! She also allowed me to purchase half-fleeces, which I appreciated as I would have never been able to afford full fleeces in this range of colors! The fleeces were all $7.50 a pound (including the prize winner!) with the exception of the reddish brown fleece. That fleece was $9.50 a pound due to its color. Myrtle requests a SASE for a current price list and $1.50 for samples of current stock.

RESOURCES
I received a nifty little pamphlet from Myrtle that had all this information (and more!). It appears that the pamphlet may be put out by the CVM registry. I was unable to find more or better information from other sources.

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BREED DESCRIPTION
The breed is one of the larger primitive types, mature ewes 85 lb (40 kg) and rams 120 lb (55 kg) approx. with clean fine- bone legs, straight back, well sprung ribs and a short & narrow tail. Light brown (moorit) in color with definite mouflon patterned markings as light patches around the eyes, lower jaw, belly, knees and inside lower legs, together with a light rump patch.
The fine head should be clean and level between the ears. Some slight variation in head color is acceptable, retaining the mouflon markings. Ewes have two uniform wide spreading horns, whilst those of the ram are much heavier, evenly spiraled avoiding the cheeks. The fleece is tight and even with little or no kemp, naturally bleached at the tip.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
Staple length 2" - 3", Bradford Count 48 - 50 demi-lustre, Average fleece weight 2 - 3 lb. Weight in the grease - 2 lb 4 oz, weight after scouring - 1 lb 12 oz, weight after sorting and drumcarding three times - 15 1/2 oz.
Staple length appeared to be nearer 1" to 2", very little approached 3" and that which did was of inferior quality. It was virtually kemp free.

METHOD OF PREPARATION/ SPINNING TECHNIQUES
To get uniformity, I drumcarded three times and divided the prepared fleece into 33 lots (approximately 7/16 oz each) and used one of these lots for my spun sample. I hand carded this once to get light fluffy rolags and achieved a fairly fine even yarn that measured 55 yds when 2 plyed, using a short draw on my Ashford Traveller.

RECOMMENDED USES
I picture a nice lightweight clothing material but a word of warning - the locks are a giveaway - this yarn will tend to bleach in direct sunlight, so be prepared for fading in outdoor garments, or items exposed to direct sunlight.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
This fleece was bought September 1994 from Tynsell Handspinners, cost #4 ($6 approx.)

RESOURCES
Rare Breeds Survival Trust, Castlemilk Moorit Sheep Society.

BREED HISTORY
Castlemilk Moorits originated in the late 1920's, early 1930's on the Castlemilk Estate of Sir John (Jock) Buchanan- Jardine near Lockerbie,Dumfresshire. Sir John inherited the estate from his father in 1927 and he had a strong preference for brown livestock which he built up over the following 40 years (cattle & foxhounds as well as sheep).
The breed evolved from 14 ewe lambs bought from the Ballindalloch Estate in Banffshire in 1928 (breed not specified but thought to be brown 2-horned Shetlands). it is believed that these ewes were put to a Mouflon ram (the wild breed from Corsica & Sardinia) in about 1930 and a Manx Loghtan ram was added to the genetic pool in 1936. A Soay ram was also introduced (date unknown), but this proved to be a failure and all stock bred from the Soay were later culled. It was certainly a closed flock by 1949 and probably some time before that. The flock usually consisted of 60 ewes and 2 or 3 rams and over 20 years, through careful selection and culling (personally supervised by Sir John), the new breed emerged. In 1970, Sir John died and his son Rupert inherited the estate. He had a different farming policy in mind and so the flock of over 100 was offered for sale. Joe Henson of the Cotswold Farm Park bought 6 ewes and 1 ram and a Mr. Mundue of Northumberland bought 4 ewes. That was the only response and all the remaining flock were slaughtered. So the whole breed was reduced to 11. The day after the sheep arrived at the Cotswold Farm Park, a dog got in amongst the sheep - one ewe got tangled up in fencing and was found with a broken neck. Then there were 10.
The first lambing produced 2 singles, 2 sets of twins and 1 set of triplets (a common format) and, in 1974, a foundation ewe, her ewe lamb and a ram were sold to James Furness of Derbyshire. In 1976, Major Lindsay Wallace from Shropshire bought the 4 ewes from Mr. Mundue and a ram from Mr Furness, thus starting a third pure breeding flock. All of the current breed, therefore, descend from one ram without any apparent ill effects from inbreeding.
Breeding records having been kept since 1974 and in 1983 the number of breeders had risen to 12 with approximately 80 sheep. These records covered 6 generations and now met the Rare Breed Survival Trust requirements for acceptance and Castlemilk Moorit was accepted as a Category 1 in November 1983.
A few flocks of first generation crosses (2 horned Manx ewes X Moorit ram, Shetland ewes X Moorit ram, Moorit ewes X Brown Shetland ram) were already in existence at this time and they were accepted into the Breed Society but the Grading Register was then closed to prevent the grades out numbering pedigree sheep.
The 1994 Survey gives UK population as 308 breeding ewes in 40 flocks and is still in Category 1 on the RBST lists. (Categories: 1: Critical; 2: Endangered; 3: Vulnerable; 4: At Risk; 5: Imported; 6: Feral)

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BREED DESCRIPTION
Cheviot are supposed to be pure white. However, on the hoof the fleece looks creamy. They have wool free faces and lower legs. Actually they look a lot like a goat with a wool coat on. According to Paula Simmons' book, Raising Sheep the Modern Way, there are two types of cheviot, Border (sometimes called Southern) Cheviot are the smallest and the larger Northern Cheviot that has a distictive arched roman nose. Border Cheviot the predominant type in the United States Originally this breed lived in the mountains -- the Cheviot hills -- between England and Scotland. They are supposedly hardy enough to withstand a difficult cold winter at high altitudes. Cheviot don't herd well and tend to scatter when threatened. They are a little on the high strung side. We kept Cheviot for about a year. Any change in their routine sent them bouncing to the back of the pasture. This caused a friend to label them the "spring-loaded" sheep. The ewes did a good job raising their lambs. Having a wet clay type pasture wasn't good for their feet though and it unfortunately cut short my experience with them before I learned about spinning.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
The Ashford book of Spinning by Anne field has a lovely chart that includes Cheviot. Actually Cheviot is in a class all to itself. I had expected to find it in with the down sheep but not in this particular chart. Micron count range 33-28, Quality number 50s-56s, Staple length 100 mm which is about 4 inches.
General characteristic: Harsh handling wool with a chalky color. Spongy. Spongy it is - that was the very first thing I noticed about the fleece even before it was cleaned and carded.
Not for beginners, Medium thick yarn. Well, I still consider myself a beginner and I managed to churn out quiet a few yards on the drop spindle in the grease. You will have to judge about the cleaned carded fiber.
Beverley Horne suggests that Cheviot will give the same softness as Merino but not the brightness. (From her description of the breed with the roman nose she may have been talking about the North Country Cheviot.
The fleece in that you have a sample of came from a three yr old ewe and won best of type at our local fair. for what it's worth it was the only fleece of it's type 

METHOD OF PREPARATION
I think this particular fleece was clean enough to spin in grease. There wasn't even much grease to worry about. Having my druthers I would have done just that. In fact, when I was first playing with this that's how I spun it flicked open the tips and used a drop spindle. It was deceptively easy. However, I don't have the space to wash a fleece in my mobile home with two fleece eating rottweiler. So, these was sent out to the local carding service. It was washed in Amway LOC then picked and carded into batts. I had considered having it made into roving but decided that since it was so fluffy in the beginning I wanted you all to see it that way too. After deciding this I read the Fleece In Your Hands by Beverley Horne and she said carding was the best process

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
Horne recommends using a firm tension when spinning and a balanced spin. Neither under spun which she says shows up the spongy character nor over spun which robs the light airy texture of the yard.

RECOMMENDED USES
Blankets and knee rugs, knitted and crocheted garments. But I think outer garments would be a better designation. Fleece in Your Hand gives a nice crocheted shawl and knitted beret. Ms. Horne also suggests that weavers allow a 2-3 inch shrink per yard and to use a weave that is not sett too closely. She also lists the best usage as blankets, pram covers and cuddle rugs.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
Well, I was practically given the fleece I ended up with - the white Cheviot and two natural color fleeces - the total weight well over thirty pounds for a mere 20 dollars. The vendor is a local breeder of Border Cheviots and has asked that I not publish his name and address. However if you are interested please feel free to contact me and I will process your request. This man is very picky about what he shows and what type animals he keeps in his flock. I would seriously doubt that any fleece he selected would be less than perfect. But there will be none available until next spring or early summer.
The published price for Cheviot in a local sales brochure lists it at $6.00/lb for heavily skirted fleeces. They run about 5-10 pounds. I can't quote a price from this local farm until next year. If he is feeling magnanimous the fleece could be quiet a bargain.

RESOURCES
Fleece In Your Hands , by Beverly Horne
Raising Sheep the Modern Way, by Paula Simmons
Ashford Book of spinning, by Anne Field
Dawn Lantz, Owner/operator of Dawn's Carding Service
Barbara Bosquette: Shearer of local Cheviot herd, selector of excellent fleeces

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BREED DESCRIPTION
The Columbia breed of sheep is the first breed of sheep developed in the United States and its name is a reflection of that. First bred in 1912 in Laramie, Wyoming, it was initially a crossbreed of Rambouillet ewes and Lincoln rams. The goal of this pairing was to breed hardy sheep that were capable of living in the rugged western ranges. In 1918 the initial flock of Columbias were moved to the Sheep Experimental Station in Dubois, Idaho.
The Columbia is a large sheep, symmetrical in outline, head erect, legs squarely placed. Rams are distinctly masculine, and ewes are strong but feminine. The head is hornless and free from wool blindness, with moderately long ears that have an even covering of white hair or very short wool. Hair in the face and ears should be white, with occasional black spots being permitted on the ears. Small spots of colored pigment are permitted on the nose. The open white face has a poll covering not to exceed two inches below the eyes or to impair vision, even in full fleece.
The neck is medium length, neatly attached and full, free from wrinkles and folds. The back is level, long and strong with thick muscle. Shoulders are wide, meaty, and tightly laid on top and even with the backline. The chest is wide and deep, with forelegs set well apart. The ribs are well-sprung, wide and deep.
The legs are set squarely under the sheep, heavily boned and covered with white hair below the wool line. Thighs are thickly muscled and well filled in the twist. Hooves may be either white or black.
Columbia are large sheep with heavy white fleece. Rams weigh from 250-250 pounds. Ewes weigh from 150-250 pounds. They have medium fine fleece that weigh between 9-18 pounds.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
The spinning count is in the 50s - 60s range with a micron diameter of 30-23. The average staple length of a Columbia fleece is 3-5 inches.

METHOD OF PREPARATION/ SPINNING TECHNIQUES
In preparing the spun samples, I have carded the fleece on my Ashford drumcarder. I tried to prepare a semi-worsted roving with it. Before spinning, I predrafted this roving somewhat before spinning it. In September, I took some of this fleece to spin during a demonstration and had to hand card it there. I do not recommend hand carding because of the long staple length. It was awkward and results were less than optimal. I believe that the disappointing result was also due to the fact that the wool felt tacky, as if I hadn't washed it well enough. I hope the samples I have sent are better. In an ideal world where I had unlimited funds, I think I would send this fleece off to be processed.

RECOMMENDED USES
I believe that Columbia is a good all purpose fleece. Soft enough for next to skin wear with a good staple length and creamy white color.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
The fleece I acquired is from an adult ewe named Eidelweiss. Her fleece weighed 12 pounds skirted. She was covered during the growing of this fleece, which was reflected in the lack of dirt in most of it. The areas of fleece beneath the cover were very clean. The fleece that was not under the cover was considerably dirtier. I was charged $5 a pound, for a total of $60 for the entire fleece.
This fleece was purchased from:
Kristofer Ericson, 7202 Omaha Trace, Omaha, NE 68122

RESOURCES
Columbia Sheep Breeders Association handbook
The Wonders of Sheep , by Lavine and Scuro
The Shepherds Guidebook , by Bradbury
Various newspaper clippings provided by breeder

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BREED DESCRIPTION
Coopworth was developed by Prof. Ian E Coop in the 1950s. The breed is the result of a Romany ram crossed to a Border Leicester ewe, and then interbreeding the progeny. The Coopworth breed society sets strict rules and regulations on the registering of Coopworth stock. Any ewe which is barren, is assisted at birth or doesn't have lambs by her second lambing, is required to be deregistered. Rams are required to be from a multiple birth born in the first 21 days of lambing season from a ewe with a minimum average of 1.7 lambs per birth.
Coopworth sheep are good mothers and lamb unassisted. The ewes are often used for embryo transplants. They do well on forage and are more resistant to footrot than most. Coopworth sheep are a medium sized sheep. Ewes average about 140-175 pounds and rams range 175-250 pounds. Coopworth is both a good wool supplier and a good meat animal.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
The Coopworth fleece averages between 11-12 pounds, but some ram fleeces can reach as much as 21 pounds. The wool has a 5- 6 inch fiber length with a count in the 60s and approx. 22 microns. It has high luster and little crimp. There is not a lot of elasticity but it is a hard wearing wool. As an experiment, I dyed some of the Coopworth with the same color Koolaid I used in the KoolAid swap. I was impressed because the Coopworth took the dye with a similar intensity to the mohair used in the other swap. I have included samples of the dyed Coopworth as well.

METHOD OF PREPARATION
The fiber included in this sample came from the June 95 shearing of a 2 year old ram. Due to the area this ram was raised, he was not covered. His home is a bit wild and the covers make the sheep more susceptible to predator attacks. The fleece was processed by Pendelton Wools in Oregon.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
This sample was spun on an Ashford Scholar with a high speed whorl. It is spun with a Z twist to the singles and an S twist in the ply, and plied into a two ply yarn. The commercial preparation had caused the fibers to compact, so snapping was necessary. The fiber was still a bit hard to draft. Because of the length of the fibers, the wool was very nice in a thicker yarn.

RECOMMENDED USES
Because this is a hard wearing wool, this would be a good wool for socks and outerwear. It is also a VERY good wool for use as warping threads for weaving. Singles make a strong warp.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
This sample was purchased from Marguerite Etcheverry, 10110 Wilder Ridge Rd, Garbervill CA 95542, (707) 986-7526. She charged $16 per pound for her wool in sliver. The Coopworth Sheep Society President, Susan Elkins has fiber for $4.00 per pound. I believe this is washed, but not yet combed or carded. Ms Elkins carries both white and colored fleeces.

RESOURCES
For more Information on Coopworth sheep, contact Susan Elkins, Cobun Creek Pottery and Farm, Rt. 10 Box 15, Cobun Creek Rd, Morgantown WV 26505, (304) 292-1907.

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BREED DESCRIPTION
Cormo sheep were developed in Australia from Corriedale rams crossed with superfine Saxon Merino ewes. They are 1/4 Lincoln, 1/4 Australian Merino and 1/2 Saxon Merino. They were bred by Mr. I.K. Downie beginning in 1961 and were recognized as a new breed 10 years later. They were bred as a dual purpose sheep to produce both meat and fleece. The breed standards are based on clean fleece weight, fiber diameter, high fertility and body weight. The fleece is fine and heavy. The sheep are polled, medium sized with white faces. The rams weigh between 180 and 220 pounds, ewes between 140 and 165 pounds.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
Cormo fleece is fine and soft, average fiber diameter is from 20-23 microns (64s to 70s count). The typical fleece weighs about 11 pounds. It's not lustrous but it is a bright white color with very consistent fiber quality throughout the fleece, Staples are 4-5-1/2" long, the locks have blunt ends. My fleece has 16 crimps/inch, the crimp is very even. The fleece I'm using came from a relatively small, (only 90 pounds) mature ewe known as Little Cormo. It weighed 6-1/2 pounds which is considerably less than the average weight. It was coated. It's a very fine, uniform fleece which is a pleasure to work with. As is inevitable with very fine fleeces there were some second cuts, but the only vegetable matter in the fleece was at the edges.

METHOD OF PREPARATION
Jane Fournier sorted her fleece into rows of locks and washed them in a mesh bag. I found that I could put pieces of the fleece in mesh bags without sorting them into locks and scour them in hot water from the tap with lots of Dawn or Joy detergent with good results. I was very careful not to squeeze or agitate the fleece, but soaked it in 2 changes of soapy water for about 30 minutes in each, using a lot of detergent in the first wash and much less in the second. Then I rinsed it in the same temperature water, still being very careful not to agitate it at all, spun it out in the salad spinner and let it dry. This method removed all the grease and left the fleece very soft.
Jane Fournier says that all methods of preparation work well with Cormo but I tried several methods of preparation and found that combing or flick carding it worked best. Either of these methods gave good results, removing any second cuts and minimizing neps and lumps. I used English combs and pulled the roving through a diz made from the corner of a plastic milk container.
I tried hand carding but found that it tended to tangle and get neppy. I didn't try the drumcarder because combing or flick carding worked so well.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
I spun the yarn worsted with a very high twist to make a fine singles. When plied it became very lofty. I found that I had to use a high twist or it separated when I was plying. Even spinning very fine, 3-ply yarn came out sport weight because of the high loft.
I have a lot of trouble spinning a thicker yarn, so didn't try that. I found that spinning carded rolags woolen style gave a very uneven, lumpy yarn due to Cormo's tendency to become neppy when carded. But the high crimp, springy nature of Cormo means that even spun worsted it is a very lofty, soft yarn.

RECOMMENDED USES
This fleece feels almost like cotton next to the skin. I would use this for baby clothes, any next to the skin garments, sweaters, afghans, etc. It would make a fine, soft woven fabric suitable for clothing such as dresses, blouses, etc. It should blend well with other fibers such as silk, angora, etc.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
I bought this fleece from Janet's Fine Wools: Janet Thompson, 1295 E. Mountain View, Fresno, CA 93725, (209) 896-7510. I paid $3.00 per pound for it plus shipping.
There are several other Cormo breeders who advertise in Spin- Off, but they were either out of the fleece or were unreachable. I would definitely recommend purchasing a fleece raised in a dry climate, which is the climate Cormo was bred for. The fleece is very heavy and dense and can be damaged by a lot of wet weather.

RESOURCES
Fiber basics: Lofty and Versatile Cormo, by Jane Fournier, Spin-Off Magazine, Spring 1993.
Sue Garland gave me a lot of good advice about washing and preparation and shared a couple of samples of commercially prepared Cormo with me.
The information about the best climate for Cormo was given to me by a breeder in Washington state, who was out of Cormo fleeces and strongly recommended getting a fleece from a Cormo raised in a dry climate. I don't remember her name.
Susan Druding of Straw into Gold gave me a very detailed, easy to follow description of how to flick card.

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BREED DESCRIPTION
This breed is the oldest of the crossbred wool breeds and was developed in South Island, New Zealand. It was first registered in 1868. The Corriedale is the result of selected breeding using Lincoln and English Leicester rams on Merino ewes and interbreeding the crosses. The long wool ancestors contributed good confirmation (a large frame) while the Merino gave a dense fine quality fleece. Corriedales are best suited to medium to low rainfall areas and do well even under drought conditions, they are widely dispersed across the U.S. Corriedale are docile and easily herded. The ewes are ideal for producing fat lambs and they have a long productive life.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
Bright luster wool with a count range between 50-58 and an average staple length between 4-7 inches with approximately 5 even crimps per inch. The fleece has a full firm hand and with it's length makes it a good fleece for beginners. The fibers are 33-28 microns in diameter and an average fleece weighs 11 pounds. Fleece from drier climates are more lustrous, avoid those with matting at the tips and excessive stickiness.
If the tips are weathered they will noil in carding which will produce lumpy yarns that will pill. Natural colored Corriedale is available.

METHOD OF PREPARATION
Corriedale cards easily for woolen yarns, if you have noils to remove, comb the fleece which will ensure a smooth yarn.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
The yarn from the Corriedale thickens when washed so spin a finer yarn than required but do not overspin as you will lose the elasticity for which this wool is known. Your yarn should be very light, soft and airy no matter what thickness and a chalk white in color.

RECOMMENDED USES
Ideal for baby wear, anything that can be knitted or crocheted that requires a soft pliable wool. You must allow for approximately 6" shrinkage per yard if you weave with it in the grease. The elasticity of the yarn helps to overcome any tension problems which may occur in weaving, on the other hand it could create some problems of it's own. The wools felts easily so launder with care and when you want to make felt try Corriedale!

PURCHASE INFORMATION
Spinner's Corner, 3070 Penobscot Road, Cool, CA 95614. 916- 888-7503. Robin Forquette, owner. She has a large flock, specializes in Jacob Sheep but has other breeds as well. As of August 1995 raw fleece was $8.00 per pound and roving was $10.00 per pound.

RESOURCES
Fleece In Your Hands, by Beverley Horn, Interweave Press, Loveland, 1979.
Encyclopedia of Handspinning, by Mabel Ross, Interweave Press, Loveland, 1989.
"Know Your Sheep Breeds: Corriedale", by Linda Berry Walker, Spin-Off , June,1989
Wool-Grades of Wool and the Sheep that Produce Them., The American Sheep Producers Council , Educational Pamphlet #4

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BREED DESCRIPTION
Cotswold, long known as the "Poor man's mohair", originated in Rome and Britain over 2000 years ago. It is a rare breed, currently enjoying an upswing in popularity. Rams are usually over 300 lbs, ewes over 250 lbs. Cotswolds are a very old breed, very large, hardy, and prolific. They are stylish and attractive, with black points. They adapt nicely to most climatic and environmental conditions. The Cotswold gets its name from the fact that in early times in England these sheep were sheltered in what were called "Cots", and were pastured on treeless hills known as "Wolds".

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
Cotswold fleece is very long and lustrous, falling over the entire body in silken locks, not unlike mohair. The color is silvery white. Staple length is 8 - 12", fleece weight is 14 - 16 lbs.

METHOD OF PREPARATION/ SPINNING TECHNIQUES
In spite of fairly heavy grease, the fleece washes easily with liquid detergents and hot water. After a spin dry in the washer and a light teasing, it dries rather quickly. It can then be spun uncarded, flicked, combed or drumcarded. It accepts dye readily, producing fine clear colors.
I tried three different methods for washing, the first I used a lingerie bag and hand washed, I did not like the results. Second I placed the locks in a dishpan of hot soapy water, did this twice and then rinsed, let dry on a sweater rack, it was OK, but I knew it could be better.
Third, if flicked the tips of the locks, laid them in a dishpan and filled with hot soapy water, I washed twice and then rinsed, let dry on sweater rack, I was happy with the results. The flicking opened the ends of the locks to allow a lot of the dirt and grease to get out. The fleece wasn't real dirty, had some straw in it. Basically most of the dirt was in the tips captured by the grease.. I haven't done any spinning yet, so I can't tell you about that.

RECOMMENDED USES

PURCHASE INFORMATION
The wool was purchased from Little Barn, I think the cost was $3.50 a lb.

RESOURCES
A Study of Farm Animals, Charles S. Plumb, The Webb Publishing Co., St. Paul,MN
Cotswold, Gwen B. Murray, Spin Off Magazine, Spring 1987.
The American Cotswold Record Assoc., Plympton, MA.
United States Department of Agriculture, bulletins, charts and posters.
I would also like to thank Roni Rospert, for her help in getting the above info.

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BREED DESCRIPTION
The Dorset is a medium-sized white sheep. The fleece is very white, strong, close and free from dark fiber. Although polled, scurs occasionally occur. At maturity, ewes weigh from 150 to 200 lbs. Rams weigh from 225 to 275 lbs. The exact genetic makeup of Dorset sheep is not known; however, it is believed that Merino sheep were crossed with the Horned Sheep of Wales to produce an all purpose sheep. This sheep, the Horned Dorset, spread over Dorset, Somerset, Devon and most of Wales. According to records, the first Dorsets appeared in the United States in 1860 in Milwaukee, Oregon. The Polled Dorset resulted from a mutation which occurred at North Carolina State College, Raleigh, NC in a purebred Dorset flock circa 1947. The Horned and Polled breed are identical except for the horns. The information above came from Continental Dorset Club based in Hudson, Iowa. According to Beverly Horne, author of Fleece in Your Hands, the Poll Dorset is a result of cross breeding Dorset Horns with Corriedales or Ryelands. She notes that the Poll Dorset produces a finer fleece than the Dorset Horn. Beverly Horne is from New Zealand. Perhaps the breed has diverged since leaving the old country. Anyway, my notes are for the North American Polled Dorset.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
Staple length is 3-5 inches, 4-5 crimps per inch, diameter is 22-31 microns, count is 50-58, This fleece came from a ewe, 7 or 8 years old.

METHOD OF PREPARATION
This fleece is very dirty. To wash, I fill a dishpan and the sink with the hottest water my faucet can provide (approximately 125F) to which I add generous squirts of Dove. Then, I put an even layer of wool in a hosiery bag. First, I soak the bag in the sink for about 10 minutes then transfer it to the dishpan. While that's soaking, I refill the sink. Before transferring from the dishpan to the rinse water in the sink I make sure the temperature difference isn't greater than 5 degrees F. If it is, I adjust the rinse water with hot or cold water as necessary. Then, I transfer to the clean rinse water in the sink where it soaks another 10 minutes or so. After the rinse, I gently squeeze out excess water and lay the bag on a towel covered oven rack. Eventually, I turn the towel enfolded bag over to absorb any remaining water. After that, I remove the towel and the wool air dries. It is a long process that I don't recommend to anyone with money enough for someone else to do the processing or access to a washing machine. However, my results are good considering the condition of the fleece. It picks apart easily and cards nicely. Because of the Dorsets short staple length, carding is probably the best preparation.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
I have only spindle spun a small amount of yarn so far. This was from a hand carded rolag. I think any woolen preparation would be appropriate. The staple length is a little short for worsted.

RECOMMENDED USES
Light to medium weight knitted and crochet garments. Also, good for board weaving projects.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
Jeanne Asplundh, Blair Mill Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090-1784 Price: $21.50 for approximately 4 lbs. This included shipping and handling. I found her from ads in the back of Spin-off.
This is my first fleece. These are some of the things I've observed, maybe all fleeces display these characteristics in varying degrees: 1.The fleece did not roll out into a whole - it is in strips. 2. There were lots of second cuts. 3. There were yellow felted tips with a noticeable break between tip and base. 4. Red particles at base - dried blood, eggs? 5. Weathered tips 6. Vegetable matter in the finest locks 7. Hairy/coarse sections 8. Nasty tips - dung and mud Don't buy a fleece from anyone unless you see it first!

RESOURCES
Continental Dorset Club, P.O. Box 506, Hudson, Iowa 50643, 319-988-4122
Fleece In Your Hands, by Beverly Horne, 1979, Interweave Press, Inc. ISBN: 0-934026-00-9
Knitting in the Old Way, by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts, Interweave Press, Inc. ISBN: 0-9340-2620-3

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BREED DESCRIPTION
Large sheep. White face and dark nostrils and lips. White legs. Hornless. Found in northeast England, Australia, and New Zealand.
Ease of feeding, early maturity, valuable carcass, and heavy fleece

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
Staple length 20-25 cm. Fleece weight 5-7 kg. Quality 40's- 46's. Wool classification is Longwool and Lustre.

METHOD OF PREPARATION
I opened the locks up a little by hand and ran it through my drumcarder. All of the residual dirt came out nicely and I ended up with a very airy fluffy batt that was easy to spin. I think combing would be another appropriate way to prepare this wool.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
This wool is easy to spin from a batt or from combed rovings. I used my Schacht wheel and a longish draw because of the fiber length. Samples were spun z and plied s, and plying was done from both ends of a ball.

RECOMMENDED USES
Braids, linings for suits, coatings, costume clothes,
furnishing fabrics and rugs

PURCHASE INFORMATION
Terry Lyons (Williamsburg Spinners and Weavers guild), 154 Country Club Road, Williamsburg, VA 23188
(804) 258-5770 $5/lb for unwashed fleece

RESOURCES
British Sheep & Wool. The British Wool Marketing Board, Oak Mills, Clayton, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD14 6JD. 1990.
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

BREED HISTORY
The following is from a brochure about the sheep put out by Colonial Williamsburg Foundation:
In the mid-eighteenth century, a wealthy English landowner named Robert Bakewell began selective breeding with the sheep in his native home of Leicester. These sheep were coarse animals with large bones and long wool. Bakewell was very interested in the meat production of these sheep because the English population was consuming more meat than ever before. He began to select the animals with the correct size and best meat-to-bone ratio and after several generations developed a "New Leicester" sheep.
This improved Leicester caused great interest among agriculturists of the day (late eighteenth century). British agricultural author Arthur Young and George Washington, to name just a couple, became interested in these sheep. Improvements from using Leicesters were seen throughout the colonies and England. George Washington, statesman and farmer, commented on the difference Leicester sheep had made on his Mt. Vernon flock.
Bakewell's breed went on to be used in improving most other English sheep breeds. They were used extensively in the pioneering efforts of Australia and New Zealand. The Leicesters also were used in the nineteenth century to create numerous new breeds of sheep, which became increasingly popular.
Today, the Leicester has become very rare because the breeds it helped create have become more popular than the original animal.
Colonial Williamsburg has the unique prospect of preserving one of the foundation breeds of modern sheep farming, exhibiting to the public one of the advances of the eighteenth century, and keeping a totally unique gene pool alive for future generations.
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation with the help of many generous donors imported a flock of English Leicester sheep from Tasmania, an island off the coast of Australia. The sheep arrived in Williamsburg, after many months in transit, in early 1990. The flock consisted of ewes from four different flocks and a ram who is unrelated to any of the ewes to give the widest genetic base possible. The sheep came from prize- winning flocks, some that have been in existence for over one hundred years.
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a nonprofit educational organization responsible for the restoration, preservation, and interpretation of the eighteenth-century capital of Virginia.
If you have any questions about the English Leicester breed of sheep or our rare breed program, please contact: Coach and Livestock Department Colonial Williamsburg Foundation PO Box 1776 Williamsburg, VA 23187-1776

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BREED DESCRIPTION
Finnsheep, or Finnish Landrace, as they are called in their native Finland, are medium-sized sheep with a very fine bone structure. A mature ewe will weigh from 130 - 180 pounds. A mature ram will weigh 170 - 240 pounds. They have no fleece on their head or below the knees and are also free of long fleece in the crotch area, making lambing in full fleece easier and keeping wool tags at a minimum. They also have a naturally short tail, from 4 - 6 inches long, which eliminates the need to dock them. The breed registry will not accept a docked animal.
Finns have no horns, although sometimes the rams will grow scurs, short vestigial horns, that normally break off by four to six months and do not grow back.
When I look at a Finn, I am reminded of a deer - the clean head, slight frame and alert look. A shepherd I know says they are wedge-shaped - the skinny end of the wedge being the chest and the wide end being the hindquarters - perfect, he says, for incubating a lot of lambs. And that is the real reason Finns were brought to this country in the first place back in 1968. Finns characteristically produce offspring in litters rather than singles or twins. A mature ewe's annual production percentage averages 300%. Sextuplets and septuplets are not unusual. Sheep breeders in this country brought Finns here to cross with their flocks to increase their lambing percentages. Theoretically the Finn ewe is supposed to be able to raise her multiple lambs by herself with little or no aid from the shepherd. In practice this does not seem to be the case, however. Possibly because the pool of sheep was so small such a short time ago, the necessary culling to maintain the stringent standard of the breed has not been done and a purebred Finn in this country is as likely these days to lamb twins as she is to lamb sextuplets. And often, even when producing a large litter, she needs extensive aid from the shepherd to bring the lambs to maturity.
Another commercially attractive aspect of Finnsheep is that they will breed out of season, to lamb at unusual times of the year, thereby allowing the carcass lamb producer to bring mature lambs to market at unusual times of the year and command a premium price for the meat. Finn ewes also breed early and can lamb for the first time before they reach one year of age. This increases the tally of lambs produced in the ewe's lifetime record.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
The Finnsheep Breeders' Association accepts both white and colored animals as long as they are solid-colored and any colored animals are identified as such at registration. White is the most usual color. As in most breeds, there is wide variety in fleece quality. However, most Finn fleeces are lightweight and lustrous with pronounced waves or curls rather than crimp. Ewes typically produce 5 to 6 pounds of fleece a year, and rams produce from 9 to 11 pounds. A typical staple length for a mature animal's fleece is between 3 and 6 inches. The American Wool Council grades Finnsheep wool spinning count in the 50's and 60's, and the loss of weight in washing can be as low as 20%, although 30% is more usual. The Finn fleeces I have seen are open and soft, and a delight to spin. The washed lock in the sample came from a mature Finn ram. Typically this fleece ran about 4 - 6 waves to the inch. The unwashed locks are from a ram lamb named Goose who was born into the Rock House Flock in the spring of 1995 and came to live with me in Illinois in August 1995. Goose's fleece shows greater elasticity than the other fleece (his daddy's) and looks almost crimpy. The 1 oz. packets of fiber and the yarn are from mature ewes, also found in the Rock House Flock. I have seen Finn fleeces from other flocks, and they are as variable as these.

METHOD OF PREPARATION/ SPINNING TECHNIQUES
The 1 oz. fleece sample was washed and carded by Ohio Valley Natural Fibers. I like this preparation for Finn fleece, although I think spinning washed Finn locks from the fold might be fun to try as an alternative. Even though the lock structure and length of these fleeces would nudge me into thinking of Finn in the same way as I think of Lincoln fleece - almost demanding a worsted preparation - the softness and fineness of the fleece argue for a woolen preparation. I think Finn is well-suited to both.

RECOMMENDED USES
Finn is soft enough to wear close to the skin and yet has the lovely gloss of the rug wools. I feel it's adaptable to many uses. In its native Finland, however, the Finns' fleeces are highly prized for their easy felting. Breeders here have been known to get frustrated over this tendency toward cottiness, which can occur while the fleece is still growing on the sheep, so perhaps felting this fiber is a possibility that needs exploration.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
These fleeces were purchased from Harry Koenig, Rock House Farm, 8391 Langhorne Rd., Scottsville, Va. 24590. He sells his lamb fleeces for about $6.50 - $7/lb and his grown ewes' fleeces for $5.50 - $6/lb.

RESOURCES
Raising Sheep the Modern Way , by Paula Simmons
Finnsheep - The Story , Finnsheep Breeders' Association, Inc.
Finnsheep - Short Tales, Finnsheep Magazine - FBA, Inc.
Harry Koenig, Shepherd & owner of several whacko Finns

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BREED DESCRIPTION
The Gotland (also known as Palssau) is a member of the Northern Short-tail family of sheep. It was developed as a breed on the Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, but is now more commonly found in Norway due to economic restrictions. Specifically, the Gotland originated as a cross between gray Norwegian Spelsau ewes and some pelt type rams of the Swedish landrace.
Like all members of the Northern Short-tail family, the Gotland is a smallish, relatively hardy sheep with a good yield and mothering ability. Mature ewes weigh about 70 kg. Other members of the Northern Short-tail family include the Romanov (Russia), Finnish Landrace, Orkney (Scotland), Shetland, Faroe, Icelandic, and Greenland. Occasionally the Soay will be grouped with this family, though it is really a more primitive breed. This entire family descended from the Norwegian Primitive Sheep described in Amy Lightfoot's article in the Spring, 1989 Spin-Off.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
Staple length is 3-5 inches, occasionally longer, Wavy with 3 - 4 crimps per inch, Count range - 48-52s, Silky, lustrous. The Gotland is not a true double-coated fleece like its close relative the Spelsau, but it does have a noticeable amount of guard hair. Source of this particular fleece: Unknown, probably one or more mature sheep.
Available colors: A wide range of grays, from white gray to nearly black. No true white is available.

METHOD OF PREPARATION
Noel Thurner recommends combing for the Scandinavian fleeces if you plan to spin them, and they are admirably suited for the technique. Even combed, you will not get a true worsted yarn, though, because of the variation in fiber length. Gotland can also be carded successfully for a semi-worsted yarn or for felting, and the reviewer in Spin-Off (Spring 1990) flicked individual locks before drawing out a roving.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
With its silky luster, a semi-worsted or worsted spinning method is ideal.

RECOMMENDED USES
Gotland yarn is suited for knitting or weaving, but Noel suggests that it not be used in an intricate design such as knitted cables or a fancy woven twill. The yarn is not smooth enough for those uses.
Also, Gotland felts quite readily, so is quite useful for felted objects. I would like to use this in a wadmal (woven loosely, then felted heavily) jacket.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
Norsk Fjord Fibers, P.O. Box 271, Lexington, GA 30648 (706) 743-5120
Current prices: Grease wool $12/lb, batts or rovings $19/lb. A 5 lb. sampler of several colors of both Spelsau and Gotland grease wool is $45.
The only other source I know of for Gotland and Spelsau wool is Detta's Spindle, 2592 Geggen-Tina Road, Maple Plain, MN 55359 (612) 479-2886. Detta has this available as grease wool only.
RESOURCES
Noel Thurner of Norsk Fjord Fibers introduced me to Gotland some years back. Her catalog has information about the Gotland and Spelsau wool, plus she sent me some miscellaneous reference material.
"Primitive Norwegian Sheep," Amy Lightfoot, Spin-Off, Fall 1989, pp. 55-57.
"Fiber Review," Spin-Off, Spring 1990, pp. 36-42.
"Wool Combs and Combing," Rita Buchanan, Spin-Off, Summer 1991, pp. 50-59.
"Viking Wool Combs," Noel Thurner, Spin-Off, Spring 1992, pp. 44-49.

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BREED DESCRIPTION
Herdwick is classified as a Mountain Sheep Breed (such as Scottish Blackface, Dalesbred, Rough Fell and Swaledale, also breeds in New Zealand and Australia) It is found in England (Fells of Cumberland, Westmoreland, English Lake District) Broad head with arched grey nose; deep round body and white well cocked ears; legs covered with short bristly hair. Ram has creamy white horns. Lambs are born with almost black/dark brown wool which turns lighter (gray to white) as they grow older.
Scandinavia is believed to be the country of origin of this breed which has no close affinity with any other in Britain. It lives entirely on mountain terrain (it can graze up to 3000 feet) and is hardy enough to need no supplementary feeding. Its most remarkable characteristic, however, is its hefting instinct. These sheep will spend their entire lives near the spot where they were born, often living for well over ten years. They have been known to find their way to their home territory if taken from it. This leads to sheep being sold with the farm when it changes hands.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
Average staple length: 15 cm, Fleece weight: 1.5 to 2 kg., Quality:28's to 32's
This fleece seems from a mature sheep, because of its color. Its weight was about 3 kg before washing. They can survive in this environment because of their hardiness and the unique properties of their wool. Herdwick wool is coarse and kempy. No lustre or crimp

METHOD OF PREPARATION
For this exchange, I washed the fleece with liquid detergent. I usually don't do it before spinning and it helps avoiding fibers to stick out of the thread. I have combed the tangled end of the locks, then I just open the fleece before spinning it. Combing the whole lock is not feasible with what I have available and carding tends to separate various length of fibers which I was not looking for.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
I have a single-band wheel, from Germany, looking very much like Louet wheels. No special method has been used, it has been spun in a woolen fashion, longdraw style. You need to be cautious to put enough twist in, even though the fibers are long. I then plied it two folds and washed it again to set the twist. For a rug, it would have been interesting to have a thicker yarn, either by spinning a thicker yarn or by plying three folds or more.

RECOMMENDED USES
Sorry, but this wool is not good for knitting, it is neither soft or warm, but attractive specialty fabrics (such as tweeds for outside clothes) are made from it, using undyed wool from sheep of different ages.
The wool is also widely used for carpet making. Carpets, being always underfoot and subject to the constant pressure of heavy furniture, have to be resilient (if a handful is crushed in the hand, it springs back instantly on release to its original bulk), durable, and easily cleaned. You need to know that the spun wool has a tendency to shed its kemp during the first uses.
I have used this breed because of its color to weave a two- color carpet, the white fleece being from a Swaledale sheep and it still looks great after years of use.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
I bought it from Fibercrafts some years ago (it was also available as roving). I know that Fibercraft products are usually sold in the US by Silver Crown Farm. This kind of fleece is not too costly, due to its possible uses. Fibercrafts, Style Cottage, Lower Eashing, Nr Godalming, Surrey, England GU7
2QD Silver Crown Farm, RD#3, Box 363, Chester, NJ 07930, USA

RESOURCES
Herdwick Sheep Society, Glenholm, Penrith Road, Keswick, Cumbria, England
British Sheep Breeds , by the British Wool Marketing Board
The Encyclopedia of Hand Spinning , by Mabel Ross

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BREED DESCRIPTION
From Louise Heite's brochure "A Brief Introduction to Icelandic Wool:"
Icelandic fleeces are among the rarest in the world, grown only in the high mountains of Iceland. The number of sheep in Iceland decreases every year, making this exquisite fiber rarer and rarer.
Viking settlers brought the ancestors of today's flocks to Iceland more than a thousand years ago from northern Europe. While other breeds have developed into specialized wool producers, the Icelandic breed has remained virtually unchanged. Spinning Icelandic wool is like a trip back through time.
Icelandic sheep may have multicolored coats, in spots, and/or with undercoat and guard hair in contrasting colors ranging from white through greys and browns to black.
FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
My fleece contains, on average, a staple length of eight inches or so for the "tog" (guard hairs), while the "thel" (undercoat) is about two inches, although ten inch tog with five inch thel is not unusual. This is not a crimpy fleece, but rather a fine, soft, fuzzy thel with long, coarse, relatively straight tog hairs, which sometimes try to curl back on themselves over three or four inches, and are highly reminiscent of a slightly duller version of goat. Diameter and count are unknown, but Louise Heite's brochure cited above likens the tog to mohair and the thel to Corriedale, and further states that thel is about 75% of the fleece weight, providing the warmth for which this wool is noted, while the long tog lends the strength to knit from unspun roving, when the fibers are commercially blended.

METHOD OF PREPARATION
My efforts to comb (using Louet Minis) produced sliver in which tog dominated the forward end, with thel bringing up the rear. This could be broken at the place where the tog thins into thel, but it is unlikely that even this method would produce a truly even-spinning preparation. I rejected carding entirely, due to the length of the tog fibers, although a drumcarder might overcome that difficulty. I do not know how the commercial preparation achieves the even distribution.
SPINNING TECHNIQUES
The prevalent methods are Plotulopi, the unspun pencil roving of thoroughly blended tog and thel used for knitting the famous lightweight, durable, incredibly soft and warm sweaters, mittens, hats and other garments; Hespulopi, that same roving spun very lightly to add strength necessary for knitting techniques common in America, but which spinning decreases the softness, by causing the tog fibers to stick out and become scratchy; and Eingirni, that roving spun into a remarkably strong singles yarn suitable for warp. Then there is the yarn I spun for this swap. Thel and tog alternating along the singles, as my preparation method dictated, in turn requires many plies to counteract the unevenness -- only to produce a scratchy, bulky rug yarn. Don't do that to a nice fleece! Divide and conquer is surely the proper hand method for this fleece. The tog fibers draft beautifully, but spin into strong, hairy, scratchy cord. The thel fibers behave more like angora or Samoyed, and spin into a soft, fuzzy, exquisite yarn, used for woolen underwear in Iceland until the middle of this century. (This information from the Viking Wool Discovery Package, by Louise Heite.)

RECOMMENDED USES
Plotulopi, the unspun mill-carded roving can be hand knit without further preparation into lofty, lightweight, soft, warm garments. With some loss of softness, this roving can be slightly spun into hespulopi for increased strength for rougher knitting methods. For an extremely durable warp yarn suitable for heirloom draperies and upholstery, it can be spun into eingirni, which can be finished by brushing into a high nap for winter garments, or flat for durability. Separating tog from thel, fine, woolen yarns can be handspun from thel to make undergarments, shawls, baby clothing, and other items of soft warmth. Thel was also the main component of the yarns used traditionally in the gilt inlay weaving technique, which was used during the nineteenth century to make saddle covers and decorative cloths for the home.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
This fleece was provided to me last year specifically for this swap by the generosity of Audra MacMann [74242,1612], who acquired it from Louise Heite, Importer of Icelandic Fleece, Yarn, and Rovings, P.O. Box 53, Camden, Delaware 19934-0053, Phone (800) 777-9665. I do not know the price; however, I understand from Ned Heite [76254,231] that a new shipment of fleeces is due on December 15, 1995.

RESOURCES
Louise Heite's brochure A Brief Introduction to Icelandic Wool
Viking Wool Discovery Package, by Louise Heite
Handwoven, May-June 1987 -- information on the glit technique
Knitting the Old Way by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts, published by Interweave Press -- European knitting techniques suitable for use with plotulopi
Notes on Knitting in Iceland, a booklet by Elsa E. Guthjonsson
Threads, October-November 1989 -- "Make a woolly, warm coat" by Meg Swanson
Sweaters by hand: Designs for Spinners and Knitters, published by Interweave Press -- features one of the Louise Heite Icelandic fleeces
"The Warp Weighted Loom, by Marta Hoffman, republished by Robin and Russ Handweavers in 1974 from an original edition that was #14 in the series Studia Norvegica, 1964" -- the description herein could be used to build a loom
"The authoritative source on Viking textile remains is Penelope, Textiles, Cordage, and Raw Fibres from 16-22 Coppergate, published by the Council for British Archaeology fro the York Archaeological Trust, part 5 of the volume 17 of the series Archaeology of York. A weaver could use the diagrams ... to duplicate medieval fabrics ..."

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BREED DESCRIPTION
The Jacob sheep is a very old and unique British breed. Distinguishing characteristics include a spotted fleece and a tendency to produce multiple horns. The spots appear as breed specific markings, and as random patterns. The specific markings indicate a measure of breed purity, whilst the random markings allow for a wide variation in individual animals. The Jacob is a more primitive breed than most "modern, improved" breeds, with ewes maturing around 120 lbs or less. Rams are somewhat larger.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
Staple length of Jacob wool ranges from 3 to 7 inches, with 4 being average. The Bradford count ranges from 44 to 56, which is quite a wide variation within one breed. The fleece should be free of kemp. Unfortunately, many flocks are selected for horn pattern rather than wool quality, and thus a large number of Jacobs do not have quality wool. The carded wool in this sample is from a young ram, as is the spun yarn. The lock is from a yearling ewe.

METHOD OF PREPARATION
This fleece was washed at home, in Orvus. It was then spread out to dry, and shipped to a commercial carding service (Cross Creek Valley). It is important to make certain that a commercial venture understands the uniqueness of Jacob fleece, and handles it accordingly. This fleece was NOT run through a picker, and was NOT carded a second time. This fleece was carded only once to retain some of the natural color pattern and to avoid a total blending to uniform grey.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
It is, of course, up to the individual spinner as to how the "spots" in a fleece are sorted. Either the fleece may be sorted into piles of white, black, and gray; and carded separately; or it may be carded together partially for a naturally variegated effect. The finer fleeces may be spun into finer yarn. Jacob wool may also be combed and spun worsted.

RECOMMENDED USES
The coarser Jacob fleeces - especially those with any kempy fibers - are suited only to outerwear garments. The finer fleeces are useful for wearing apparel, afghans, etc. The unique coloration of the fleeces allows for items with interesting natural serendipitous variegations or plaids, stripes,, or other patterns.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
This fleece came from a sheep in my flock. Fleeces are sold by myself and other breed association members for $8/lb. Skirted fleeces usually weigh around 4 lbs.

RESOURCES
Most of this information has come from my own experience with the breed over the last 10+ years. Some specific details came from the Jacob Sheep Conservancy's (breed association) literature, which is gathered from the input of many experienced members.

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BREED DESCRIPTION
Lincolns are among the oldest sheep breeds. They are also the largest sheep, slow maturing, and can produce a 15 pound fleece. They donUt sound like a great breed for beginning shepherds, although I was attracted to them because their lambs are supposed to be especially tasty, not as muttony as the finer-wool breeds. They are not good foragers, and must be put on good pasture. They are only moderately good mothers, and their lambs must be protected in pens for the first few days. They are not easy lambers. The rams are often used in crossbreeding. They are rated as having good dispositions.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
In general, Lincolns have fleeces with staple length ranging from 8 to 12 inches, with 1 to 3 crimps per inch. The diameter or count is in the 36s to 40s range. According to Fleece In Your Hands Lincoln differs from the Leicesters in that the staple does not curl in tightly at the tip. (Some of the wool in my sample fleece does show that curl, however.) My fleece is from a ewe. There is quite a bit of variation in staple characteristics from different parts of the sheep. The neck wool is finer, dark grey, and has a tighter crimp. Wool from the back is coarse, yet silky, long, almost white, and has very little crimp at all. ItUs hard to believe they both came from the same breed, let. alone the same sheep. Other parts of the fleece range between these two extremes. I tried to include fleece from different parts of the sheep when I made up the sample bags, although I did not have enough of the far extremes to go around.

METHOD OF PREPARATION
I tried 4 different methods of fiber preparation. Both picking and hand carding resulted in a very hairy yarn. I tried combing with double-row Viking combs, but found I lost more than half of this very clean and well-ordered fleece. (Single- row combs may have been more effective.) The resulting yarn was better than the woolen-spun yarn, but still more hairy than I wanted. I got the best results from opening the butt end and tip of each lock with a hackle, then spinning from the butt end of the lock. This method resulted in the smoothest yarn, and had little waste. Because I was running out of washed fleece, the yarn sample you receive may come from any one of the four experiments.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
Fleece In Your Hands recommends spinning and plying very lightly to preserve the silky, mohair-like qualities of the fiber.

RECOMMENDED USES
Rugs, outerwear. It can be an inelastic, harsh fiber, so should not be used in fabrics worn close to the skin. It is lustrous and long-wearing, and I imagine it would take dyes very well.. Paula Simmons recommends it for almost indestructible sock yarn. Woven fabrics of Lincoln fleece can be brushed to raise a nap similar to mohair.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
I purchased this fleece from Keith Penner who advertises in SpinOff. I paid $6.00/pound for a covered colored fleece. White fleeces are $1.00 cheaper, and uncovered fleeces are $1.00 less than their covered counterparts.

RESOURCES
Fleece In Your Hands by Beverley Horne
Raising Sheep the Modern Way

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BREED DESCRIPTION
The Manx Loghtan belongs to the group of multi-horned breeds which formerly inhabited many parts of Great Britain. It was recognized as a distinct type in the early 19th century when it was described as one of the smallest British breeds, averaging about 20 lbs. deadweight, although this probably was due to the fact that they were restricted to the poorer hilltops. When brought on to better land they grow to a greater size and mature ewes can weight up to 90 lbs. The face and legs are brown, but this varies from fawn to dark brown. The word Loghtan is derived from the Manx word 'lugh' (mouse) and 'dhoan' (brown), and breeders on the Isle of Man do not allow any white markings. These sheep grow up to six horns, but four is the most favored number. The wool is moorit (red-brown), and breeds true for this color. It is short stapled and of 48-50 quality. Manx Loghtan ewes average about 150 per cent lambing, but the breed is considerably inbred, so that crossbred progeny exhibit a significant degree of hybrid vigor, and make good commercial ewes."

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
The fiber is classified as 44-54 in the Bradford Count; the average fleece weight is 1.5 - 2 lbs, and the length is from 2.5-4 inches (though from what I saw 4" is the extreme end of this: most seemed to have fleeces in the Down range, about 2.5").

METHOD OF PREPARATION/ SPINNING TECHNIQUES
A fleece this short would be hard to comb; I would card it and spin in woolen-style, long draw. As stated in the description above, it is used for woolen yarns and could be used in tweed manufacture. It's softer than it sounds -- in the Romney range, from what I remember.
Another resource for information on this is the green British Rare Breeds book which most unfortunately I have just lent to a friend.

RECOMMENDED USES
It is used mainly for the production of undyed woolens, but is also suitable for the manufacture of tweeds.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
The only place you can obtain this fiber commercially that I know of (my fleece came from a shearing day at a rare breeds farm in Kent, England -- right place at the right time!) is from Fibrecrafts at Godalming, Style Cottage, Lower Eashing, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 2QD; tel o483 421853; fax 0483 419960.

RESOURCES
British Sheep, Seventh Edition, published by the National Sheep Association

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BREED DESCRIPTION
Introduced into Spain by the Moors in the eighth century and developed there. Currently grown primarily in Australia and New Zealand. A high country sheep, farmed purely for its wool. It produces the finest wool of any breed. It can be recognized by its white feet, white face with pink nose, distinctive horns and upstanding body.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
A bright white fleece with a staple length of 2-4 1/2" with approximately 10-20 crimps per inch. The firm handling staple is rectangular in shape with a flat tip. The crimps are sharply defined, V-shaped and even. Most fleeces will have dusty tips. Merino counts range from 60's to 90's. Merino is classed in three groups by count. Strong combing having a 60's count, medium combing having 60/64's to 66's count, and fine combing having 70's count and finer.
This is a covered American fleece from Wannabes, a champion, award-winning sheep. The count is described as about a 90's count. I showed Margaret Stove a sample of this fleece during a recent workshop. She described it as a "Rambouillet- type" fleece, more typical of American merino. She also said it was spongy rather than wavy. Saxony merino, the strain she works with is distinctly wavy.

METHOD OF PREPARATION
Having struggled with washing this fleece, I would definitely suggest commercial prep. Completely teased wool, and 2 24 hour washings in 1 cup of Dawn and just boiling water were required to wash this wool to the level to be included in the packets. The grease would wash out more quickly, but nodules of wax could only be removed by longer soakings. I washed in an ice chest to preserve the temperature for as long as possible. After 24 hours the water was cold and some grease had congealed on top. It still appears to be the best washing method for this fleece. Twelve hour washings where the water remains warm throughout were NOT enough. The only exception is for prep for a shawl where only 1-2 oz. will be prepared. In this case, washing lock by lock in a true soap really works and allows for spinning from the lock. Merino has enough crimp to allow worsted or semi-worsted prep, while maintaining elasticity.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
A short forward draw for worsted preparations. The trick is to put just enough tension on the fibers in the drafting zone, so that the crimp is pulled out straight while the yarn is being formed. Then the full elasticity of the fiber is built into the yarn, rather than the crimp being trapped, unavailable, in the twist. Margaret Stove's book goes into this in great deal.

RECOMMENDED USES
All fine knitting and crochet; hairpin lace; baby wear; shawls. Not suitable for heavy knitwear as constant washing will cause shrinking and matting. Excellent for lace weaves. It should be pre-shrunk first if used for weaving as shrinkage per yard is approximately 6" in both length and width. Margaret Stove indicated that Polworth would make a better choice for sweaters than merino.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
4-T Farm & Yarn Studio, John and Donna Thompson, 603-286-3563 1031 New Hampton Rd., Sanbornton, N.H. 03269 $10/lb.

RESOURCES
Brochure from 4-T Farm (the breeder)
Merino , by Margaret Stove
Fleece in Your Hands , by Beverly Horne
comments by Margaret Stove at a workshop in August

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BREED DESCRIPTION
By "Navajo Sheep" is meant a peculiar breed, the origin of which is mixed, but which is the favorite of the Navajo, especially the weaver. It owes it survival to its smallness, and its resistance to hunger, thirst and sudden changes in weather, particularly temperature. Its smallness is no drawback in the Navajo mind and the toughness of the meat is, in his opinion, an advantage. He believes that tough meat is more sustaining than tender..The Navajo say, "It seems like you are getting more to eat if the meat is tough'." *

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
"There are white sheep with long hair, white sheep with wavy hair, black or brown sheep, brown with black spots, black with brown spots, grayish brown or brownish gray.. As is true for Navajo dogs, no combination is impossible." * However, according to my primary reference, the black sheep of Navajo flocks have a fleece which is very crimpy, almost like a merino.
According to the information supplied by the Navajo Sheep project: A Navajo-Churro Fleece contains an inner coat (2-4") of fine fibers and a protective outer coat (4-14") of long coarse, hair-like (heterotype) fibers. It has varying amounts of short, coarse, opaque kemp fibers....The annual grease- fleece weight for a mature ewe averages about 5-7 pounds.

METHOD OF PREPARATION
IMLTHO, the best method of fiber preparation for ANY raw fleece is to have it sent directly to a processor - Usually "A,Touch Of Twist". However, for this project - the usual washing machine/ivory rinse seems to work just fine. This fleece seems to be quite typical of the description in the brochure and I suspect would be best if either flicker or combed.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
My plan is to simply open the locks with a dog comb and then *try* to follow the method described in the Spring Issue of Spin-Off. I will be using my brandy new David Smith Navajo Spindle with its very own little bowl to rest in. (Look out AMTRAK, Wheat is once again carrying pointed Objects on your trains) Besides, Henry is still waiting for his Navajo Blanket and since he loves tradition, I guess I will spin up the rest of this fleece to use in his blanket.

RECOMMENDED USES
Due to the relatively coarseness of the fiber, it is primarily recommended for Rug type weaving.
PURCHASE INFORMATION
My sheep fleece came from the Navajo Sheep Project (NSP) at Utah State University in Logan University. I hope each of you will take a few minutes to read the brochure that the NSP was kind enough to include for our study group. It even contains a lock of raw fleece! AND, I hope you will seriously consider subscribing to their news letter.
NAVAJO Sheep Project sheepman@cc.usu.edu Utah State University, Logan UT 84322-4850

RESOURCES
Navajo Sheep Project Newsletters & Brochures
Designing With The Wool, by Noel Bennett ISBN: 0-87358-171-7
Weaving A Navajo Blanket, by Gladys A Reichard ISBN: 0-486-22992-0

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BREED DESCRIPTION
The Polwarth sheep date back to 1880, so have a background of 100 years of progressive breeding. The breed was founded in the county of Polwarth in Victoria, Australia, and takes it name from that area. This breed was developed due to a need to meet environmental conditions of Western Victoria where the climate was too cold and wet for pure Merinos. It is a first cross Lincoln/Merino ewe mated with a Merino ram. Progeny from this are then mated. It was first known as the Dennis comeback and later Polwarth after the county in which it originated, in accordance with English practice.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
The Polwarth fleece is about 58s to 60s(23 - 25 micron),not less that 4-inch length, dense and even, and carried well down on the belly and points. The wool free face eliminates the need for facing ( face-shearing) and prevents wool blindness. The fiber I acquired was in two batches. I couldn't get enough of one fleece so I had to get two samples from different sheep and different countries. I received 1.75 lb. of a dark brown fleece that was still in the grease. It came from Australia. The second fleece I received 1.5 lb. of processed white roving. It came back from New Zealand in Betty Smiths suitcase.

Brown Fleece
Fiber length - 4 to 5 inches in length.
Diameter - very fine and uniform.
Crimps - very short
Preparation - Received in the grease - the tips a bit sun bleached Very little trash in the fleece.
Handle - Very soft!

White Fleece
Fiber Length - 3 to 4 inches in length.
Diameter - very fine and uniform.
Crimp - Its a bit hard to tell since this is already in a roving, but it appears to be short.
Preparation - Purchased from New Zealand. It was already washed and in a woolen roving.
Handle - Very soft!

METHOD OF PREPARATION
Well since I had fleece in the grease and already processed , of course I would choose the white prepared roving. But the cost of the fleece in the grease was $9/lb. where the white roving was $18/lb.
I washed the brown fleece in HOT water with Dawn dish washing soap. I put it in my clothes washer and filled it up. I let it sit for hour, then spun out the water, and filled it up with hot water. I again let it sit for an 1 hour. I repeated the hot water once again, spun and then took the fleece out of the washer. I laid the fleece onto racks and put in the shade to dry. I then used a Paula's Picker to pick apart the locks. I carded the samples on a Louet drumcarder.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
I used my Majacraft "Susie" to do my spinning on both the brown and the white fleece.I used a short draw and spun a nice thin yarn. I am more use to a larger diameter wool so it took a little bit to get use to it. I put more spin on the yarn and the plied yarn than I normally do. The brown was much more lumpy that the white, but I like that effect.

RECOMMENDED USES
Both fleeces are springy and super soft. I could see a nice warm scarf, sweater, and or socks. Because it is so soft It would be nice against the skin.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
I must admit that I had a very hard time finding fleece that I could get in the United States and I could afford. I found several foreign sources. The white roving came from a farm in New Zealand. I must say I did send a letter to them asking for information and never got a reply.
Martin and Hilary Paterson, Matakanui Station, R. D. 1 Omakau, Central Otago, New Zealand, Ph 03 447 3446, Fax 03 447 3080 Cost is $18/lb. plus shipping
The brown fleece came from a man who travels to the United States from Australia taking fleece orders. When he gets back to Australia shears the sheep and sends the fleeces to spinners in the United States. At this time I do not have an address. His name is: Cyril Lieschke, "Cora-Lynn", Henty, N.S.W. 2658, Australia, Phone: (069) 29 3391
I also had contact with; Wendy Dennis, Tarndwarncoort, Warncoot Vic 3243, International Fax 6152 336 338 She sent me a price list and shipping information, but due to the amount of time it would take to get four pounds shipped to me, I decided to try to find fleece in the US.

I have found out that two folks in the US will soon be carrying Polwarth. One is Little Barn in Harvest Alabama (1- 800-542-3275). The other one is Bullens Wullens of Centerburg, Ohio ( 1- 614-625-5554).

RESOURCES
Raising Sheep the Modern Way, by Paula Simmons, pages 30-31, and 216.
Polwarth Sheepbreeders Association Pamphlet

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BREED DESCRIPTION
The following is directly quoted from the publication "Wool Grades and the Sheep that Grow the Wool," published by the American Wool Council: "The Polypay is a breed developed in the 1970s by the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station at Dubois, Idaho and Nicholas Farms at Sonoma, California from initial crosses of Targhee x Dorset and Rambouillet x Finnsheep breeds. The breed is medium- sized, white-faced and most appropriate for high potential feed producing areas. Body size, type, and fleece traits are variable because of the recent formation of this breed."

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
This fleece had a staple length of between three and four inches. It had a well-defined lock structure, which you can still see in most of the samples. The wool was quite fine overall. Some of it had a lot of crimp, similar to Merino, and other parts had comparatively less crimp, perhaps like Corriedale. I do not think it is exceptionally lustrous, although some of it had a noticeable luster and some didn't. All of it was very soft and I am looking forward to spinning it. It ranged from very white to almost a tea-dyed color. From the size of the fleece I believe this came from a mature sheep, not a hogget. I was surprised at the wide variety in the fleece on one sheep. I got this fleece for free and it had a LOT of vegetation in it, which I tried desperately to get out. If you have any big pieces in yours, please accept my apologies.

METHOD OF PREPARATION
I washed this fleece four times and it strikes me as still a bit dirty. I did not feel I could give this to my friends as it was, so I am picking through it by hand and lightly running it through a wool hackle as I pack it into the baggies. The hackle is getting a lot of the trash out of it, and almost no wool is remaining in the hackle. I suspect if I sent this to a commercial carding service it would make a nice roving, perhaps similar to a Coopworth roving or finer. I combed a bit with minicombs and that came out very nicely--I am sure that it would look well combed with English or Viking combs also.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
Overall this is a fine wool and I am going to spin it using Margaret Stove's method of spinning from the lock (just fluffing an individual lock out a bit) and try to make a laceweight out of it. It is appropriate for worsted spinning.

RECOMMENDED USES
Again, this is a fine wool and any use of fine wool would be appropriate. I am going to spin it for knitting. The sample you will get is an attempt at two-ply laceweight. I would think that spun a little bigger it would make a suitable yarn for knitted garments. I am always on the lookout for sock yarns, but I am not confident that this fine wool will make a yarn sturdy enough for socks. I will sample some for socks eventually and report back.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
This wool was purchased in 1994 through Harry Koenig via what was then the Crafts Forum. Harry's friend Terry (whose last name escapes me; sorry) was willing to give away Polypay fleeces for the cost of shipping, so I agreed that I would take one. The fleece box sat unopened in my basement for a year until this swap came along. It's been a long time since I processed a fleece from scratch, so it has been very interesting.

RESOURCES
"Wool Grades and the Sheep that Grow the Wool", by the American Wool Council.

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BREED DESCRIPTION
The Rambouillet is the largest and the strongest of the fine wool breeds and very hardy and prolific. The rams can have large curled horns or be hornless (polled) while the ewes are hornless. Rams weigh up to 250 lbs. and ewes are around 170 lbs. but if used for show, they may weigh more. They will breed out of season and generally have fewer lambing difficulties. The ewes are good mothers and live long and productive lives.
Fleece weights are from 9 to as much as 15 lbs. The Rambouillet is used as a purebred or for cross breeding. These sheep do not thrive in areas of high rainfall because their heavy fleece doesn't dry quickly enough and they are susceptible to footrot. They are generally found in the Western United States and in Texas and can generally withstand a wide range of climate conditions. History: The Rambouillet name was given to a flock of Merino sheep that had been brought from Spain to France and settled in the town of Rambouillet where there was a national shepherding school. Todays Rambouillet has fewer skin folds than the Merino (the extra folds add to the weight of the fleece.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
The staple length is from 3" to 5" and the count will vary from 60's to 70's but is not as lustrous as the merino. The crimp is about 11 per inch. Looking at the locks from this fleece it probably came from a mature sheep. The locks are blunt at the tips while a first cut would have a slight tapered curl at the tip. This fiber is very elastic and the elasticity is evident in the spun yarn.

METHOD OF PREPARATION
This was a 10 lb fleece from New Mexico and had Prickly Pear stickers throughout the whole fleece. Because of the stickers I sent it out to be commercially washed and carded. It came back at about 1/2 its weight and had a slight amount of vegetative matter in it and hardly any stickers.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
I tried several methods and while the short draw came out with a nice fine, even yarn I ended up doing the supported long draw. It was spun Z and plyed S.

RECOMMENDED USES
This fine, soft yarn would be very nice as baby garments, next to the skin sweaters and even nice soft socks. Blended with silk would add luster to it and would be a joy to spin. This fiber can also be used in felted garments.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
This was purchased at the LA County Fair in 1994. There was no identification on it but it was typical of the fleeces sent in for judging from New Mexico Ranches and most contain vegetative material and stickers. I paid $1.50 / lb (because it was headed for the wool market where they get $.50 / lb.) but it would probably cost $3.50 if in clean condition.

RESOURCES
Know Your Sheep Breeds: Rambouillet, by Linda Berry Walker
Spin Off, Spring, 1989, Interweave Press
Adventures in Fleece, by Buhnne Tramutola, 1980
Fundamentals of Feltmaking, by Patricia Spark, Shuttle Craftbooks
Encyclopedia of Hand Spinning, by Mabel Ross, Interweave Press, 1988
Turning Wool Into a Cottage Industry, by Paula Simmons, Storey Communications, Inc.
Hands on Spinning, by Lee Raven, Interweave Press, 1987
Lee Ravin, 1987, Assorted Articles
American Rambouillet Sheep Breeders Assn.
Lorain County Newsletter, April, 1995

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BREED DESCRIPTION
The American Romney sheep has been developed from the original Romney Marsh breed of Kent, England. The Romney Marsh of Kent, England was imported to New Zealand and many of the bloodlines of Romney from New Zealand has been imported to the United States.
Natural Colored Romneys carry recessive genes for color. Natural Colored Romneys are sturdy animals with strong bone structure and balanced, capacious bodies. They have broad faces, large eyes and alert thick ears. Ewes approaching maturity should weigh 140 pounds or more. Rams approaching maturity should weigh 175 pounds or more.
The fleece should be well crimped from butt to tip with evenness of type, length and count. Bright, healthy appearing fleeces are a Romney trademark. Annual production should be 9 or more pounds for ewes and 15 or more pounds for rams. Spinning count ranges from 44's to 54's. This wool is the finest of the lustrous long wool breeds.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
This fleece is from Bo-Jangles, a mature ram. It weighed 6.5 lbs and was uncoated. The locks average 4" to 5" long with 4 to 6 crimps per inch. It is a very dark brown with sunburned tips. I found some weakness in some areas but not in the entire fleece.

METHOD OF PREPARATION
Romney fleece can be carded, both by hand or drumcarder or combed, as it has a long staple. I carded this fleece on my Patrick Greene production cloth drumcarder. It was a perfect match as I only had to open the washed locks up and then pass them through the carder twice for perfect batts. I combed a sample too, and found it easy going even though this fleece is very "bouncy".
I washed this fleece in small amounts with my usual method: small amounts in small buckets with hot water from my tap and Dawn dishwashing liquid. I let them sit for 3-4 hours or overnight and then rinsed in tap water with vinegar added and dried either in the sun or on my kitchen floor on towels.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
I spun my yarn short draw, but with very clean and nicely prepared batts, I think long draw would be an option as well as spinning from the fold. This is a very versatile wool to spin.

RECOMMENDED USES
This is not next-to-the-skin wool, but it would make nice sweaters to wear over shirts or outerwear as well as mittens and hats. I tried felting it, and it doesn't felt as fast as some of the finer wools do. This would be wonderful woven fabric for coats or jackets.

PURCHASE INFORMATION

RESOURCES
American Romney Breeders Assn.
Spin-Off Fall 1988
British Sheep & Wool

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BREED DESCRIPTION
The Roux du Valais is a medium sized horned sheep with a goat- like build and long ears. The name in French means literally "Red of the Valais". The Valais (or Wallis in German) is a mountain region in southwestern Switzerland. "Roux" refers to the reddish color of the wool, and the wool does in fact range from reddish-gold through reddish-brown and on into brownish- gray. Lambs are totally black, while the adults have dark faces and legs and often a white star or "blossom" on the forehead. The wool must be shorn twice a year.
The Roux du Valais is an undemanding sheep that needs little care and feeding. They take care of themselves and are at home wandering through the Alps and climbing through snow. They are described as being trusting of humans but still with a mind of their own. They have good herd instinct and a clear herd structure.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
The fibers are relatively long and coarse. They have been given a Swiss fineness grade of F4. The equivalent in English measure is quoted as 40- s to 36- s (spin count), and 37-39 to 40-43 micron.
I unfortunately did not get to meet the individual sheep my wool came from, but as there are only 200-250 of these sheep protected in the mountains, the contributors probably wouldn't be hard to find . I am guessing, from the color, that there is also lamb wool mixed in. I have seen these sheep in person and they impressed me with the variety of color that exists on one sheep's body.

METHODS OF PREPARATION
This is a coarse fiber that most likely should be carded rather than combed. In Switzerland, the sheep do not wear coats in the field and the unwashed fiber is often dirty, with hard clumpy tips. I do believe this wool should be washed before carding and spinning.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
The coarseness of the fiber seems to suggest tighter spinning rather than looser, although it can be spun either thick or fine. It can be plied or not, but for use in carpets certainly does not need to be.

RECOMMENDED USES
The unanimous opinion is that Roux du Valais provides excellent carpet wool. The fibers felt easily and could also be used for all manner of felted items. Long ago, the farmers of these sheep valued the wool for clothing because of its excellent warmth and protection against rheumatism in the extreme cold of the Swiss mountains, but also because its natural brownish color did not need to be dyed. The farmers apparently wore all manner of clothing made from the wool, including underwear (although the mind boggles at the implications).

PURCHASE INFORMATION
As an endangered species, Roux du Valais is protected by law and individual breeders are overseen by the agency Pro Specie Rara, which keeps track of each sheep and where it lives and with whom. For information on breeders of this sheep and distributors of the wool, Pro Specie Rara's address is Engelgasse 12a, 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland. I ordered my wool from Spycher-Handwerk (Familie Graedel), 4953 Schwarzenbach/Huttwil, Switzerland, who also sell the finest wool comforters in the world, IMHO .

RESOURCES
My main resource was Pro Specie Rara itself, who were kind enough to arrange (in conjunction with WWF) a weekend exhibition of endangered farm animals at exactly the moment I needed them to , and I was able to see this wonderful sheep and take hundreds of pictures. They provided me with booklets and pamphlets upon request, and my information is a compilation of various bits they gave me. In addition, a wealth of support was offered me by my weaving companion and spinning teacher, Bea Grob.

BREED HISTORY
Roux du Valais is the oldest surviving sheep breed in Switzerland, stemming from the 14th Century. As a result of tuberculosis and Malta fever, as well as strong commercial competition from the White Alpine Sheep (Roux du Valais was for years not valued commercially or recognized as an official sheep breed in Switzerland) , the breed had almost died out by the 1920's and 30's. In 1985 Pro Specie rara undertook to protect the animal. Funding was begun, as was more controlled and extensive breeding than previously. Despite their efforts, there are still less than 300 sheep accounted for in the Valais.

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BREED DESCRIPTION
This sheep is considered to be a "primitive" breed with horns and all. They aren't a large-bodied sheep, but according the the local breeder, have good reproduction statistics and hold color from generation to generation. Memory says they are an "old" cross developed by the Salish Indians of the Pacific Northwest between what sheep were here and Lincolns, when Lincolns made it up here some one hundred years ago. The Salish used the crossbred as a ready substitute for the mountain goat fleece they were then harvesting off of bushes and fields as the goats shed their winter coats. Today, they are somewhat rare, but they're around.

FIBER CHARACTERISTICS
This is the first fleece I've ever felt that was coarser in the greasy fleece form than it was after being washed and spun. This fleece doesn't have a dual coat, which is what I would expect from a "primitive" breed. The locks are a year's growth from a two or three year old ram. Based on this, and remembered conversation with the breeder, the locks are 4- 6 inches long, can be bi-colored and maintain their shape pretty well. This fleece was one of the biggest surprises I've ever had in a fleece. I just love it and look forward to getting more in the future.

METHOD OF PREPARATION
This fleece cleaned up so well that I've been doing all kinds of things with it. I've drumcarded it, I've flicked it, and I've spun it straight with no prep by the handful. The spun sample included was from a drum-carded batt. Based on its "history" (Salish Indians didn't have 5-pitch English combs or Patrick Greene carders... !) anything beyond spinning by the handful would be extra prep.

SPINNING TECHNIQUES
Whatever you want. Salish Indians spuyn a thick singles which were then knitted into bulky jackets/sweaters/etc. The lock is long enough to do this or anything else your heart would desire.

RECOMMENDED USES
For many people, I don't think this would be a good next- to-the-skin fleece. It has much of the body of the Lincoln but is softer/finer, but a far cry from Rambouillet or Merino. Anything as a second layer or outer layer or even rugs would be a wonderful use.

PURCHASE INFORMATION
Bernalou Rosebrook, P.O. Box 46, Beavercreek, OR 97004 is the breeder I bought this fleece from. She has several pure Salishes and is crossing with Lincolns and Borders to see if she can get the colors to hold. Bernalou does an impeccable job of skirting fleeces and her shearer is excellent - very rarely have I found second cuts in fleeces I've purchased from her. Contact her for prices. She usually shears in the fall and some animals in spring. Other sources...don't know, but some of the breeders specializing in rare breeds might have some Salish, especially ones located in the Pacific Northwest.

RESOURCES
Bernalou Rosebrook (anything incorrect above is not HER fault - it's mine in mis-remembering!!)
I recall reading several books such as A Raven's Tail and Salish Knitted Jackets which included some information. However, I don't own these books, so what I've repeated above is what my brain processed from what I read.

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BREED DESCRIPTION
Scottish Blackface originated in the hills of Scotland. They are a very hardy breed that usually produces twins. The rams are always born with horns that are about 1" long covered with hair. The Ewe lambs have nubs that will eventually become horns. They have regal looking faces that are accented with golden horns and a body covered with white wool. The tradition in Scotland is not to dock their tails in order to protect the Ewes udders and Rams genitals. Their hooves are strong so they do well on damp pasture.
Their fleece is chalky white and has a very low grease content. the lamb is soft and feels like a cloud when carded. The older