Elizabeth's Fiber & Yarn Store

Supplies & Ideas For the Knitter, Weaver, Felter & Spinner

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• to spin for a pair of socks 4 oz.
• for a average size adult vest 16 oz.
• for a average size adult sweater 24-32 oz.

Guide to just a few Sheep Wools

Other Breeds/types of wools that I have used that have felted well: Falkland, Colonial.  

Mohair with sheep wool and Angora rabbit.  Always test felt a swatch.  

Even though Shetland rates lower in feltability, it does felt, just may take longer.  5 * indicate maximum quality.   Sheep Breeds From Oklahoma State University describes in detail many different sheep breeds.

Top - fiber that has been combed. Fibers are all parallel and will spin into a worsted yarn, smooth and firm. Comes too thick to spin as is, so will need to pre-draft, best to stretch this out more and NOT strip it. Stripping can change the layout of the fibers and you will not get a true worsted yarn if you do this. If you wish a semi-worsted yarn, some with a bit of loft, OK to strip into sections. Or try spinning on the fold, break off about 6", split apart and spread out fibers over your finger and spin on the fold. Combed top is wonderful used in Fiber blending or Color blending. White will lighten any color. Black will darken. Add a bit of wool to mohair to give it some memory for knitting yarn. White silk or Tencel in color blends will strengthen, soften and highlight your fiber.

Roving - a batt that has been stretched out and made much thinner or like pre-drafted fibers. Little or no additional drafting required. Results in a semi-lofty yarn. This type of fiber put up made by larger commercial machines.

Rolag - wool carded on hand cards and then rolled up into a sausage shape. Spin from the end of the sausage. Results in a lofty yarn.

Batt - wool carded on a drum carder and when it is pulled off it is in a flat rectangular shape. Generally rolled for storage. To spin, unroll and strip lengthwise and spin from the ends. Results in a semi-lofty yarn.

Sliver - another form of thin processed combed fibers.

Pencil Roving - a very thin roving &/or combed top, usually about the thickness of a pencil.

Superwash fibers have been treated with a polymer coating, laying down the wool scales that cause shrinkage and felting.  These wool yarns feel smoother or slicker.  A garment crafted with this yarn can safely be washed in the wash machine on the gentle cycle.  Lay flat to dry rather than using the dryer.  Natural fiber shampoo is recommended, such as  Wool Wash.

Blood System:  It was agreed upon by breeders that Merino fleece was about 2 1/2 inches long and the fiber diameter was very fine and the crimp was very small and close together.  This set the standard for comparison and it would be called "Fine". Results, if you bred a Merino to some other non-Merino sheep the offspring would be half Merino, and you would expect that lamb's wool to have half the character of the Merino fleece. Further, since most other sheep have longer, coarser wool than Merinos do, you would expect that half of the character of that lamb's wool would also be longer and coarser. So, what you would get is called a 1/2 blood fleece and you it to have a larger fiber diameter than Merino wool, a somewhat larger crimp, and a longer staple length.  Then, if you crossed that half blood lamb with another sheep the offspring's wool would be called a 3/8ths blood fleece, and so on. English (Bradford) Spinning Count System. It is the number of hanks of yarn, each 560 yards in length, that it is possible to spin from one pound of clean wool. The finer the wool fiber, the more hanks (greater length, thinner yarn) that can be obtained from one pound.  Comparison is an approximation, there can be some differences within the breed from animal to animal. Microns is the measurement of the wool under a microscope.   Blood System Staple Length Count Microns Merino 80's Fine Wool 2 1/2 inches 80's-64's 18 - 22 Rambouillet     70's-60's 19 to 25 New Zealand Merino 64's 1/2 Blood 3 inches 70's-60's 20 to 25 Targhee & Romeldale     62's-58's 22 to 26 Corriedale & Columbia     62's-46's 22 to 34 Southdown     60's-50's 24 to 31 Blue Faced Leicester 3/8 Blood 3 1/2 inches 60's-56's 24 to 28 Suffolk, Dorset Horn, Montadale     58's-50's 25 to 31 Finns & Cheviot 1/4 Blood 4 inches 58's-48's 25 to 32 Oxford     50's-46's 29 to 34 Romney Low 1/4 4 1/2 inches 48's-44's 31 to 36 Border Leicester Common 5 inches 46's-40's 33 to 38 Lincoln & Cotswold Braid 6 inches 40's-36's 37 to 40