Fibres: Jacob Sheep

It is thought that Jacob sheep arrived in Britain from the Middle East (via Spain) in the 16th Century. They are very attractive animals and were often kept in English parks as ornamental animals.
Their fleece is black and white patched and fades to brown and white the older they get. They usually have 2-4 horns but can have up to 6 horns and are found in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.

Working with Jacob fibres
The fibres are open and lofty and can have a moderately developed crimp. The dual tones of the fleece allows endless possibilities of playing around with black and white tones when spinning.

I bought a fleece not long ago and am spinning it into yarn for a nice sweater for John, who is in charge of the carding. It has a lovely fluffy texture and is easy to draft for spinning.

Have you ever worked with Jacobs sheep? Comment and let me know!

Organisations:
Jacob Sheep Society - UK
Jacob SHeep Conservancy - US
Jacob Sheep Breeders Association - US

The images in this post are copyright of Eddie Roued-Cunliffe. You are hereby granted permission to use them for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit Eddie and link back to this page. If you are using them and talking about this post I would love to hear from you in the comments.

Fibres: Alpaca

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Alpacas are a part of the camelid family and were first domesticated about 6000 years ago in the central Andes. Alpaca fibres have been found by archaeologists in graves and religious sites predating the Inca Empire in South America. The fibre itself can be found in 22 distinct colours, ranging from blacks through browns and whites, and including subtle shades of maroon, peach and greys. It is a very fine fibre that contains no oil or lanolin. At the moment South America is still where most Alpaca herds can be found although herds are spread across the world in North America, Australia, Europe and China.

Working with Alpaca fibre
Alpaca fibre is very fine but strong and with thermal qualities. It can be blended/carded with other fibres and is known to dye well without loosing it's sheen. Alpaca is becoming more and more popular for use amongst crafts people and because of it's qualities the demand is expected to increase.

Have you tried spinning, knitting or in other ways using Alpaca fibre? Share your experience with us in the comments below.

The images in this post are copyright of Eddie Roued-Cunliffe. You are hereby granted permission to use them for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit Eddie and link back to this page. If you are using them and talking about this post I would love to hear from you in the comments.

Fibre: Soybean

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Soybean fibre is a fairly new fibre that can be classed as an environmentally friendly fibre. When manufacturing soyabeans into soymilk, tofu, or soybean oil, dregs are left over as a waste product. In 1937 Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company invented soya fibre by using a new method that could make use of this by-product. Protein liquids from these dregs are extracted and through the process of wet-spinning, these are solidified to form the fibers.
Soya has anti-bacterial properties, is wrinkle free and very colour fast when dyed. Un-dyed it has a beautiful golden colour. Soya fibre is often blended with other fibres such as cotton or wool.

Working with soya fibre
Soybean fibre is smooth and light and has a cashmere feel to it. It has a silky lustre and drapes really nice. Having spun undyed soya for plying with recycled cashmere and merino I find that it is generally easy to work with but requires a bit of practice to draft.

"Soya is very soft and easy to spin and ply. Do note that it only needs a tiny amount of twist to spin and the fibres are very short. The yarn retains a slight halo which I really like. However, it does not have much elasticity and therefore it is important not to knit it too tight." (Cecile)

The images in this post are copyright of Eddie Roued-Cunliffe. You are hereby granted permission to use them for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit Eddie and link back to this page. If you are using them and talking about this post I would love to hear from you in the comments.

Fibres: Cotswold Sheep

[caption id="attachment_2617" align="alignright" width="263" caption="Cotswold fibres, spun and knitted"][/caption]

Introduced to the Cotswold Hills of Gloucestershire, Britain in Roman times the Cotswold Sheep (also known as the Cotswold Lion) are classified as a longwool. They are heavily built sheep with white faces similar to Leicester and Lincoln breed, which they have been interbreed with over the years. Today the Cotswold is classified as a rare sheep breed.

Working with Cotswold fibres
Cotswold wool fibres are coarse and wavy. They are best for heavy outerwear and carpets. But they are thought to be good for dyeing as they will give the colours great depth and life.

Do you have any experience working with Cotswold fibre? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Organisations:
The Cotswold Sheep Society - UK
American Cotswold Record Association - US
Cotswold Breeders Association - US

The images in this post are copyright of Eddie Roued-Cunliffe. You are hereby granted permission to use them for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit Eddie and link back to this page. If you are using them and talking about this post I would love to hear from you in the comments.

Fibres: Black Welsh Mountain Sheep

[caption id="attachment_2608" align="alignright" width="262" caption="Black Welsh Mountain fibres, spun and knitted"][/caption]

In Medieval times, black wool, known as 'Cochddu' (reddish brown) was much sought-after by merchants. In the 19th century Welsh flockmasters recognised the commercial potential of the black lambs and began to select and breed them carefully to produce a pure and separate strain of Black Welsh Mountain Sheep.
Black Welsh Mountain sheep are small, the ewes are polled and the rams are horned.

Working with Black Welsh Mountain Fibres
The fleece is fairly coarse and is sought after for it's natural black colour. I just bought a bag with a friend this Sunday and I can't wait to have a go at spinning it.

Organisations:
Black Welsh Mountain Sheep Breeders' Association - UK

The images in this post are copyright of Eddie Roued-Cunliffe. You are hereby granted permission to use them for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit Eddie and link back to this page. If you are using them and talking about this post I would love to hear from you in the comments.

Fibres: Bluefaced Leicester Sheep

[caption id="attachment_2590" align="alignright" width="266" caption="Blue Faced Leicester fibres, spun and knitted"][/caption]

Bluefaced Leicesters are very majestic sheep with a broad muzzle, good mouth and a tendency towards a roman nose, bright alert eyes and long erect ears. The wool fibres are normally whitish and the name comes from the dark blue skin which can be seen through the hair on their heads.

Previously known as the Hexam Leicester it is now known as the Bluefaced Leicester and is the most popular crossing sire throughout the British isles. The term Mule sheep means any crossbred sired by a Bluefaced Leicester. The 'Mule ewe' makes up almost half of the UK's crossbred ewe population. Bluefaced Leicesters can be found in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.

Working with Bluefaced Leicester


Bluefaced Leicester fibres are long and fine and forms  long, narrow, curly locks. It works well for strong, smooth fabrics that will drape well.

'I found that Bluefaced Leicester, with it's longish fibres, drafts very easily, which makes my spinning much more even. It is very soft and nice to knit - you might even say it is bouncy!' (quote by Cecile Renaud)




Organisations:

Bluefaced Leicester Sheep Breeders Association - UK

Bluefaced Leicester Breeders Association (BFLBA) - US

Bluefaced Leicester Union of North America




The images in this post are copyright of Eddie Roued-Cunliffe. You are hereby granted permission to use them for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit Eddie and link back to this page. If you are using them and talking about this post I would love to hear from you in the comments.