|
|
Post by felicity on Mar 12, 2016 19:21:36 GMT
Ryeland sheep - just wonder if anyone knows anything about their wool. It's some of the oldest English sheep breeds apparently but what about the wool? I was offered some fleece but I do not know what to expect so still thinking...
|
|
|
|
Post by Teri Berry on Mar 12, 2016 20:57:19 GMT
A quick look on Wiki (the oracle of absolutely everything that is never wrong  ) suggests it will not felt, if you are being offered some for free, it may be worth a try, perhaps mixed with other wools to give some interesting texture: [From Wiki) Breed characteristics Ryeland Sheep near Ashford Carbonell, Shropshire, Great Britain Ryelands are docile with high fertility.[4] Due to their blocky build they are easy on fences compared to many breeds. They are ideal sheep for small properties. Ryelands are also 'good -doers' – William Youatt wrote that Ryelands "endure privation of food better than any other breed" and Sir Joseph Banks wrote "Ryelands deserve a niche in the temple of famine".[5] Ryelands have a smaller head than most terminal sires which makes them a good choice for maiden or Merino ewes but they have a fast growth rate and early maturity. In Australia the wool is always white and free of kemp. A coloured gene does occur in Great Britain but appears to be unknown in Australia. The hooves are black and they are said to have good resistance to footrot. Naturally hornless, the Ryeland was the major breed used in the development of the poll gene in the Poll Dorset in Australia. The wool resists felting. The staple length is generally 8 cm to 10 cm, with a fibre diameter of 25 to 28 microns.[6] The fleece on average weighs 2 kg to 3 kg.[7] |
|
|
|
Post by felicity on Mar 12, 2016 21:59:50 GMT
Thank you Teri, I've missed it. Could not imaging the sheep wool which will not felt!
|
|
|
|
Post by zed on Mar 22, 2016 13:08:00 GMT
I think Leonor sent me some for the wet felting classes but I haven't tried any yet.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shepherdess on Mar 23, 2016 23:54:05 GMT
Dorset, Suffolk, and others are very hard to get to felt. If you work long and hard it will hold together but it doesn't shrink. On the upside if you spin it and knit socks with it, you can machine wash them.
|
|
) suggests it will not felt, if you are being offered some for free, it may be worth a try, perhaps mixed with other wools to give some interesting texture:
