some advice please on some different wools

[Shepherdess]

HI folks. I am looking for information on how Romney, Ramboulle and Shetland felt. I am doing a cat cave class this weekend and there was a mix up with the Finn wool I ordered and it will not be her in time. The ladies want to do the class anyway, those are the wools they have. I have not really used any of those wools. I have heard Shetland makes a really nice firm felt.

[tracey]

Ann do you use World of Wool based here in the uk? They have a live chat so they could advise you I'm sure. They stock Shetland, Kent Romney and Rambouillet (is that the same?)  If you cannot do chat for whatever reason, I could do it for you.

[Shepherdess]

Yes I use them. I got notice my order was shipped this morning. the wool didn't come from them and so It may not be the same. I know the Dorset form England is very different than from what we get here. They list Suffolk as a felting wool and it is a non felting wool here. I am going to have the ladies make samples before we move on to the bigger piece.
Romney is a long wool from England and the Ramboulet is the French version of merino. I think the ramboulet will be to fine.

[MTRuth]

The Romney I have used is pretty hairy but felts well and firmly. Should be OK with a cat cave. But your idea of doing a sample is probably the best idea.

[Pandagirl]

My only experience is with Romney out of the three. It is a long staple and a bit of curl, felts ok. Perhaps a combo of that and Rambouillet would work best. I haven't worked with Shetland, but a friend always had trouble with it. Ruth is right samples probably will give you a better idea of what would work best.

[zed]

I thought I might have some photos of Romney or Shetland, but don't have any Romney at all, or Shetland without fibres, or even the backs of them. I've just uploaded the samples I do have to flickr, so hopefully you can get an idea. I've bought WoW's dyed Shetland to add a bit of texture/interest to felt, it's not as soft or fine as Merino, but close enough to work well with it, if that helps.

I don't know Rambouillet, but Shetland should give you a similar felt to Finn and closer, denser felt than Romney.

www.flickr.com/photos/zedster01/

Look through the fibres!

Dyed Shetland and Cellulose fibres (3) by zedster01, on Flickr

[Shepherdess]

Thanks Ladies and Zed for the pictures too. In the end we scrounged enough Fin. we are half way through now. everyone is laid out and wet. This morning some start rubbing and some have to embellish first.

[Pandagirl]

I know this is a bit late, but I ran across my Romney sample today.
flic.kr/p/UJXVXX
Closeup
flic.kr/p/Uxr6xT

You can see the curl but it felts fairly well.

[Shepherdess]

Thanks Marilyn. I will make a post about the class on my next turn so everyone can see them.

[aberwacky]

Late here, but just to let people know, Rambouillet is a very fine wool, similar to (and related to) merino, and felts very well, and makes a soft felt.
I haven't used the WOW Rambouillet, just fleeces I have processed myself, but i would imagine that commercially processed Rambouillet would be much the same.