Skein #9 Wool Medium Woolen Yarn

Image 1: Fiber Sample Image 2: Fiber Detail Image 3: Yarn Skein Image 4: Yarn Detail

Fiber

Wool

Type

Cormo x Dorset fleece

Reason for choice of this sample

This fiber has a uniform color, suitable texture, and makes a soft felt. The break pulls off easily. This fleece is not from a fiber flock. Cormo is a fine wool fiber sheep and Dorset is a meat sheep with medium, lofty wool.

Source

Mary Arthur, Shearer — Roseburg, Oregon

Preparation for spinning

Scour, flick to remove VM and pull off weak tips. Card and make into rolags.

Equipment used

Dog brush, wool hand cards, flyer spinning wheel

Type of spinning

Unsupported long draw

Direction of Twist

Z

Number of plies

1

Finishing

Wet blocked

Suggested uses

Weft for blankets or outerwear that is to be fulled. A 4-ply makes a lightweight bulky knitting yarn. This yarn is lofty for warm but not dense fabrics; fulled knits remain elastic.

Notes

Maximum 54 points

Examiner 1: 54

Examiner 2: 54

Given the comment "It is advisable to use fibers of good quality" in the handbook, I wondered if I would get at least a mention of how lousy this stuff is. That is the worst break I've seen in any wool, ever, and I was quite unhappy I had to pay money to get it. Finding "appropriate" fleeces for the woolens was a huge problem, because everybody these days wants to be able to proclaim their amazing staple lengths. I got some really great woolen yarns from terrific fleeces, but only by cutting them in half. I suspected that wouldn't pass muster as "appropriate." So instead I had to go hunting for backyard hobby sheep. The only other alternative I could come up with was buying an entire fleece by mail and hoping what showed up would work. Many small producers are unwilling to sell less than a whole fleece, and I have no interest in woolen yarns for my own projects.