I've ordered myself something for Christmas

I missed out on luxury spinning fibre last Christmas, instead spending the money on a fibre from a number of British Breeds for my huge project, but my new favourite fibre supplier have just launched their very first Fibre Advent Calendar and after some deliberation I have decided that whilst it is more than I normally spend on myself at this time of year and it is a lot of fibre to have at one time that it is very good value for money and after the year or two that we've been through with this pandemic we need to treat ourselves with things that we love and that make us happy.

In previous years, from a different supplier, I received a total of 320g of fibre in each advent calendar at a cost of £41.50 the first time (£12.96 per 100g) and £51.50 the second time (£16.09 per 100g), which is a lot of money for such a small amount of fibre.  This one will contain 2kg of fibre, or thereabouts, for £120 (£6 per 100g) and its a limited edition of 250 so once its gone, its gone.  You can order and pay for it now but it won't be dispatched until around about 16th November as they have to get them all put together and also to help people from getting too excited and peeping inside because they can't wait to see what's in the packets.

(c) World of Wool

(c) World of Wool

(c) World of Wool

"Looking for that extra special gift for a fibre lover? Maybe, you want to spend this winter crafting with some of the World's finest fibres?

Our first edition Luxury Fibre Advent Calendar contains 24 x 100g packets of glorious spinning and crafting goodies. We've even added speciality blends, fibres and gifts exclusive to the calendar.

You'll also get access to our daily video 'open-a-long' with Lara, who will give you top tips on how to get the best out of each fibre. (We've kept her out of the loop, so she can experience the daily advent surprise too!)"

I have to say that I am excited now that I've ordered it and we are all having extra special advent calendars this year, the hubby is having a Gin Club advent calendar, my eldest is having a scented candle advent calendar and my other child is having a semi-precious gemstone and rock advent calendar (tiger eye, labradorite, onyx, that kind of thing)

South Country Cheviot Sheep

There are three distinct Cheviot sheep breeds here in the UK.  The South Country Cheviot, The North Country Cheviot and the Brecknock Hill Cheviot.  All three varieties share distinctive looks: they have wool-free white faces, upright and perky ears, Roman noses, dark nostrils, and their eyes are ringed dark which makes them look like they are wearing eye-liner. All three then have their own distinguishing features and characteristics and they are different in size and whether they have horns or not.  Each have their own blog post so be sure to click on links within the posts to navigate between the three.

The South Country Cheviot Sheep, also known as the Border Cheviot and in the US it is known as the American Classic Cheviot, is the oldest and the original of the three Cheviot breed of sheep to be found in the UK.

These are the dominant sheep in the southern portion of the Cheviot Hills, which run along the border of England and Scotland and were formed by a volcanic flow of lava 400 million years ago. The hills tallest point stands at 2,673 feet above sea level. 

The Cheviot Hills have been home to grazing sheep since at least the 14th century and there is a story that the sheep were to bought to land following the grounding of a Spanish ship and they escaped and ran off and quickly established a large population in the southern hill country.  At this time the Spaniards were developing the forebears of the Merino and so these sheep already possessed high quality fine fleece.

Around 1480 local Monks who kept a large number of these sheep were keen to improve them and tried crossing them with some imported Merino sheep but this was not a success and the offspring were prone to foot rot.  Also around this time the towns in the borders region were becoming reliant on wool to keep the increasing Tweed mills working. James Robson of Belford, Northumberland is credited with the development and improvement of the South Country Cheviot when he obtained three Lincolnshire Longwool rams and crossed them with some ewes and this proved successful in producing a good strong sheep with more more wool.

In 1791, Sir John Sinclair was tasked with improving the national stock and he selected the native long woolled hill sheep found in the Border's Cheviot Hills from all other breeds he had seen and he gave them the name of Cheviot, the first time they had been named as a breed.  He believed they were the perfect mountain sheep in both form and fleece and so he took 500 of these Cheviots more than 300 miles north to his Langwell Estate in Ulbester, Caithness which is almost the most northern part of mainland Scotland.  It was a success and they flourished as they suited the terrain and so many more thousands were transported north over the following years.  They were crossed with Leicester and other rams and the breed developed into the bigger and slightly different North Country Cheviot and that is a different blog post.

The South Country Cheviot can be found in the Cheviot Hills, Southern Scotland, Northern England and South Wales.  At the time of writing they are in the Rare Breeds Survival Trust category 6: Other UK Native Breeds (over 3000) registered breeding ewes.

The South Country Cheviot is a small, hardy sheep that is very alert and active and weighing in at 55-70kg for a ewe and 70-80kg for a ram they are much smaller than the North Country Cheviot.  They have wool-free white faces, upright and perky ears, Roman noses, dark nostrils, and their eyes are ringed dark which makes them look like they are wearing eye-liner. The rams can have horns.  The fleece is white with a distinctive ruff behind the ears with crisp, white lustrous wool.  The fleece weigh 2-3kg with a staple length of 4-5 inches.  The locks have rectangular staples with slightly pointed tips and a three dimensional crimp.  Breed associations specify no hair, kemp or coloured fibres should be in the ideal fleece.

The South Country Cheviot fleece is described as "chalky" and whilst the wool dyes wells it does not have the brilliance of the longwools like the North Country Cheviot does.  If you have a short fleece it can be carded but usually it is long enough to be flicked or combed.  It is good for socks, sweaters and the like.

 

I couldn't find fleece or fibre from this one for sale anywhere as most people just clump all three of the Cheviot breeds under the umbrella of "Cheviot".  I found a Facebook group for the breed and sent them a message on 22nd April 2021 and I got a reply back the next day and I gave them my details and then it all went silent, despite me sending another message on 30th May to ask if the shearing had been done.  I never did hear back from this contact.  Maybe it was a Covid thing.

I finally managed to get hold of a South Country Cheviot fleece in mid-August 2021 from a young farmer who is working and raising his own flock under his fathers supervision in Dumfries, Scotland.  It is a Hogg fleece, which means last years lamb and weighed 1.5kg on arrival.  I was put in contact with this young farmer by someone who had written a blog post about the breed that I came across when searching for this fleece.  I made contact with her and the rest is history, as they say.

After sorting out a few bits of rubbish and washing what remained I was left with 1107g of nice clean fleece ready to be prepared for spinning.

I took 145g of this nice clean bright white fleece and I combed it and I got 84g of lovely hand combed top ready to spin.  I have 962g of washed fleece that can be combed at a later date.

My finished yarn is of really nice soft quality to the touch of the hand and just look at how white it is.  My knitted piece for the project took 24g/181m so I have a small amount left to do whatever with, plus the rest of the fleece of course.

Clun Forest Sheep

The Clun Forest was established in the 19th century and takes its name from the market town on the Shropshire/Powys border and was developed from a number of now extinct local breeds.  The area has been home to shepherds for about 1000 years.  The native sheep were hardy and self sufficient thriving on rough grasses.   In 1803, in an agricultural report these sheep were quoted as having no horns and white faces.  In 1837 another statement also quotes them as having no horns and white faces but the breed was quickly changing in appearance.  This was caused by cross breeding with the Kerry Hill, Hill Radnor and Shropshire which ultimately lead to the change of head colour.  The Clun Forest Sheep Breeders Society was set up in January 1925 "to secure the purity of lineage and fixity of type".

The Clun Forest sheep, at the time of writing, is in the Rare Breeds Survival Trust category 6: "Other UK Native Breeds" (over 3000) registered breeding ewes.  During an annual 4-day sale in the 1950's some 75,000 purebred ewes were sold but since that time numbers have declined.  They are found across the UK and also around the world such as the USA, Canada, The Netherlands, The Czech Republic and France.

The Clun Forest is a medium build sheep with a dark brown face, legs and ears and the ears are held upright.  They have a forelock of white wool and both sexes are naturally polled.  

They produce a medium size fleece that is 2-3kg in weight  with dense locks and is of uniform quality and has a staple length of 3-4 inches (7.5-10cm).  The wool is fine with an average micron count of 25-28 and is white with no kemp or coloured fibres.  Takes dye nicely with clear colours.

This fleece can be spun from teased locks, it can be carded or combed.  It is pleasant to spin and has lots of air and bounce with a springy quality.  Is very good on its own but will also add elasticity, resilience and loft to blends with other fibres. 

Yarns spun from Clun Forest fleece are similar to those of the Downs breeds but in my opinion softer and nicer and definitely for next-to-skin use.  

I have bought this breed in as a whole raw fleece that I purchased in April but it was sheared during 2020 and it weighed 1900g on arrival.  I always wash fleece within a week of arrival, so this was washed and dried about 5 months ago.

After washing the entire fleece I am left with 1225g of clean, soft fleece waiting to be combed. I have taken 100g of clean fleece and combed it and I have 61g of soft hand combed top to spin up.

My finished yarn is of good quality to the touch of the hand and is so soft and bouncy.  I have 61g/149m of sport weight yarn.  My knitted piece for the project took 20g/49m so I have some left to do whatever with plus the vast majority of the fleece.

Scottish Blackface - worsted weight yarn

Carrying on spinning the Scottish Blackface fleece from a few days ago, I made a worsted weight yarn with the hand combed fibre I had left.  Its very soft and squishy and I have 113g/218m.

Scottish Blackface Sheep

Scottish Blackface sheep have origins dating back to the 12th century when Monks used their wool for clothing and exporting to Europe.  There are actually several recognised strains within the breed but here are main four:

The Lanark: the dominant strain in Scotland, carries the heaviest fleece and the wool is shorter and finer than that of other strains.

The Northumberland: is the largest of the strains and found in Northern England.  It has soft wool compared to others.

The Perth: is distributed most widely and is found in North East Scotland, Northern Ireland and South West England.  It is fairly large with a medium to heavy fleece.

The Newton Stewart: is found in the wettest coastal areas of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Eire and the Hebridean islands.  The fleece is shorter but more resistant to rain than the other strains.

In more recent years the Lanark and the Newton Stewart have been bred together to bring the two strains closer together and improve them.

They are most commonly known as Scottish Blackface but also Blackfaced Highland, Linton, Scottish Mountain, Scottish Highland, Scotch Blackface, Scotch Horn and in Ireland they may be known as Kerry despite the fact that there is a Kerry Hill breed from Wales.

The Scottish Blackface sheep, at the time of writing, is in the Rare Breed Survival Trust category 6: "Other UK Native Breeds" (over 3000) registered breeding ewes.  Their numbers are such that they make up 30% of all sheep across Britain and account for 50% of the wool harvested in Scotland.  They are located primarily in the Scottish Highlands and hills of North East England but they do occur throughout the UK, as already referenced.

They are a medium build sheep with a blackface, black and white marking on both legs and feet.  Both sexes grow curled horns, although the males horns grow much larger.  Individual sheep can be hefted to a specific part of the mountain or hill and will remain there, often where they were born, without the need for fencing.  They are naturally hard and will make the most of poor grazing.

They produce a medium size fleece of 2-3 kg that is white and bulky.  The fleece should be free of any black fibres and can vary from short fine wool to strong coarse wool, depending on the strain of the breed.  The staple length can be anything from 6-14 inches (15-35.5 cm).  The locks are long and hairy with an undercoat of fine wool and maybe some kemp.  It is clear white and will take dye well but any kemp that is present will not take the dye so readily.

This fleece can be spun from teased locks or combed using Viking combs with widely spaced teeth to keep the fibre types together.  If you want to remove the coarse hairs and any kemp to isolate the soft woolly undercoat then use wool combs with finer teeth. You will need to mist with water during preparation as it is prone to static electricity.  If you are spinning all fibre types into your yarn then use a very light touch to keep the fibres together.

Yarns spun from Scottish Blackface fleece that have all the fibre types are definitely suited to household items and upholstery and not for any kind of clothing except maybe a lined jacket. If you have isolate the soft woolly undercoat and spun that on its own then it will be very soft and perfectly able to be used for next-to-skin garments. 

I have bought this breed in as an amount of raw fleece from a farm in Aberdeenshire.  It was 838g on arrival and in three pieces.

It's quite hairy and has a lot of kemp in the undercoat

I washed this on 11th March 2021 and I only threw 46g in the bin at that stage but when it was dry I pulled lots of the long coarse hairs out of the locks as I took it from the hanging drier and put it into a bag until I was ready to comb it.  460g of clean, partially prepared fleece went into the bag.

Despite removing the coarsest hair and kemp there are still black fibres that need to be removed.

After I had combed it I was left with 224g of lovely, soft woolly undercoat ready to spin. I used 110g of the hand combed nests to make the yarn for the breeds project.

My finished yarn is of good quality to the touch of the hand and it is very white.  I have 109g/263m of sport weight yarn. My knitted piece for the project took 28g/68m so I have some left to do whatever with.

Black Welsh Mountain Sheep

Black Welsh Mountain sheep have been around since the 13th century and are native to the southern mountains of Wales.  Originally they were an occasional anomaly from the regular Welsh Mountain breed but during the 19th century they were used for selective breeding for the colour and developed into a breed in their own right and now they are a pure black breed.  The black fleeced sheep have been around since medieval times and was falls gwlân cochddu (red-black wool) and was considered to be a highly desirable commodity. 

The Black Welsh Mountain sheep, at the time of writing, is in the Rare Breeds Survival Trust category 6: "Other UK Native Breeds" (over 3000) registered breeding ewes and they can be found mostly in Mid Wales but there are specialist flocks across the UK.  They are a small sheep with a black head and legs, which are wool free, with a mature ewe weighing about 45kg and rams are around 60-65kg.  Ewes are polled and rams grow horns. They have a placid temperament and are easy to handle.

They produce a good sized fleece of  around 1-2kg and it is black, a proper true black.  Unusually these sheep do not grey with age like other coloured sheep breeds do.  Their fleece is also of better quality than their forebears and other Welsh Mountain breeds, probably because they have undergone a process of selective breeding in the past to develop the breed for its colour and no doubt only animals with the highest quality and softest of fleece were used to make the most of the desirable black fleece.  The fleece is still slightly on the crisp side but has very little kemp and is softer than their counterparts.  The staple length is generally 3-4 inches (7.5-10cm).

The locks are not particularly distinct but can be separate from the fleece by locating a tip and pulling outward and so spinning from the lock is achievable.  It can be carded or combed.  Drafting is easy.  There is no point trying to dye this fleece as it is so dark that it is just a waste of time and dye. 

Yarns spun from Black Welsh Mountain fleece very nice and can be used for sweaters, hats, scarves, mittens, blankets and more.  

I have bought this breed in as pre-prepared fibre in a box containing 50g each of four British Breeds. I also had a 25g sample that I got with another pack so broke the 50g into two shorter lengths and then split the 25g down the length into two thinner strips.  This made the pieces almost the same length so I stretched the thinner piece out to the same length as the 50g and pre-drafted and spun them together at the same time. Then done the same for the other two pieces.  There are some white fibres on the larger sample but this could of come from one of the other breeds in the same box.

There are a small amount of tiny non-white hairs/fibres that are easy to remove.

My finished yarn is of medium quality to the touch of the hand and it is quite soft with a slight crispness and definitely quite sturdy.  I have 74g/128m of lovely natural black sport weight yarn.  My knitted piece for the project took 49g/85m so I have a small amount left to do whatever with.