Texel - The Netherlands

Texel sheep are named after the island of Texel, the largest of the Wadden Islands, just off the coast of the Netherlands. The exact origin of the breed is unknown although it is thought to be a cross of the original Texel sheep with Lincoln and Leicester Longwool sheep in the mid-1800's with the goal of achieving a high quality meat breed. It was slowly bred into a meat breed of outstanding carcass quality. It is now one of the most common meat breeds in the Netherlands, making up 70% of the national flock.

In 1951, Texel sheep breeder and exporter Herman J Keijser of Den Burg, North Holland, exported 100 Texel ewes and rams to Peru on the cargo sheep Baarn, where their stocks were used for both meat and wool. The Texel is distributed in approximately 35 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Oceania, with estimated populations of over 5,000 in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom.

Stock imported from France by the Animal Breeding Research Organisation in Scotland in 1970 was cross-bred with a variety of British breeds, including the Border Leicester, Hampshire Down, Leicester Longwool, Lincoln Longwool and Southdown, leading to the development of the British Texel; a herd book was started in 1972. It is larger and heavier than the original Dutch stock, with weights up to 120kg for rams and 85kg for ewes. It is the most numerous British breed, with a population in the early 21st century of around 350,000 ewes. Some of the sheep are valuable: a ram lamb was sold in Lanark, Scotland, in 2009 for £231,000, and in 2020, another was auctioned for almost £368,000.

It is a heavy and muscular sheep that produces a lean meat carcass. Rams weigh around 95kg and stand 70cm at the withers, and ewes weigh around 75kg and stand 68cm at the withers. Both sexes are polled, and their faces and legs are free of wool and are white. Because Texels are primarily a meat breed, the wool is definitely considered a secondary crop. As with all wool clips destined for industrial processing, any black fibres are unacceptable.

Texels produce a nice matte white fleece that can be used for everyday textiles such as socks, sweaters and blankets at the fine end of the range or rugs as its coarser end. Shorter stapled fleeces can be carded and longer ones can be combed, although the lofty quality means that even worsted processed and spun yarns will not be as sleek as other breeds worsted yarns would be but they will be warmer because the fibres trap more air. Blue Texels, which I have written about separately, are officially recognised as a separate breed in the Netherlands.

Average fleece weights are 3.2kg-5.4kg, with staples of 3-6 inches long (7.5cm-15cm). Fibre diameters are 28-33 microns. Australian Texels are coarser, in the range of 30-36 microns. There may be some kemp in the fleece, but the locks are springy and a little crisp feeling. Texels fleece are a matte white, although a coloured variety exists in the form of Blue Texel. The fleece will take dye clearly but without any lustre. Combing works well on getting any vegetation out of the fleece but shorter fleece can be carded. Any yarns spun will bulk up/bloom so you probably need to spin it finer than you would otherwise need. The bulkiness will need to be considered when working they yarn into hand crafted items. The wool is used mainly for knitting and sock wools.

I brought this breed in as 100g of commercial top back in December 2020. It is undoubtedly British Texel.

It is one of natures more creamy toned natural whites. I split it into two equal parts, pre-drafted and got spinning, keeping it as fine as I could.

I spun this 2ply yarn between 23rd and 25th August 2025. Its turned out to be a 14wpi yarn, that's fingering weight, and is 96g/387m and its lovely and soft.

I didn't get round to knitting the project piece until 10th December because we have been completely renovating the hall, stairs and landing, including building storage cupboards under the stairs and lots and lots of painting of wood and everything. It took me a couple of days, I finished knitting on 13th December. I only used 19g/77m.

Design A452 - Mushroom & Sea Green Poncho

I've made yet another poncho, once again using Colinette Banyan, which is not quite a vintage yarn, but it is no longer part of their current range, along with some new cotton blend yarn. 

The yarns I have selected for this poncho are the softer, subtle variation of tones of a semi-solid colourway of Banyan called Mushroom, which is composed of 49% Cotton and 51% Viscose. The cotton blend yarn is Drops Cotton Light, which is 50% Cotton, 50% Polyester, and I chose the Sea Green colourway as it was the only colour I could find that complemented the unusual shade of Mushroom

Banyan Mushroom

Drops Cotton Light Sea Green

The design consists of six crochet panels, which are then joined together to form a cohesive piece. Additional crochet is added to both the top and bottom, and the piece is finished off with fringing/tassels.

The panels are joined in a way that creates a visible, textured line of stitches between each panel, and are an integral part of the design. The poncho is designed to be worn square, allowing a whole crochet panel to drape and cover each arm. However, it also looks good when worn in the traditional triangular poncho style, if you prefer. The construction is designed primarily for the square method. It is pretty generous in size but isn't overly long in the body length, so depending on your bust size, it may only just cover "your girls" if you're quite busty, or it may hang down to your waist if you're quite petite. It is designed for adults. Please pay attention to the measurements across the neck opening and measure around the top of the breastplate/shoulders, including the arms, to ensure it stays in place without falling straight off you or the person you are buying it for and landing on the ground.

I made this between 30th October and 3rd November. The overall fibre content of this one is 49.5% Cotton, 26.5% Polyester and 24% Viscose, and varies slightly from the previous one made from the same two yarns due to slight differences in the amount of each yarn used. The measurements are 14" across the neck, for a 28" opening and 14.5" from the neck to the bottom of the crochet (not including the tassels). I have enough yarn left over of both yarns to make more things in the future.

Design A452 - Grape & Marble Poncho

I can't help myself. I've gone and made yet another poncho, once again using Colinette Banyan, which is not quite a vintage yarn, but it is no longer part of their current range, along with some new cotton blend yarn. 

The yarns I have selected for this poncho are the multi-coloured/multi-toned Banyan Marble, this time in a 500g cone (I have two of them), which is composed of 49% Cotton and 51% Viscose. The cotton blend yarn is Drops Cotton Light, which is 50% Cotton, 50% Polyester, and I chose the grape colourway to complement the pale purplish tones in the Marble colourway.

Banyan Marble

Drops Cotton Light Grape

The design consists of six crochet panels, which are then joined together to form a cohesive piece. Additional crochet is added to both the top and bottom, and the piece is finished off with fringing/tassels.

The panels are joined in a way that creates a visible, textured line of stitches between each panel, and are an integral part of the design. The poncho is designed to be worn square, allowing a whole crochet panel to drape and cover each arm. However, it also looks good when worn in the traditional triangular poncho style, if you prefer. The construction is designed primarily for the square method. It is pretty generous in size but isn't overly long in the body length, so depending on your bust size, it may only just cover "your girls" if you're quite busty, or it may hang down to your waist if you're quite petite. It is designed for adults. Please pay attention to the measurements across the neck opening and measure around the top of the breastplate/shoulders, including the arms, to ensure it stays in place without falling straight off you or the person you are buying it for and landing on the ground.

I made this between 25th and 30th October 2025. The overall fibre content of this one is 49.5% Cotton, 26% Polyester, and 24.5% Viscose, and varies slightly from the previous one made from the same two yarns due to slight differences in the amount of each yarn used. The measurements are 14" across the neck, for a 28" opening and 14" from the neck to the bottom of the crochet (not including the tassels). I have enough yarn left over of both yarns to make more things in the future.

Design A452 - Apple Green & Marble Poncho

I've made yet another poncho, once again using Colinette Banyan, which is not quite a vintage yarn, but it is no longer part of their current range, along with some new cotton blend yarn. 

The yarns I have selected for this poncho are the multi-coloured/multi-toned Banyan Marble, this time in a 500g cone (I have two of them), which is composed of 49% Cotton and 51% Viscose. The cotton blend yarn is Drops Cotton Light, which is 50% Cotton, 50% Polyester, and I chose the Apple Green colourway to complement the green tones in the Marble colourway.

Banyan Marble

Drops Cotton Light Apple Green

The design consists of six crochet panels, which are then joined together to form a cohesive piece. Additional crochet is added to both the top and bottom, and the piece is finished off with fringing/tassels.

The panels are joined in a way that creates a visible, textured line of stitches between each panel, and are an integral part of the design. The poncho is designed to be worn square, allowing a whole crochet panel to drape and cover each arm. However, it also looks good when worn in the traditional triangular poncho style, if you prefer. The construction is designed primarily for the square method. It is pretty generous in size but isn't overly long in the body length, so depending on your bust size, it may only just cover "your girls" if you're quite busty, or it may hang down to your waist if you're quite petite. It is designed for adults. Please pay attention to the measurements across the neck opening and measure around the top of the breastplate/shoulders, including the arms, to ensure it stays in place without falling straight off you or the person you are buying it for and landing on the ground.

I began making this on 22nd October and finished on 25th October 2025. The overall fibre content of this one is 49% Cotton, 27% Viscose, and 24% Polyester, and varies slightly from the previous one made from the same two yarns due to slight differences in the amount of each yarn used. The measurements are 14" across the neck, for a 28" opening and 14" from the neck to the bottom of the crochet (not including the tassels). I have enough yarn left over of both yarns to make more things in the future.

Nederlandse Bonte Schaap (Dutch Spotted) - The Netherlands

The Nederlandse Bonte Schaap is also known as Ônederlands Bonte Schaapö and the Dutch Spotted sheep, and it originates in the Netherlands.

Its origins date back more than 200 years, to around 1800, but it may have been around much longer than that; there are just no documents or evidence. We know from descriptions and studies of paintings owned by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam that they were in existence around 1800.

 

Generations of farmers and old documentation confirm that Dutch Spotted Sheep were kept in an area in the west of the country, commonly covered in lakes, bogs and swamps. Farmers reclaimed the area using connecting embankments and needed a hardy breed of sheep to maintain the grass, but more importantly, to eat any saplings. The sheep had to be able to walk long distances, due to the length of the embankments and also to withstand the acidic pH level of the peat bogs. They selected the traditional Dutch Spotted Sheep for the task, and ultimately, the breed played an important role in transforming peat bogs into sod strong enough to support cattle.

During the 1950s, farmers began to make use of the specific qualities of the traditional Dutch Spotted and crossed them with other breeds, such as Texel and Zwartbles, to produce a sheep with greater profitability and benefits with the characteristics of a modern breed. For almost three decades, Dutch Spotted Sheep have not been crossed with any other breeds and are now a pure breed sheep in their own right. I see a similar body shape to the Texel.

They do really well on just forage and grass, grazing freely on a pasture-based farming system. In winter, the provision of hay and silage would help with nutrition. They need access to a good, clean water supply at all times. They thrive in cool to mild climates because their thick fleece keeps them warm, but they would need shelter to protect them from really wet conditions, strong winds and snow. They can be kept in warmer climates but would require shade to be provided but hot and dry climates may cause issues as they need constant access of fresh grass, vegetation and water.

There are over 1,000 breeders in mainland Europe, the majority of whom are in Holland in the west of the Netherlands, but there are registered flocks in Germany, France, Spain and Ireland in addition to those in the UK. There will soon be flocks in the USA too, as the UK breeders are helping to get the breed into the USA via frozen semen and embryos, and the first 5 lambs were born in May 2024 at the farm of Mark and Karen Rogers in Vermont. The Dutch Spotted Sheep Society was formed in the UK in 2016 and The Dutch Spotted Sheep Society US was formed in December 2022.

They are light boned with a large framework and easy to handle with an inquisitive nature. They are considered to be a large breed with Rams weighing 115kg-135kg and Ewes weigh 75kg-95kg. They are multicoloured, being a mix of black, brown, and white, and there are no specific requirements for the head or fleece markings and from the photos I have found online, they do vary greatly. The head is broad between the eyes, and the ears should be horizontal or erect, drooping ears are undesirable.

Despite the breed being over 200 years old there was not an association or studbook set up in The Netherlands until October 2006. In June 2019 it was decided to set up an individual animal administration, primarily to be able to record the lineage and also the Scrapie status at animal level and a studbook was created in 2023. As of the end of 2024, approximately 53,000 animals were registered.

The Dutch Spotted sheep has been formally recognized as a breed in The Netherlands as of 1st August 2023. The sheep is a regional sheep kept by farmers in the South of Holland in the Utrecht peat meadow area between Leiden and Utrecht.

The wool is short, not very dense, somewhat wiry, but still considered good for the wool market. Hand spinners will appreciate the natural colours. The micron count ranges from 26 to 34, indicating that the wool is soft enough for some garments but might not be suitable for next-to-skin wear.

I bought this breed in as 100g of washed fleece back in July 2021 from the same lady here in the UK that I have got a lot of my breed samples from, especially some of the rarer British Breeds for my other sheep breeds project. She does manage to get some of the non-British breeds that are kept here in the UK too.

Look at just how black that black is!

For the most part, the colours are clearly separated.

Whoops! I forgot to include a measure but the locks were long enough to comb.

Her description of the fleece is "The fleece is similar to a down, with dense blocks staples and a lofty feel, soft enough but robust at the same time. Mixed colour, the colour patches smaller than a Jacob"

I haven't kept a note of when I combed this but it would have been within a few months at most of getting this in. After I had combed it I was left with 82g of hand combed top and I kept the colours separate as much as possible so that I ended up with 5 dark fibre nests, 1 dark grey, 1 light grey and 1 almost white. I done this to give me options with the spinning of the yarn and enable me to create a yarn with patches of colours, like the sheep, should I wish to do so.

Initially, I split the fibre nests into two, and then broke them down further into smaller pieces, varying the colour sequence as I went, and tried to make sure that each pile of fibre were kept in the same order as each other, which I already knew was going to be a nightmare to manage, but I had the intention of creating a 2ply yarn that had ever changing clumps of colour. Like I stated, this soon became a nightmare and unmanageable, so I switched to making a chain-plied yarn. This meant that I would have to spin as fine as I could so that the resulting 3ply yarn would not be too thick to work with the 2ply yarns that I have already spun and knit. This is also a very bouncy fibre so will bloom once spun and soaked, so that needs to be taken into consideration too!

My yarn started and finished with a long length of the darkest fibre, and there are also long lengths of dark fibre throughout the entire yarn, as that was the predominant colour in the fleece that I had anyway.

I started spinning 22nd August 2025 and I finished the next day. When I chain-plied I ensured that the colours stayed together. Obviously there is a little overlap of colours to some extent throughout but, for the most part, the colours are kept clean and don't mingle too much, other than where I changed colours in the original single, but I kept it as clean as I possibly could. The finished yarn is 3ply yarn between fingering and sport weight, 13wpi and is 71g/214m, and not soft but its not particularly harsh either. Its an everyday, workhorse kind of yarn, that would not be irritating to the skin of most people so would make a nice scarf or something like that. Not luxurious but still a very usable yarn.

I didn't knit the project piece until 20th October and I used 41g/124m. It is not easy to read the words due to the ever changing stripes of colour, but they are there, and I think that had I decided to blend all of the colours together to make a more even coloured yarn that those words would be very visible. I love the different coloured stripes of this one.

Design A452 - Wild Orchid and Marble

I've made another poncho, this time using Colinette Banyan, which is not quite a vintage yarn, but it is no longer part of their current range, along with some new cotton blend yarn. 

So, the yarns I have put together for this poncho are the multi-coloured/multi-toned Banyan Marble, this time it's a cone of 500g (I have two of them), which is 49% Cotton, 51% Viscose. The cotton blend yarn is Drops Cotton Light, which is 50% Cotton, 50% Polyester, and I chose the Wild Orchid colourway to complement the pink tones in the Marble colourway.

Banyan Marble

Drops Cotton Light Wild Orchid

The design consists of six crochet panels, which are then joined together to form a cohesive piece. Additional crochet is added to both the top and bottom, and the piece is finished off with fringing/tassels.

The panels are joined in a way that creates a visible, textured line of stitches between each panel, and are an integral part of the design. The poncho is designed to be worn square, allowing a whole crochet panel to drape and cover each arm. However, it also looks good when worn in the traditional triangular poncho style, if you prefer. The construction is designed primarily for the square method. It is pretty generous in size but isn't overly long in the body length, so depending on your bust size, it may only just cover "your girls" if you're quite busty, or it may hang down to your waist if you're quite petite. It is designed for adults. Please pay attention to the measurements across the neck opening and measure around the top of the breastplate/shoulders, including the arms, to ensure it stays in place without falling straight off you or the person you are buying it for and landing on the ground.

I didn't take any work-in-progress photos. I began on 6th October and finished on 10th October 2025. The overall fibre content on this one is 49.5% Cotton, 25.5% Polyester and 25% Viscose. The measurements are 15" across the neck, for a 30" opening and 14" from the neck to the bottom of the crochet (not including the tassels). I have enough yarn left over of both yarns to make more things in the future.

Design A452 - Blue Saturn & Lavender Lil Poncho

I've made another poncho, and this one uses two different colours of Colinette Banyan, which is not quite a vintage yarn, but it is no longer part of their current range. Colinette Yarns was established in the 1970s by Colinette and Geoff Sansbury, who ran it together for years, creating interesting yarns and even more interesting hand-dyed colourways. I don't know if Geoff is still around, but Colinette passed away around 2015/2016. The company is now run by their son, Sam, with a much smaller range.

So, the colourways I have put together for this poncho are the multi-coloured/multi-toned Blue Saturn, which I have two 500g cones of and the softer, but not completely solid, coloured Lavender Lil. 

Blue Saturn

Lavender Lil

The design consists of six crochet panels, which are then joined together to form a cohesive piece. Additional crochet is added to both the top and bottom, and the piece is finished off with fringing/tassels.

The panels are joined in a way that creates a visible, textured line of stitches between each panel, and are an integral part of the design. The poncho is designed to be worn square, allowing a whole crochet panel to drape and cover each arm. However, it also looks good when worn in the traditional triangular poncho style, if you prefer. The construction is designed primarily for the square method. It is pretty generous in size but isn't overly long in the body length, so depending on your bust size, it may only just cover "your girls" if you're quite busty, or it may hang down to your waist if you're quite petite. It is designed for adults. Please pay attention to the measurements across the neck opening and measure around the top of the breastplate/shoulders, including the arms, to ensure it stays in place without falling straight off you or the person you are buying it for and landing on the ground.

I didn't take any work-in-progress photos. I began on 29th September and finished on 5th October 2025. This one is 49% Cotton, 51% Viscose, and the measurements are 15" across the neck, for a 30" opening and 14" from the neck to the bottom of the crochet (not including the tassels). I have enough of the Blue Saturn left over to make quite a few more things and enough of the Lavender Lil yarn left over to make something else, but smaller, at a later date.

Design A452 - Brown & Chamois Poncho

I've made another poncho, this time using a beige mix of Colinette Banyan, which is not quite a vintage yarn, but it is no longer part of their current range, along with some not-quite-vintage but definitely discontinued Patons Orient in shade Rich. Colinette Yarns was established in the 1970s by Colinette and Geoff Sansbury, who ran it together for years, creating interesting yarns and even more interesting hand-dyed colourways. I don't know if Geoff is still around, but Colinette passed away around 2015/2016. The company is now run by their son, Sam, with a much smaller range. The Patons Orient turned out to be too thin for my liking as I started working with it, so I undid the small amount I had done and doubled it up to make it thicker.

So, the yarns I have put together for this poncho are the multi-coloured/multi-toned Banyan Chamois, this time it's a cone of 500g (I have two of them), which is 49% Cotton, 51% Viscose and the gorgeous colour and texture of Patons Orient shade Rich, which is 50% Polyamide, 30% Acrylic, 15% Mohair and 5% Wool.

Banyan Chamois

Patons Orient in shade Rich

The design consists of six crochet panels, which are then joined together to form a cohesive piece. Additional crochet is added to both the top and bottom, and the piece is finished off with fringing/tassels.

The panels are joined in a way that creates a visible, textured line of stitches between each panel, and are an integral part of the design. The poncho is designed to be worn square, allowing a whole crochet panel to drape and cover each arm. However, it also looks good when worn in the traditional triangular poncho style, if you prefer. The construction is designed primarily for the square method. It is pretty generous in size but isn't overly long in the body length, so depending on your bust size, it may only just cover "your girls" if you're quite busty, or it may hang down to your waist if you're quite petite. It is designed for adults. Please pay attention to the measurements across the neck opening and measure around the top of the breastplate/shoulders, including the arms, to ensure it stays in place without falling straight off you or the person you are buying it for and landing on the ground.

I didn't take any work-in-progress photos. I began on 25th September and finished on 28th September 2025. The overall fibre content on this one is 28% Polyamide, 22% Viscose, 21.5% Cotton, 17% Acrylic, 8.5% Mohair and 3% Wool. The measurements are 14" across the neck, for a 28" opening and 15" from the neck to the bottom of the crochet (not including the tassels). I have lots of both yarns left over to make other things at a later date.

Design A452 - Ischia & Elephants Daydream Poncho

I've had a couple of weeks' break from making anything, as we were busy ensuring that we had everything needed for our youngest to move into University accommodation, about 50 miles north of where we live. It's a big change for all of us, as our eldest had stayed living at home while studying for her degree at a local University.

Another poncho has been made, and this time I have chosen to use a slightly lighter-weight yarn. Actually, I have sorted out yarn to make a number of these ponchos in a lighter-weight yarn.

The first one is made using two different colours of Colinette Banyan, which is not quite a vintage yarn, but it is no longer part of their current range. Colinette Yarns was established in the 1970s by Colinette and Geoff Sansbury, who ran it together for years, creating interesting yarns and even more interesting hand-dyed colourways. I don't know if Geoff is still around, but Colinette passed away around 2015/2016. The company is now run by their son, Sam, with a much smaller range.

So, the colourways I have put together for this poncho are the multi-coloured/multi-toned Ischia and the softer, but not completely solid, coloured Elephants Daydream.

Ischia

Elephants Daydream

The design consists of six crochet panels, which are then joined together to form a cohesive piece. Additional crochet is added to both the top and bottom, and the piece is finished off with fringing/tassels.

The panels are joined in a way that creates a visible, textured line of stitches between each panel, and are an integral part of the design. The poncho is designed to be worn square, allowing a whole crochet panel to drape and cover each arm. However, it also looks good when worn in the traditional triangular poncho style, if you prefer. The construction is designed primarily for the square method. It is pretty generous in size but isn't overly long in the body length, so depending on your bust size, it may only just cover "your girls" if you're quite busty, or it may hang down to your waist if you're quite petite. It is designed for adults. Please pay attention to the measurements across the neck opening and measure around the top of the breastplate/shoulders, including the arms, to ensure it stays in place without falling straight off you or the person you are buying it for and landing on the ground.

I didn't take any work-in-progress photos. I began on 21st September and finished on 23rd September 2025. This one is 49% Cotton, 51% Viscose, and the measurements are 14" across the neck, for a 28" opening and 15" from the neck to the bottom of the crochet (not including the tassels). I have enough of the yarn left over to make something else, but smaller, at a later date.

Polwarth - Australia

Polwarths are named after the county in southwest Victoria, Australia, where the breed was developed by Richard Dennis of Tarndwarncoort in 1880, whose father and uncles had emigrated to Australia from England. Originally, he called them "Dennis Comebacks". They are common in Australia and New Zealand and have made their way to South America, but they are known as "Ideals" there. They are also common in The Falkland Islands. Polwarths were developed by breeding Merino rams to Merino/Lincoln Longwool crossbred ewes in order to improve meat production whilst at the same time maintaining a high-quality fleece. This means that they are one-quarter Lincoln Longwool and three-quarters Merino. The Polwarth Sheepbreeder's Association of Australia was formed in 1918, and the studbook was closed in 1948; the breed is now classified as a conservation breed. Most of the Polwarths in Australia are now in the higher-rainfall regions of Southeastern Australia, where pastures have improved.

They are a medium-sized, predominantly polled breed of sheep (some do have horns) with rams weighing 66kg-80kg and ewes weighing 50kg-60kg. The fleeces weigh 4.1kg-5.9kg are even and soft and a pleasure to work with no matter how they come to you; as raw wool, clean fibre or yarn. They are really fine at 21-26 microns, due to the Merino input, but also longer, due to the Lincoln Longwool input, with staple lengths of 3-7 inches (7.5cm-18cm). The locks are dense with rectangular staples with flat or slightly pointed tips and well-defined crimp. Polwarth fibres fluff up immediately with washing, which has to be done with care if you don't want felt. They are mostly white but can be silver grey through to black and tan through to dark brown.

They produce beautiful and soft next-to-skin fibres. The white fleece takes dye really well, natural colours can be overdyed for interesting results. This breed is perfect for baby garments, due to its softness, but also has good drape, so lace shawls are good to make with this. It also has elasticity, resilience, and loft, so it will make quite bouncy yarns.

As with all fine wools, hot water is required to effectively remove the grease from the fleece of the Polwarth and do not let the water cool too much else the grease will be redeposited onto the fleece and will then be really problematical to remove. Spin from the lock, flick or comb. Combing is the best way to prepare this fleece. Carding can be done on the shorter fibres. Spritzing with water as you comb will control the static. Do not try to spin this fibre with freshly applied greasy hand cream, it will not like that. Make sure anything applied to your skin is well absorbed into the skin before you start work on this fleece. 

I brought this breed in as 100g of prepared fibre ready to spin in December 2020. I have processed some beautiful Polwarth from fleece in the past and you can find that post here and what I made from that yarn here.

This was a lovely spin, starting on 19th August and spun two singles, plying them on 21st August 2025.  It is one of the more naturally white of the white wools, many others lean heavily towards pale cream, but this breed is quite white.

I spun this as fine as I could, knowing that it would bounce up during the washing and setting the twist process.  It turned out as a 14wpi yarn of 98g/443m.

I didn't knit the project piece until 19th and 20th September 2025, only using about 9g of the yarn.

This one is easy to read the lettering.

Design A452 - Red & Black Mohair Poncho

I like the poncho I made a few days ago so much that I decided to make a second one.  This time, I chose some vintage Jaeger Mohair Silk yarn that I bought in 2014; it was already quite old back then.

I have this yarn in two colours, black and red, and it is composed of 78% Mohair, 17% Wool, and 5% Silk.

I didn't take any work-in-progress photos this time, so get ready to be blasted back to the late 1980s/early 1990s for this very retro look. 

The design consists of six crochet panels, which are then joined together to form a cohesive piece. Additional crochet is added to both the top and bottom, and the piece is finished off with fringing/tassels.

The panels are joined in a way that creates a visible, textured line of stitches between each panel, and are an integral part of the design. The poncho is designed to be worn square, allowing a whole crochet panel to drape and cover each arm. However, it also looks good when worn in the traditional triangular poncho style, if you prefer. The construction is designed primarily for the square method. It is pretty generous in size but isn't overly long in the body length, so depending on your bust size, it may only just cover "your girls" if you're quite busty, or it may hang down to your waist if you're quite petite. It is designed for adults. Please pay attention to the measurements across the neck opening and measure around the top of the breastplate/shoulders, including the arms, to ensure it stays in place without falling straight off you or the person you are buying it for and landing on the ground.

I began making this on 30th August and finished on 2nd September 2025.

The measurements of this one are larger than the first one I made.  The measurement across the neck is 16", giving a very generous 32" opening, and the length from the neck to the bottom of the crochet is also 16" (not including the tassels).  Being made from Mohair, not everyone will be able to tolerate the fibres in this one; it can be itchy for many people, but it is very fluffy, warm, and snuggly if you can tolerate Mohair.

Design A452 - Autumn colours poncho

The summer heat this year is making it difficult to spin because my hands are so hot, so I'm taking a break from spinning and trying to see if crochet may be easier for a while. I know any kind of crafting is difficult in the heat, but crochet has to be less urghhh than spinning.

I'm being told by my "kids" that ponchos are very much on trend at the moment, so I have decided to have a go at making a couple and see if they are popular in my shop.

The design I am going to use consists of six crochet panels, which are then joined together. Additional crochet is added to both the top and bottom, and the piece is finished off with fringing/tassels.

I will use some of my own handspun for the panels and some commercial wool to join them together. The handspun is 50% Polwarth wool, 25% Black Alpaca, 25% Mulberry Silk and is really soft. I spun it back in November 2021. The other yarn is some Irish wool from Kilcarra Yarns of County Donegal, Ireland and is a much rougher wool. From what I have read online about this yarn, it does soften with wash and wear, but it will never be as soft as my luxury fibre handspun yarn.

The crochet panels worked up quickly and easily, really showcasing all the colours in the handspun. They are all slightly different in their own way because of the ever-changing colours of the yarn. I have actually remembered to take some work-in-progress photos this time, although they are not the best and the lighting is a bit meh.

I was confused about the joining method of each panel. After reviewing the photos of the original design, it is correct that they are joined in a way that creates a visible, textured line of stitches between each panel, and is an integral part of the design. The poncho is designed to be worn square, allowing a whole crochet panel to drape and cover each arm. It can also be worn the other way, if you prefer, but the construction is designed primarily for the square method. It is pretty generous in size but isn't overly long in the body length, so depending on your bust size, it may only just cover "your girls" if you're quite busty, or it may hang down to your waist if you're quite petite. It is designed for an adult, please pay attention to the measurements across the neck opening, which is quite generous, and you will need a measurement of at least 28" around the top of the breastplate/shoulders and including the arms, for it not to fall off you and onto the ground.

I began making this on 26th August and finished it on 28th August 2025. The final measurements of this piece are 14" across the neck, giving a 28" opening, and when worn square, the measurement from the neck to the bottom of the crochet (not including the tassels) is 14.5".

The overall fibre content is 52% Irish Wool, 24% Polwarth Wool, 12% Alpaca, and 12% Mulberry Silk.