Berrichon du Cher - France

Berrichon du Cher is one of two breeds of sheep derived from an older Berrichon from the Berry region of France, which was horned and long-woolled in the 16th century, according to images from the time, but by the 18th century images show them as being polled and having wool of the Merino type.  During the 19th century, the original Berrichon breed was crossed with British breeds including Dishley Leicester, Cotswold, Romney and Southdown and also a French breed, Charmoise, all with the aim of improving the meat quality.  The Berrichon du Cher is the result of these crosses.  

This breed is large, mainly white, with a white face that is free of wool.  The rams weigh about 110kg and are about 73cm at the withers, and the ewes weigh about 70 kg and are about 68 cm at the withers.  Both sexes are polled.  They are a breed that is raised primarily for meat and are hardy to their local climates and the wool is of a very high standard.

 

I bought this breed in as 100g of washed raw fleece back in May 2022 from a lady from whom I bought many of the breed samples for my British Sheep Breed Project.  I have purchased a number of samples from her for this Non-British Breed Project too, although she doesn't stock very many breeds that fit this category.  It was described as a medium fine soft white dense fleece with good crimp and a 4-7 inch staple and this one was sourced from a UK keeper of the breed and this is a really hard to find breed that I haven't seen for available in any of the usual spinning fibre stores here in the UK.

Although it was sold as pre-washed it felt sticky/greasy to me on arrival so I gave it another wash, how I like to wash fleece in preparation for spinning, hot water with a shot of washing-up liquid, and I'm glad that I did as the water turned quite milky when I put the fleece in which confirmed to me that it was still full of lanolin.  Lanolin is not a bad thing, it's actually good for dry skin, but it's bad when you are trying to comb a fleece as it makes it really hard work and makes your wool combs all sticky and nasty.  My sample actually weighed 109g on arrival and after a wash and dry it reduced to 104g, so 5g of sticky lanolin washed out.  I can't remember if the photos of the fleece below were taken before or after I re-washed.

I did notice that the fleece was quite fuzzy, crimpy and the staples looked short, a lot shorter than I was expecting, until I pulled on one of the locks and it suddenly extended to about twice the length and stayed that length even after I let go of it.  There were lots of little round balls of wool in the fleece that looked like the pilling that can occur on woollen jumpers and the like.

I finally got around to combing this on 16th January 2024; all the little bits came out very easily with the combs and I am left with 54g of soft, bouncy fibre to spin.

As it is so bouncy, it will bloom once spun and washed so I needed to spin this as fine as I could to achieve the thickness I required for the project. I started spinning on 12th September and finished spinning on 14th September 2026. It was an interesting spin, as I added a lot of twist and yet when I plied it back on itself to test how it was spinning up, it didn't look like there was much twist at all and looked like it was almost unspun. I added much more twist to this yarn than I normally would, and of course, I added more twist to the ply to keep it balanced.

I achieved a yarn that was 55g/267m and is really soft. It is suitable for next to skin wear. I started knitting the sample on 22nd September, didn't knit everyday, and finished it on 28th September 2026.

Klövsjöfår - Sweden

Klövsjöfår is a heritage breed of sheep from the Jämtland province in North-west Sweden and is included in a conservation programme. 

Klövsjö sheep were "re-discovered" when a group of sheep were purchased from Maj Oldander in Klövsjö in 1991.  Maj Olander had taken over the sheep from his father who in turn had received them as a wedding gift from his mother.  From Ivar Andreasson's herd, the animals were then spread to Halland and Skåne and in 2003 Johan Widing carried out an inventory of these sheep which resulted in the sheep being considered a separate breed of country sheep. During the autumn of 2004, a few more animals were added to the gene bank and they originate from a few herds in Klövsjö.  In 2010, the last known original herd of Klövsjö sheep was added to the gene bank.  These sheep are still kept in a summer pasture despite repeated problems with bears.

The animals can live to be very old, 15 years for a ewe is not uncommon.  According to Maj Olander, his grandmother used to cook porridge for ewes that had no teeth left so they would survive the winter.

Klövsjö sheep are quite large for a common sheep.  The rams weigh about 60-80kg and stand about 66cm at the withers, the ewes weigh about 45-70kg and stand about 64cm at the withers.  The body is quite low and wide.  The ewes are in heat all year round and can lamb twice a year.  They usually have two or three lambs, but single lambs and quads also occur.  Some ewes lamb standing up.

The Klövsjö sheep have good orientation skills and are easy to move between different pastures.  The ewes are exemplary mothers and lamb well in groups.  The animals are very affectionate and the ram can usually be left with the flock all year round.  He is very protective of the ewes and lambs, both against predators and strangers.

The Klövsjö sheep has been preserved in the gene bank of the Swedish Farm Sheep Association since 2003.  In 2019 there were 600 registered breeding ewes in 83 flocks and as of 2021 there were 673 registered breeding ewes.

The sheep are white, or black with white socks and/or white markings on the face but brown and grey sheep and spotted sheep also occur.  Both rams and ewes are usually polled, but horn buttons are present and horns have previously occurred on rams in the original herd.

The fleece are double coated. The wool is of the rya type with an incredible shine and lustre, but there are also animals that have wool that is woolly.  The wool usually grows so long that it reaches the ground and is excellent for spinning and felting.  The sheep are usually sheared twice a year to avoid the risk of felting and to make it easier for both the shearer and spinner. The face is free of wool and shiny, the tail is short.

I have discovered that when the term "Rya type" is used to described Swedish wool, it is not saying that it is like that of the Rya sheep, a Swedish breed of sheep.  Silly me for thinking that! "Rya type" as a wool type, has a long and shiny outercoat and soft undercoat with almost no crimp.  The outercoat to undercoat ratio is between 60/40 and 50/50 and is a way to describe the staple type and distribution of undercoat and outercoat within that staple.

I bought this breed in as 250g of unwashed raw lambs fleece  in May 2022 from the same lady called Anita Grahn based in Uppsala, Sweden that I bought the 8 breed sample pack from.  Her online shop has been empty for some time, although it is still open. However, I can provide a link to Swedish Fibre, a small business run by Sandy Zetterlund who has a passion for knitting, wool, spinning and now a passion for bringing these beautiful fleece from these rare conservation sheep kept by small farmers into the limelight and put them in front of similarly passionate hand spinners like myself who care about ensuring the future and continuation of these rare and unique breeds.  The demand for and sale of the fleece from these rare breeds really do help the survival of the breed.  

So, I was expecting 250g of raw fleece but it was actually over 300g when it arrived.  It was the lambs first shearing at 6 months of age and it was sheared September 2021.  Fibre lengths were 7-14 cm (2¾ inch - 5½ inch)

From the sales page she described the fleece as "The wool is magically soft!  The fibre length varies because there are parts of the wool which seem to be only underwool, and parts that are only guard hairs.  Some tangling, but still fantastic wool!  The wool has both underwool and longer cover hairs of fine diameter, and often with a shine."

I sorted and washed the fleece on 4th June 2022, and once all the second cuts had been removed, and it was dry, I was left with 214g of clean fleece.  As I was busy with other projects, I didn't get around to combing this fleece until 19th February 2024, and there were a lot of tiny short bits of fleece; some of it broke up into little pieces as I pulled on the locks.  I persevered with it, and I managed to get 81g of spinnable fibre from it.  It is very soft; it's lamb's fleece, after all, but it is kind of like really fine hair, like a Longwool type, but finer and shorter.  The fibres are smooth, not crimpy or fuzzy.

I began spinning this fibre on 11th September 2026. It was lovely to spin, very soft, fine, and straight, with very little crimp. I removed several clumps during spinning that the combs had missed. I spun both singles the same day and plied them the next day. I achieved a yarn that was 77g/222m.

I knit the sample piece from 18th to 20th September 2026. The yarn and knitted fabric are soft and could be worn next to skin, but that might be because it is lambswool, which is usually softer than an adult fleece, and also because I prepare the fibres by combing; this removes most of the guard hairs, where they exist.

Svenskt Finullsfår (Swedish Finewool) - Sweden

Svenskt Finullsfår, otherwise known as Swedish Fine Wool Sheep are descended from the Nordic short-tailed sheep.  They are a friendly breed whose individuals are easily tamed.  They are commonly used in production, as the breed has a high fertility, produces good meat carcases, wool and sheepskins.  They have high milk production, good maternal qualities and that the ewes can go into heat all year round.  This makes the Svenskt Finullsfår the sheep breed in Sweden that produces the highest total lamb weight per ewe and year. 

During the 1930s, all landrace sheep were recorded as one and the same breed.  A division into wool types was made in 1935 and from 1936, landrace sheep were recorded in the studbook under three wool types; fur, rya and fine wool.  The fur type was separated into its own breed in 1971 and other landrace sheep were combined into "white landrace".  In 1976, the Sheep Control Authority took over the pedigree registration of sheep.  During the 1930s and 1940s, repeated imports of Finnish Fine Wool were made and the Svenskt Finullsfår were then considered by many to be Finnish.  

From the 1950s, landrace sheep have been used for crossing with meat-breed sheep to increase their productivity.  The number of landrace sheep fell sharply again.  In the 1980s, interest in the Svenskt Finullsfår picked up again.  New imports were made from Finland.  The Swedish Fine Wool Association, which was formed in 1988, was however able to show that the Svenskt Finullsfår had been genetically very little affected by the imports and in 1995 the Swedish Board of Agriculture included the Svenskt Finullsfår as a breed in the list of Swedish livestock breeds and from 1998 the breed was eligible for environmental support.

The Svenskt Finullsfår is classified as an endangered livestock breed and is eligible for support from the Swedish Board of Agriculture.  Conservation is primarily carried out "in situ" i.e. by keeping as many live animals as possible in different herds.  The Swedish Fine Wool Sheep Association is a breed association and works to support conservation work by establishing breeding plans, holding courses and spreading knowledge about the Svenskt Finullsfår.  

The head and legs of the Svenskt Finullsfår are wool-free and shiny.  The tail is short with a broad base and a narrow, wool-free tip.  The ears are small and thin, the bridge of the nose is straight or slightly convex.  both sexes are polled.  The animals are curious, social and affectionate with a lively temperament.  They are good foragers and have the ability to, outside the gestation and lactation periods, feed on leaner pastures and are therefore well suited to landscape management.

The fleece is characterised by its soft, shiny, silky and fine-fibred wool, and is available in white, black and brown and more rarely, speckled.  The wool is similar over the entire body, which means that entire fleece can be used for the same purpose.  Fibres are crimpy and lustrous, with good elasticity.  Conservation breeding efforts since the 1930s have emphasised the wool quality, aiming for fibre diameters in the range of 15 to 25 microns with fibre lengths between 1¾ and 2½ inches (4.5cm - 6.5cm).

In 2017, there were 3,473 ewes and 254 rams.  Of these, 2,214 ewes and 224 rams were kept in purebred breeding, distributed over 104 herds.  The Svenskt Finullsfår are found throughout Sweden, but are most common in the southern and central parts. Between 2004 and 2009, the Fine Wool population in Sweden increased and at its peak was just under 5,000 individuals in purebred breeding.

At the beginning of 2018, a closed studbook was introduced for the breed, which means that there is no risk of crossbreeding with other breeds in the purebred population.  Pedigree registration and record keeping are handled by Elitlamm, which is linked to the Swedish Sheep Breeding Association.

I bought this breed in as 113g of unwashed raw fleece that was part of a sample pack that featured 8 different Swedish breeds that I purchased back in early May 2022 from Anita Grahn based in Uppsala, Sweden.  Her online shop has been empty for a long time now, since she announced she was in hospital, so I don't know if she survived whatever she was in hospital for.  However, I can provide a link to Swedish Fibre, a small business run by Sandy Zetterlund who has a passion for knitting, wool, spinning and now a passion for bringing these beautiful fleece from these rare conservation sheep kept by small farmers into the limelight and put them in front of similarly passionate hand spinners like myself who care about ensuring the future and continuation of these rare and unique breeds.  The demand for and sale of the fleece from these rare breeds really do help the survival of the breed.  

I washed this on 25th May 2022, and the water turned quite brown and milky too, so it was both dirty and greasy. I honestly thought that I had somehow managed to felt it during the washing stage, but once it was dry it all just poofed up, and it wasn't felted. Phew!  

I had 92g of clean, washed fleece ready for preparing.  I tried combing this, but the fibre lengths were too short, and I couldn't open the locks up very well, so it has sat in a bag waiting for me to figure out how I was going to process it until I bit the bullet and got on with it on 14th May 2025.  I've never gotten to grips with carding, but I managed to at least open up the locks using a pair of carders, and then I added the short fluff straight onto my combs from the carders, and I managed to comb it a little bit to remove the rubbish and then dizzed it off my combs.  From the pile of rubbish that was building up, it looked like I was throwing away at least 50%, but from my 92g of washed fleece I now have 61g of fluff ready to spin.

I started spinning this on 6th August. It was tricky because the fibres are so short, and I had to add more twist than normal to keep it together. Plying was easier, although in some places it looked overplied and in other places it looked underplied. I didn't finish spinning until 8th August, and I achieved a yarn that was 58g/197m and very soft.

I knit the sample piece from 1st to 3rd September, and the knitted fabric is soft with a slight fuzziness.