It’s been awhile since I’ve posted, nearly five months. Time to get back at it.
This week’s wool breed is Colored Ryeland.
Picture from Wikipedia
I’ll be spinning up this 20 grams @bakewell_hearts shared with me awhile back.
Historically, the Ryeland sheep are thought to be from as early as the 1300’s, where monks raise the Ryeland sheep among ryeland pastures.
As for the royalty of Queen Elizabeth I (reign: 1553 – 1603), rumor was she had a love of Ryeland stockings. It would be interesting to know how the wool was spun for the stockings and how they wore. With the shorter staple length, I can see a woolen spin but just not stockings that would last long.
What I have learned about the current Ryeland breed is that the sheep in Great Britain/Australia are thought to be closer to the original breed, where as the Ryeland in New Zealand are producing a heavier, coarser wool.
Here’s the Great Britain/Australian wool facts:
Weight: 4.5 – 6.5 lbs (2-3 kg)
Staple Length: 2 – 5 inches (5 – 12.5 cm)
Microns: 25-28
Lock structure: dense, blocky lock with pointed tips
Fiber Prep: card, spin woolen.
Until next time…