#spin15aday2021 post no. 11

For those of you that were enjoying a post every week for #spin15adayin21, my apologies for a few week’s absence from it.  A few of life’s challenges got in the way, but we are back to a weekly post. We are going to shift gears and start talking about breeds, again.

This week’s breed of choice:  Southdown

You can find loads of pictures for Southdown sheep over on these websites:

• Southdown Sheep Society UK
• American Southdown Breeders’ Association USA

Via books:

• • The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook, Robson, Deborah & Ekarius, Carol, page 70-71
  • British Sheep & Wool, British Wool Marketing Board, page 41

What there is to know about Southdown wool:

• Part of the down family of wool
• Considered a fine wool
• Microns: 29 – 30.5
• Established in the UK pre 17th century
• UK Breed society established in 1893
• The fleeces are creamy/white in color
• Compact sheep, docile and easy to handle
• Small ears and brown on the face and legs.
• Staple length is 1.5 – 4 inches (4 – 6 cm)
• Fleeces weigh in 4 – 6 pounds (1.5 – 2 kg) average
• Shorter staples can be carded; longer staples can be combed or flicked
• Great for knitwear
• Takes dyes well, not lustrous but not flat either

I love the wools that are unusual to the current trends, so those are the wool breeds I’ll order from the UK to share with you.

When talking about taking dye well, here is one of the braids that I dyed up this week that did just that:

 

I hope you are finding time to #spin15aday!

Until next time, spin on…