Ravelry Discussions - Blacker & Beyond with FFSB

Polwarth, Gotland, Corrie/Romney, Alpaca

crbc — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 23:46:42 GMT

FWIW, I visited Rewarewa station in New Zealand a couple of weeks ago and was impressed with their setup and the softness of their fleece. They are building a spinner’s flock. Initially, I wasn’t even going to touch the Corriedale/Romney cross roving since I assumed it wouldn’t be soft enough for the sensitive skin folks for whom I knit, but I’m really glad I did -- it is surprisingly soft. They have their own processing mill and are making yarn as well, including some naturally dyed. They ship overseas.

https://rewarewastation.co.nz

Prices are in New Zealand dollars -- at time of writing, the exchange rate was 1NZD = .56USD or .45GBP.

(I’m not affiliated despite the gush!)

Hog Island/Merino

crbc — Sun, 02 Jun 2024 00:31:44 GMT

Hello:

I live at a Camphill village (for adults with intellectual disabilities) in the US, and we were recently gifted more than 30 100g skeins of yarn that is 80% Hog Island, 20% merino. White only. 3-ply worsted. Researching Hog Island led me to see how rare it is and made me wonder if we should offer some for sale rather than using it in our Fiber Arts studio. Please message me if you might be interested. I was thinking we’d ask $25 per skein including US postage (international shipping would be more).

Many thanks.

source for Villsau?

creekgirl1 — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 17:13:16 GMT

Hi there!

It appears this group hasn’t seen a lot of activity lately, but I hope this post comes through!

I’m wondering if anyone knows a source for Villsau raw fleece, the Old Norwegian “wild” coastal sheep, that could be shipped to the USA.

Any leads would be much appreciated!

CHAT Thread

JaneKAL — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 08:49:46 GMT

With thanks to jotiba for the suggestion, here is a thread where we can chat all things woolly.

STOCKISTS of breed specific yarns, fibre, fleeces 2023

JaneKAL — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 11:15:05 GMT

Please post in this thread details of any stockists or sources of breed-specific fleece, fibre, yarn or other products - including your own!

Also news about any new products or special offers is most welcome here.

This allows us to add stockists to the group pages and keep the listings up to date.

NEWS and WELCOME 2023

JaneKAL — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 10:55:04 GMT

Links to important or frequently used threads and other resources in the group

GROUP DETAILS/FRONT PAGE - this tells you about the group and also explains our ethos and rules.
Please note, before posting, that the group is for all ages, we do ask that Ravelry rules about posting images are followed, and that we have made an addition to the way we’d like Community Guidelines to be followed in this group.

GROUP PAGES - too much information to list! Check the pages out for yourself.

STOCKISTS THREAD 2023 - we want to hear about any breed-specific products you produce or sell

WEBSITES AND BLOGS THREAD - tell us about any websites or blogs relevant to the group’s interest in sheep breeds, fibre animals and using their fleece/fibre

WELCOME AND CHATTER - please introduce yourself and also use this thread for OT chatter if you wish.

The current Sheep of the Week thread is always a sticky thread. An alphabetical list, with links, of earlier Sheep of the Week breeds can be found here

Links to some other ongoing or significant threads that may be of interest

Suggest a breed for future Sheep of the Week threads
See post 32 for the current list

The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook

Thread gathering information and sources about European sheep breeds to help Deb Robson with her research

Guess the breed(s)

Specific information for visitors and new members

The symbol in a thread title means that thread is specifically linked to the Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook.

If you’ve come to this group following a link in an old post from another group on Ravelry, and haven’t been taken to the place you were expecting, then we apologise.

When we changed the group name we didn’t realise there was a Ravelry bug (Petunia!) that meant some pre-change links wouldn’t work properly. More information here. Please just post or contact a mod and we’ll help you find the post or thread you’re looking for.

The original News and Welcome thread can be found here

Sad announcement about Sue Blacker

JaneKAL — Sat, 01 May 2021 14:35:11 GMT

Those who have been part of this group since it started in 2010 will know what part Sue Blacker played in the circumstances that led to a group of knitters deciding we wanted to have this group.

You can read more about this on the group home page

So it is very sad news that Sue Blacker passed away on 5 April 2021.
There is more information from Blacker Yarns here

A Yarn from North Ronaldsay

seaweedshepherdes — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 12:53:30 GMT

Hello, I’m the Sheep Dyke Warden on North Ronaldsay. My job is to repair the dyke (dry stone wall) which encircles the island and keeps the native sheep on the beach, where they feed on seaweed.

I was invvited to be involved with Orkney International Science Festival this year, for an event called ‘Resources on the Shore’.

I made a film which looks at the wool from North Ronaldsay sheep, which is processed in the island’s mill, and it’s use as a sustainable resource.

I hope you enjoy it!

Ouessant Fleece - help with spinning

JoBuist — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 10:04:52 GMT

Hi all,

I put out a general post on the main forums but a couple of people suggested I might have more luck here.

I have a friend who has offered me her ouessant fleeces when her girls are sheared, as she knows i knit. However, I don’t spin and have no idea how to go about it, also there will be 9 fleeces and I have also been warned that this might be a bit of a daunting task for a non/beginner spinner.

So I was wondering if someone might be interested in spinning them, helping me to spin them, teaching me to spin them? Happy to split the resulting spoils if anyone thinks it would be a fun project?

Alternatively, if anyone knows of any commercial enterprises that would spin small amounts?

I have no idea what the quality will be like, the sheep live with my horses and have spent most of the winter snuggled up in their barn as their little legs don’t cope well with the mud we have had this winter. They are very sweet, a mix of white and black.

Please let me know your thoughts/suggestions. I am based in Hampshire, UK.

Thanks

2020 Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival (USA)

svjanis — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 20:51:27 GMT

Hello Sue -
I will be attending the Maryland Festival but unable to sign up for your class. Will you be participating in any other activities?
Sally

North Ronaldsay Sheep & Climate Change

pattiknit — Sat, 04 Jan 2020 20:16:21 GMT

It turns out that North Ronaldsay sheep may help us fight climate change. Their seaweed diet means that they belch far less methane (a very powerful greenhouse gas) than animals that are fed ordinary livestock feed. Some researchers want to try feeding other grazing animals some seaweed, hoping it will have the same effect. Here’s the BBC article that describes all this.

Lacaune - Sheep of the Week 11 Oct 2019

JaneKAL — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 06:03:19 GMT

Paging birtedonosti to share her experience with Lacaune fleece.

A French meat sheep from southern France. The staple is quite short, though, only between 2 and 5cm, so about 1 to 2 inches at the most.

Dutch Spotted Sheep of the Week 23 Aug 2019

JaneKAL — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 18:46:16 GMT

Following a suggestion from OrkneyShepherdess we’re going to look at Dutch Spotted sheep.

I think OrkneyShepherdess will be able to give us lots of information about the breed as well as photos.

This is the UK Official Breed Society for Dutch Spotted sheep
https://www.dutchspottedsheep.co.uk/

Here is some information, in English, about the breed from Nederlands Bonte Schaap Breeders association: http://nlbs.nl/fileadmin/user_upload/NLBS/Docs/DSS.pdf

Shocked!

finnsheep — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 12:06:23 GMT

I am disgusted by R’s new policy. Won’t be back.

Tour de fleece 2019 Team?

birtedonosti — Sun, 09 Jun 2019 18:27:25 GMT

Hello everybody! I just wondered if some people of this group will participate in this year’s Tour de Fleece… If so, we could form a wildcard team, couldn’t we?

Nordic Sweaters

JaneKAL — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 09:11:25 GMT

https://craftsmanship.net/the-nordic-sweater-detective/

Other uses for sheep

pattiknit — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 00:45:54 GMT

My daughter sent me some information about a new use for sheep that she had never heard of. It’s a volunteer organization headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California where she lives, and they use sheep, specifically lambs, to comfort people, kind of like therapy dogs. I had never heard of this breed, the American Blackbelly Sheep. Has anyone heard of this breed or this use of them? And this use has the added advantage of saving the sheep from the butchers! Here’s the link.

Wrzosówka - Sheep of the Week 22 Feb 2019

JaneKAL — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 20:40:15 GMT

Opening a new Sheep of the Week thread for the Polish breed, Wrzosówka, suggested by cchrista

Landrace sheep

berrycat — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 13:27:34 GMT

I’m looking for a photo of any of the landrace sheep of Sweden or Denmark.
I would like to use it in a book I am writing. Does anyone have a non copyright photo that I could have permission to use, please.
Rita

Danish Landrace - Sheep of the Week 3 Feb 2019

JaneKAL — Sun, 03 Feb 2019 04:36:17 GMT

Following a suggestion from miri-mari we’re going to look at a new breed, Danish Landrace.

Wools that DON'T felt

wyllen-praett — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 11:54:48 GMT

I am curious what everyone has heard or experienced with Wools that do not tend to felt or felt very, very little. I recall hearing some time ago that the Down wool breeds tend towards not felting. Is this true? Thank you all ahead of time for chiming in!

Churro-Navajo Sheep film

FrogFrogFrog — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 15:21:05 GMT

This is about 20 minutes.

https://vimeo.com/152027517

Landes de Bretagne - Sheep of the Week 4 Oct 2018

JaneKAL — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 08:14:45 GMT

The second of two breeds we’ll have Sheep of the Week threads open for this month.

With thanks to Ariette for suggesting this breed.

Avranchin - Sheep of the Week 4 Oct 2018

JaneKAL — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 08:12:05 GMT

One of two breeds we’ll have Sheep of the Week threads open for this month.

With thanks to Ariette for suggesting this French breed.

New Cormo yarn from Harrisville

galipany — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 15:41:35 GMT

This post was deleted by galipany