Black Welsh Mountain. My Fiber Studies 9

I take part in the SpinDoctor Rare Breed Wool Challenge on Ravelry. My blog posts are tagged SpinDoctor. The challenge ends June 30th 2011. You find SpinDoctor's podcasts in my Link List to the right.

The Sheep

Black Welsh Mountain is an old sheep breed. Black sheep were bred already in the middle ages in Wales. It's a small sheep that produce both meat and wool. There are Black Welsh Mountain sheep in England, Scotland and of course in Wales, but also in the USA.

            British Sheep & Wool, p. 153-154, and my spinning sample card

The Wool

The wool is black or reddish with a micron count of 32-35, American sources says 26-32. The staple length is 8-10 cm. It's mostly used for cloth, but can be used in knitting also. The lambs have a deep black color.

My Experience

I got combed top from Sarah when she visited Malin and me in February. This is one of the coarsest wools I have spun. It felt surprisingly soft, and the preparation was excellent.

Spinning

Spinning Wheel: Louet Victoria
Ratio: 1:6
WPI in singles: 24

I tried short forward and short backward draws but settled on semiwoolen. I tried to draft thicker than I usually spin, but it's not easy for me. The result was a 2-ply yarn softer than I had assumed it would be. It would be a perfect yarn for outdoor use.

Read more

Internet
Black Welsh Mountain UK
American Black Welsh Mountain Sheep Association

Literature
M.L. Ryder, Sheep & Man. Duckworth, 2007
British Sheep & Wool. British Wool Marketing Board, 2010
Deborah Robson & Carol Ekarius, The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook. Storey Publishing, to be released May 2011
Nola & Jane Fournier, In Sheep's Clothing. Interweave Press, 1995