Breed Study: Romney; First Impressions

While I was at Black Sheep Gathering earlier this summer I picked up three Romney fleeces. Each of the fleeces is different - they are different weights, different colors, different staple lengths, different crimp structures, and different luster. I love how individual sheep are! 

The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook by Deborah Robson & Carol Ekarius (awesome book, btw, even if you only flip through it every once in a while) devote a bit of space in the book for this breed. They have stuff on breeding, characteristics and history, fiber and yarn. Romney is part of the English Longwool family, along with Cotswold, Leicester Longwool, and Lincoln Longwool, just to name a few. 

"Although the annual wool growth is specified as a minimum of 5 inches, some animals are shorn twice a year, so actual spinnable length in an individual fleece can range from 3 1/2 to 8 inches, though 4 to 6 inches is a good, workable average." - The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook

The three fleeces I have range in staple length from about 4 inches to 6 inches, so I have a good variety of staple lengths to play with.

"Romneys produce wool in a range from moderately coarse to fairly fine. The fiber belongs to the Longwool family, but it's enough finer than most of the other Longwools to feel like a cousin, rather than a sibling... The finest Romney fleeces might come from very fine adults or, more likely, lamb or hogget shearings. Romney can be soft enough to be worn next to the skin, although most Romney wool works better in garments that are one layer out from the skin." - The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook

All three of the fleeces that I have feel pretty soft... I haven't spun a sample of each of them yet, but I think I'll probably be able to wear the wool fairly easily. I haven't figured out exactly what my tolerance level is for the "prickle factor" in wool. I have knit a sweater out of Cascade 220 (the non superwash stuff) and, though I love the sweater, I think the inner elbow bits and yoke can be pretty itchy! I also have a cowl that I knit from handspun Alpaca and from time to time that feels too itchy. But I also have a beanie knit from Jameison Shetland wool and it feels just fine on my forehead. I think it's going to take some time and some experimentation to figure out how much prickle I can stand.

This morning I brought my Jenkins Turkish drop spindle with me to work. I had a little bit of time before work and during my breaks, so I spun a tiny bit of the Romney that I've been working on combing. I really enjoy the spinning so far, though I think I've only spun a couple grams! I'll keep working on it through the week and make some notes, get a sample card done, and write an update next Tuesday!