Ask the Shepherd: How should I have my wool processed? Should I make roving or yarn? What mill should I use?
Recently, I have been contacted by several people, who have fiber farms or are first time shepherds, asking me the same question, “How should I process my wool?” Some of them have Gotland sheep and some have other breeds. They want me to tell them how to process their wool and where to have it done. I hesitate to give them this information. There is really no one answer to their questions and I feel that the best way to make these decisions is to do your own research. There are many valuable things that will be learned through the process as well as contacts that you will need in the future. So my answer usually goes something like this:
- Research your particular breed and its wool qualities. What makes this wool different from other sheep breeds? What is the best purpose for this wool? What is the length at shearing? What would be the best end product for this wool? Is this a multi-purpose wool used for felting, knitting, handspinning, and weaving? Do you want to focus on all areas of fiber art or just one? Do these sheep originate in a different country? Visit that country or communicate with breeders there. Most shepherds are delighted to talk about their sheep with an interested party!
- Research what others have done with this breed’s wool. Look online and go to sheep festivals to find what others are doing. Is this wool primarily used for felting? knitting? hand spinning? Does it dye easily? If it has been processed into yarn, find out what weight of yarn and what ply. What do people typically knit, felt, and/or weave with this wool? Purchase fleeces and yarn from other breeders of your wool, both locally and abroad. Dissect their yarn-pull it apart to see how it was spun-knit with it-wash it-wear it-test it for the purposes that meet your needs. Evaluate their fleeces for length, luster, and handle.
- Research mills that have processed this particular wool. Are there mills in your area? How far will you have to ship your fiber? Compare pricing at different mills. Do they have problems processing this wool? What is their preferred length of wool to work with? What services do they offer? How do they recommend processing this breed’s wool? Can they send you samples of yarn they have spun with this wool in the past? Send the mill samples of your wool for them to see and hold and feel. Send fleeces to several different mills and ask them to process the wool exactly the same. Compare the product from each mill. Which product do you prefer and why? Remember a yarn must not only look nice when in the skein but also it must be pleasant to work with and to wear!
- Research your market. Who else in your area sells this particular wool? How are they having it processed? Does it sell for them? How do they market it? Who is your customer base? How will you reach your customers? How will you educate them about your end product? What are your goals for your farm, sheep, and wool? What is your vision for your farm? How many sheep do you have? How will you market your product? What is your budget for processing wool and for marketing?
- Know that this is a multi-year process. It will take time to work through all the steps and to finally reach a conclusion on what to do with your wool and where to have it processed.
Our Journey with Gotland Wool, Fiber Mills, & Yarn
Gotland wool is known for its silvery, silky, lustrous gray curls. In Sweden, Gotlands are considered a pelt sheep. Their lovely pelts are sold across Europe. Artisans use the pelts for crafting beautiful garments, rugs, and home accessories. The characteristic gray curls make the pelts desirable. When we visited Gotland in 2015, I had one Swedish shepherd express concern that the upbreeding program in the United States, would turn the Gotland sheep into fiber sheep rather than the pelt sheep that they are in Sweden. This shepherd knew what I did not yet know, that Swedish Gotland wool is difficult for mills to work with. The very qualities that make them wonderful pelt sheep are the very qualities that make them a challenge for mills. This shepherd feared that in the U.S. we may try to breed for wool more suitable for spinning at a large scale rather than wool suitable for pelts, and this, in her opinion, would deviate from the traditional Swedish Gotland. In our breeding program, our intention is to breed for those lovely Gotland curls characteristic of the Swedish Gotlands rather than try to alter the breed and their wool. However, as my flock size is in the early stages of growing, I need to continue to tap into the yarn market. When in Sweden, I had seen hand knit garments with Gotland wool and I was captivated by the feel and handle of the knitted fabric so I knew that knitting with Gotland did produce lovely garments. I quickly realized though that I had to first educate myself more about this breed before shipping my wool off to mills for processing.
Before starting our flock of Gotland sheep, we raised Romney sheep. I was quite familiar with their wool and the best way to have it processed at the mills. I knew that Gotland wool was quite different from our Romney as well as from many other breeds, but I had no idea of the challenge it would present to the mills. Prior to purchasing our first Gotland sheep, I researched the breed online and by visiting Gotland sheep farms. I also made a trip to Gotland, Sweden where I could meet with shepherds there, visit their fiber mill, and attend their annual ram auction. I learned more on this one trip than in all my weeks of research at home.
Prior to sending our Gotland wool to the mill for the first time, I consulted with various mills here in the United States as well as a couple abroad. I purchased Gotland wool roving and yarn from other breeders and knit swatches and shawls with their wool and evaluated the final knitted fabric. I looked closely for how the mill spun each skein. I knew my market fairly well as I had been selling farm yarn for many years. I also already had a marketing plan established. Once I had settled on what kind of yarn to make, my next step was to just get my Gotland wool in the hands of different mills in the U.S. and see what they could do with it. Gotland can be a challenge for mills because of the long length, curl, lack of crimp, and luster, all which makes for a slippery fiber. These qualities can make it difficult for the wool to grab the large drum carders during processing. Though my spinning specifications for each mill were exactly the same, the end product varied greatly from mill to mill. I also found that the yarn varied within the same mill depending on who in the mill did the work, or the particular sheep, the age of the sheep, the color of the wool, as well as the year.
No Two Skeins are Created Equal
In this first trial of sending Gotland wool to different mills, the yarn varied from mill to mill. I received yarn that felt like rope and was tremendously over spun, to yarn so soft and loosely spun that it nearly fell apart in my hands, to yarn, that though it was spun nicely, had so much wool in the twist that the knitted item was quite heavy. Each of these yarns had its place in the world of fiber art and did not go to waste. I found a purpose for each. The rope-like yarn became the binding on my handwoven rugs, the worsted yarn with lots of fiber in the twist was used for warm hats, and the loosely spun yarn has been used as embellishments in wet felting projects.
In and around these less desirable yarns, I did get yarn that was absolutely perfect! I just needed to find a way to consistently get this lovely yarn. After trying three different local mills, I finally found a mill that seemed to be the perfect fit. I totally trusted their opinion as they have lots of experience with a wide variety of fibers. They were also people whom I enjoyed talking with and felt I could work with. They were attentive to my questions and did not hesitate to contact me mid-processing if they had a questions or concern. After spinning the first two batches of wool for me, the mill admitted that they were struggling to get consistency. They suggested that we create a blend by adding some silk to the wool. Silk compliments Gotland wool as both fibers lack crimp but yet possess amazing luster, not to mention all the other wonder qualities of silk. This would also allow the mill more control over the fiber during the carding and spinning process. This, in return, would give me a more consistent yarn within each batch as well as from year to year. We are on our second year of blending silk with our Gotland fiber and am loving the result. I am hopeful that we have come across the perfect solution.
This journey with Gotland wool has taken me four years from the time I first heard of the Gotland breed to where we are today. Through this process, I have become acquainted with other Gotland breeders near and far, I have learned much about processing wool and about the Gotland breed. In my next blog post, I will introduce you to knitting with our Gotland yarn and will compare the 100% Gotland wool yarn to our Gotland/Silk blend. Stay tuned.
Knit Local
Would you like to try knitting with our Gotland/Silk blend yarn? All of our Gotland yarn can be purchased directly on our website in our online farmstore. It comes in shades of natural gray as well as a selection of overdyed. Don’t see the color you would like? I am happy to do custom dyeing for you. Email info@grandviewfarmvt.com if you would like me to dye a particular color for your knitting project.
Gotland Tour 2019
Join me this June for a once in a life time tour of Gotland island! We only have a couple of spots open for our tour. Read about our itinerary and tour details here.
