A flock of Corriedale sheep
|
The Corriedale was developed in New Zealand and Australia during the late 1800s' from crossing Lincoln or Leicester rams with Merino females. The development of the breed occurred in New Zealand during the time from 1880 to 1910. Similar crosses were also being done in Australia during this time. The breed is now distributed worldwide, making up the greatest population of all sheep in South America and thrives throughout Asia, North America and South Africa. Its popularity now suggests it is the second most significant breed in the world after Merinos.
A shephard who raises Corriedale so he may sell the fleece to handspinners like myself says: "We choose the Corriedale breed for a handful of reasons. First and foremost, they look like sheep (not goats). Secondly, they are very versatile. They provide excellent wool for spinning and can be used as "go-to-market" sheep as well. (I particularly don't prefer the latter option). Third, Corriedales have a strong flocking instinct. They are calm and friendly."
 |
|
Llama
|
This is a llama. In fact, this is Jupiter, the llama whose wool is the weft in one of the bags for sale on this site. Jupiter lives in Sequim, Washington, at the Bellweather. You can visit the Bellweather by clicking the link.
Bellweather Nearly all llamas have wool which is useful for spinning. The color and soft texture is what gives it so much appeal. There are a few individuals with exceptionally short coats (under 2"), or excessive, coarse guard hair and very little "down" fiber, but these are unusual. Environmental conditions can also have a negative impact, causing felting, matting, or contamination of the wool due to burrs and weed seeds. If you part the wool in several places on your llama and look down into it, noticing that it is fairly clean, adequately long, and soft to touch, it is definitely worth saving for craft uses.
|
These are Cormo Sheep. These particular Cormo Sheep belong to Elizabeth of Apple Rose Farm www.applerose.com in New Jersey. She supplies me with wonderfully carded batts of Cormo fleece which she dyes to the rich colors you see in my weaving.
|
What is Cormo?? The American Cormo is a new scientific sheep breed. I.K. Downie of Tasmania was the driving force behind the creation of the Cormo breed. The Cormo Breed is a one-time crossing of Tasmanian stud Corriedale rams on 1200 selected superfine Saxon Merino ewes. This was the beginning of the development of the Cormo breed. The result -- 1/4 Lincoln, 1/4 Australian Merino, and 1/2 Superfine Saxon Merino - is fast becoming one of the best wool producing breeds in the sheep industry today
|
California Red Sheep. Elizabeth, of Apple Rose Farm, took this photograph and one above.
|
The history of the California Red Sheep began in the early 1970's when Dr. Glenn Spurlock in Davis, CA embarked on a Home Project (not affiliated with UC Davis), of crossing Tunis and Barbados sheep.
Originally Dr. Spurlock's goal was of creating a larger framed wool-less breed of sheep. His attempts to obtain the wool-less feature failed but the remarkable hybrid sheep caught the eyes of Aime & Paulette Soulier of Winters, California.
Through extensive efforts and selective breeding, the Souliers slowly increased the size of their flock and interested other sheep breeders including Alice Gardner of Dixon, CA. Over the years, their combined breeding efforts helped expand the scope of the program so that today there are more than fifty breeders throughout the US and 600 Reds enrolled in the California Red Sheep Registry.
The wool of this distinctive young breed is prized by hand spinners and weavers alike and the meat is unequaled in tenderness and delicate flavor. Additionally, the newly created California Red breed displayed a calm, gentle disposition, distinctive color, resistance to many of the health and handling problems and also proved to be a successful year round breeder.
|
|
Newly Born California Red Lamb at the Apple Rose Farm You can see here the red fleece that the California Red offers in this variety of the rare breed. The wool is soft and very strong.
|
Red-headed Oatmeal-fleece colored California Red Sheep from Apple Rose Farm The oatmeal colored fleece of this variety of the California Red Sheep gives a very pleasant relief from the stark white of most white fleeced sheep. The California Red sheep are like pets. Tame, docile and they just want to be loved!
|
Handspun Handwoven wool table runner of California Red fleece in the two natural colorways This table runner illustrates the rust color of the all red California Red fleece combined with the oatmeal color of the whiter, red-faced version.
|
Handspun Wool from Oatmeal Variety of the California Red Sheep This photograph illustrates the oatmeal fleece as a two-ply handspun yarn.
|
