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Black Sheep Yarn



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 30th 07, 06:41 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.yarn
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Posts: 10
Default Black Sheep Yarn

My husband would love to have a sweater knitted from black sheep. Is
it possible to get naturally "black" wool? If so where would one find
it?

TIA,
Caroline

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  #2  
Old January 30th 07, 09:37 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.yarn
Mary Fisher
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Posts: 741
Default Black Sheep Yarn


wrote in message
ups.com...
My husband would love to have a sweater knitted from black sheep. Is
it possible to get naturally "black" wool? If so where would one find
it?

TIA,
Caroline


Hebridean sheep grow naturally black wool and it's lovely to use but I can't
suggest where you'd get it if you don't know a sheep farmer with them.

So-called Welsh Black are actually brown.

Mary



  #3  
Old January 30th 07, 10:58 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.yarn
WoolyGooly
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Posts: 294
Default Black Sheep Yarn

On 30 Jan 2007 09:41:25 -0800, wrote:

My husband would love to have a sweater knitted from black sheep. Is
it possible to get naturally "black" wool? If so where would one find
it?

TIA,
Caroline


There are plenty of natural wool colors, but little of it is truly
"black". In a shepherd's world anything that isn't white is "black"
but it could really be anything from champagne to dark brown to steel
gray. Shearing season is coming soon in the Northern hemisphere, by
the end of the summer you ought to have more selection than you'll
find right now.

Following are but of the few websites I have bookmarked from which you
can order (or track down) natural colored yarn.

Gotland and British Breeds wool yarns here
http://www.iriss.co.uk/Wool.htm

British Breeds
http://www.dickie.co.uk

Icelandic and Sheepsdown
http://www.schoolhousepress.com

Jamieson's has a line of natural colored yarns
http://jamiesonsshetland.co.uk/servl...&shop_id=56591

As do Jamieson and Smith
http://www.shetland-wool-brokers.zet...k/shet2000.htm

Jamieson's and J&S both have US distributors (Schoolhouse press
carries the full like of J&S jumper, they may have to order the
Shetland 2000)

You might also consider commissioning a handspinner to make the yarn
for you, though it won't be cheap.
  #5  
Old January 31st 07, 03:14 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.yarn
WoolyGooly
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Posts: 294
Default Black Sheep Yarn

On Wed, 31 Jan 2007 12:35:09 -0000, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:


Well, that promotes the question: what IS truly 'black'?


There's a physics definition that has to do with reflection of light
waves and whatnot. IIRC "white" reflects all wavelengths (colors)
equally, black absorbs them (hence why pundits tell us to wear
white/light colors during hot sunny weather). Manufactured blacks are
typically based on blue, green or red and will, in the right light,
appear to be slightly tinted toward the base color.

My "black" cats aren't technically black, if you look past the sleek
surfaces of their coats. One is actually a tabby - but only when the
light strikes him just right. The other is a solid gray. I think my
perception of them as "black" cats is due to the masses of hairs
engaged in organized refraction and non-reflection of light.


In a shepherd's world anything that isn't white is "black"


Not in UK!


Quite true, especially for Shetland sheep that come with their own
color and marking vocabularies. Most people neither know nor care
about that though.

FTR, a friend keeps Black Welsh Mountain sheep. She covers them
against our average 330 days of sunlight so their fleeces are black
from tip to base. I've spun a lot of it - the stuff is BLACK, and
depending on which fleece I manage to snag is also quite nice. I do
not, however, think of it as wool to make a sweater with, unless one
will be wearing at least two stout layers under it.

  #6  
Old January 31st 07, 04:15 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.yarn
Bev
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Posts: 11
Default Black Sheep Yarn

On Jan 30, 11:41 am, wrote:
My husband would love to have a sweater knitted from black sheep. Is
it possible to get naturally "black" wool? If so where would one find
it?

TIA,
Caroline


You might go to www.dettasspindle.com and see if she has any. Detta
has been a friend of mine for over 25 years and taught me to spin.
She often has some hard to get fiber. Tell her Bev sent you.
Bev

  #7  
Old January 31st 07, 07:47 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.yarn
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Posts: 10
Default Black Sheep Yarn

Thanks all!!

He realizes the wool will not be "black". We'll be in Scotland in
about seven months, including the Hebrides and Shetland so I'll be
taking a look around for it.

Caroline

  #9  
Old January 31st 07, 11:34 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.yarn
Mary Fisher
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Posts: 741
Default Black Sheep Yarn


"WoolyGooly" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 31 Jan 2007 12:35:09 -0000, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:


Well, that promotes the question: what IS truly 'black'?


There's a physics definition that has to do with reflection of light
waves and whatnot. IIRC "white" reflects all wavelengths (colors)
equally, black absorbs them (hence why pundits tell us to wear
white/light colors during hot sunny weather). Manufactured blacks are
typically based on blue, green or red and will, in the right light,
appear to be slightly tinted toward the base color.


Quite.

My "black" cats aren't technically black, if you look past the sleek
surfaces of their coats. One is actually a tabby - but only when the
light strikes him just right. The other is a solid gray. I think my
perception of them as "black" cats is due to the masses of hairs
engaged in organized refraction and non-reflection of light.


I have a black cockerel and a black pullet. they're as pure a black as can
be but if any kind of light shines on them they look beautiful green or blue
or purple ...


In a shepherd's world anything that isn't white is "black"


Not in UK!


Quite true, especially for Shetland sheep that come with their own
color and marking vocabularies. Most people neither know nor care
about that though.


I do. It's like Icelandic horse colouration.

Our daughter has primitive sheep of many colours (including Shetland) so
that she can spin in natural colours but only the Hebs are called black.

FTR, a friend keeps Black Welsh Mountain sheep. She covers them
against our average 330 days of sunlight so their fleeces are black
from tip to base. I've spun a lot of it - the stuff is BLACK, and
depending on which fleece I manage to snag is also quite nice. I do
not, however, think of it as wool to make a sweater with, unless one
will be wearing at least two stout layers under it.


LOL! No - but it's still better than Herdwick, which is like barbed wire.
And grey :-) Very good for carpets!

Welsh blacks do bleach to brown quickly, I can't imagine any keeping a
protective covering on unless they're indoors.



  #10  
Old February 1st 07, 12:41 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.yarn
WoolyGooly
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Posts: 294
Default Black Sheep Yarn

On Wed, 31 Jan 2007 22:34:24 -0000, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:

Quite true, especially for Shetland sheep that come with their own
color and marking vocabularies. Most people neither know nor care
about that though.


I do. It's like Icelandic horse colouration.


I didn't say nobody cares, just most of them. I've got a Shetland
sheep color chart on my wall, very nice watercolor illustrations. Can
I pronounce most of the terms? Not a chance, but I can spell 'em!
hehehe

LOL! No - but it's still better than Herdwick, which is like barbed wire.
And grey :-) Very good for carpets!


Oh, Herdwick is nastynastynasty. A friend in UK sent me a ball of it
"as a curiosity". She said she found it at a boot sale. I can't
figure out what to do with just one little 50g ball of the stuff. I
thought I might make a potholder and full it, but the stuff is so wiry
I don't even want to handle it.


Welsh blacks do bleach to brown quickly, I can't imagine any keeping a
protective covering on unless they're indoors.


Some of them keep their coats, some don't. If she coats them as soon
as they're weaned they take to it pretty well. We have so much sun
that the tips don't just bleach, they'll fry, so she tries to keep her
entire ewe herd coated most of the year.
 




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