Gotland Adult 4lb Raw Fleece
Here at Shepherds Lane our Gotlands are a big deal. With roughly 100 head of these colorful and charming personalities, we probably have what you are looking for when it comes to fiber. Once you start down the Gotland path its difficult to ever come back to “boring” white fiber again! They are highly addictive so be forewarned….
This raw and unwashed fleece is off one of our young ewes. It is a summer fleece so free of vm and other dirt and debris that we often see in winter or spring fleeces. The color is a rich dark gray, charcoal but with shots of silver. It looks like there may be a bit of browning on the tips but it could be our Oregon clay soil making it look that way. At any rate, the tips will be lighter and may carry a slight brown cast when washed. If so, this may be an excellent choice for an overdyeing project! Those tips will pick up and reflect the color of the dye more so than the rest. It has excellent curl throughout the body, less so toward the britch where the wool opens into a more wavy structure which is often the case. It is skirted down to a weight of just over 4 pounds. Staple length is roughly four inches and the hand is fairly soft to the touch. The price reflects the fact that it is raw and needs to be washed before use. Nice fiber. Nice price.
The perfect project as we move into the winter months and have time to create with wool!
Here at Shepherds Lane our Gotlands are a big deal. With roughly 100 head of these colorful and charming personalities, we probably have what you are looking for when it comes to fiber. Once you start down the Gotland path its difficult to ever come back to “boring” white fiber again! They are highly addictive so be forewarned….
This raw and unwashed fleece is off one of our young ewes. It is a summer fleece so free of vm and other dirt and debris that we often see in winter or spring fleeces. The color is a rich dark gray, charcoal but with shots of silver. It looks like there may be a bit of browning on the tips but it could be our Oregon clay soil making it look that way. At any rate, the tips will be lighter and may carry a slight brown cast when washed. If so, this may be an excellent choice for an overdyeing project! Those tips will pick up and reflect the color of the dye more so than the rest. It has excellent curl throughout the body, less so toward the britch where the wool opens into a more wavy structure which is often the case. It is skirted down to a weight of just over 4 pounds. Staple length is roughly four inches and the hand is fairly soft to the touch. The price reflects the fact that it is raw and needs to be washed before use. Nice fiber. Nice price.
The perfect project as we move into the winter months and have time to create with wool!
Here at Shepherds Lane our Gotlands are a big deal. With roughly 100 head of these colorful and charming personalities, we probably have what you are looking for when it comes to fiber. Once you start down the Gotland path its difficult to ever come back to “boring” white fiber again! They are highly addictive so be forewarned….
This raw and unwashed fleece is off one of our young ewes. It is a summer fleece so free of vm and other dirt and debris that we often see in winter or spring fleeces. The color is a rich dark gray, charcoal but with shots of silver. It looks like there may be a bit of browning on the tips but it could be our Oregon clay soil making it look that way. At any rate, the tips will be lighter and may carry a slight brown cast when washed. If so, this may be an excellent choice for an overdyeing project! Those tips will pick up and reflect the color of the dye more so than the rest. It has excellent curl throughout the body, less so toward the britch where the wool opens into a more wavy structure which is often the case. It is skirted down to a weight of just over 4 pounds. Staple length is roughly four inches and the hand is fairly soft to the touch. The price reflects the fact that it is raw and needs to be washed before use. Nice fiber. Nice price.
The perfect project as we move into the winter months and have time to create with wool!
All Gotlands should be shades of gray, from the darkest tones to the lightest silvers, and if you are true to the breed standard they will be gray. The array of colors that can come out of these fleeces is quite amazing and never dull. For those that work with dyes, this fiber is particularly well suited. Overdying shades of gray creates colors that cannot be easily achieved when working with white wool…I prefer it. The tones are deeper, richer, warmer. Once you try it you will be hooked!
They have been bred in Sweden to produce soft, silky fiber on their lambs which are usually harvested in late fall for their meat and pelts. The lamb fiber is exquisite and has a hand that reminds us of mohair or silk. Surprisingly, these are longwools and not generally known for soft, fine fiber. The secret is in the actual wool fiber itself which has broader and fewer wool scales along its shaft, making the fiber reflect more light and feel slick. The adult fiber is often more suited to sturdier applications and makes fantastic yarns for heavier sweaters, mitts and such. It finds its way into a surprising number of more utilitarian products in its home country like rugs, insoles, upholstery, and felt. It is also known for its superior felting properties and holds up well under rugged wear and use.
We love our Gotlands and they will always be a part of Shepherds Lane of Oregon!
