Northwest Yarns
-
Know Your Fiber: Carpathian Mountain Sheep Wool
Posted on March 01 2023
Carpathian Mountain sheep are a breed of domesticated sheep that are native to the Carpathian Mountains in Central and Eastern Europe. Although this breed is found in the many...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Cashmere & Pashmina
Posted on March 01 2023
Just hearing the words cashmere or pashmina conjure up a sense of luxury. Like sheep, there are a number of fiber goat breeds such as Angora, Pygora, and Nigora. However, the fiber from cashmere...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Clun Forest Wool
Posted on March 01 2023
Imported to North America in 1970, the Clun Forest sheep is a threatened breed in both Canada and the United States. In complete contrast, Clun Forest sheep in the U.K....
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Lonk Wool
Posted on March 01 2023
With their curlicue horns on both rams and ewes, black faces and white wool, Lonk sheep are simply striking. Even their name is notable, coming either from the Middle English...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Lotus Fiber
Posted on October 01 2022
Folks have made use of a wide variety of plant fibers for spinning throughout history. While flax, cotton, and hemp are among the best known of plants fibers, there...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Exmoor Horn Wool
Posted on July 01 2022
As names go, Exmoor Horn sheep have a simple and descriptive name. They are originally from Exmoor, and both females and males are horned. But they are so much...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Florida Cracker Wool
Posted on May 01 2022
Two words: swamp sheep. Intrigued? Then get ready to learn all about the Florida Cracker sheep, a lovely breed with an odd little name, whose history sets it among...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Cotswold Wool
Posted on April 01 2022
Look at those fluffy forelocks! Cotswold sheep are perhaps the most emo-looking sheep out there. With their lustrous locks and ever-so-slightly golden wool, this rare sheep breed is a...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Himalayan Nettle
Posted on March 01 2022
If you are a fiber artist who is familiar with northern European fairy tales, hearing about making clothing out of nettles likely makes your thoughts immediately fly to the...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Gulf Coast Native Wool
Posted on February 01 2022
Woods sheep, Pineywoods sheep, Scrub sheep, Louisiana Native, Florida Native – all names for what we today call the Gulf Coast or Gulf Coast Native sheep. This landrace breed...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Hog Island Wool
Posted on January 01 2022
Hog Island sheep, descended from the sheep brought by English settlers to Virginia in the early 1700s, are remarkably rare. They are a fascinating breed frozen in time, thanks...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Nylon
Posted on October 01 2021
We are pretty big on natural fibers here at Northwest Yarns. Wool? All the wool and all the breeds, please. Alpaca, yak, angora, mohair? Why, yes, don’t mind if we...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Eri Silk
Posted on July 02 2021
Eri silk comes from the ailanthus moth (Samia cynthia ricini), a native to South Asia, and is one of only two domesticated species of silk moths in the world. It...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Tussah Silk
Posted on July 02 2021
Tussah, tussar, tusar, tasar, and more… so many names for just one type of silk! Produced in only a few countries, tussah silk is perhaps best known as a wild...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: American Karakul Wool
Posted on March 01 2021
Named for a village in what is today Turkmenistan, Karakul sheep originated in Central Asia and only arrived relatively recently on North American shores. North American farmers in early...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Tunis Wool
Posted on December 01 2020
Tunis sheep are one of a handful of the oldest sheep breeds in the United States and were a particularly popular breed right up through the mid-1800s. Today they...
Read More -
Fiber is not just fiber – the specific qualities of various fibers make some more suitable for some projects than for others. Of particular interest to crafters who work with wool and other fibers is how fine or how coarse their fiber is. So, what exactly makes a fine fiber fine, a coarse fiber coarse, and how do we determine fineness or coarseness?
Know Your Fiber: Fineness and Fiber
Posted on November 11 2020
Fiber is not just fiber – the specific qualities of various fibers make some more suitable for some projects than for others. Of particular interest to crafters who work...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Swaledale Wool
Posted on October 01 2020
Curving horns, elegant black faces with white muzzles, and a woolen coat perfectly adapted to a rainy environment – meet the Swaledale! These adorable sheep can be found around...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Suffolk Wool
Posted on September 01 2020
With their long black faces and white wool, Suffolk sheep are easy to spot and are also one of the most common breeds in the United States. The Suffolk...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Finnsheep Wool
Posted on August 01 2020
Native to Finland, Finnsheep (also called Finnish Landrace or just Finnish) are a part of Finland’s national identity and an important part of their cultural heritage. This breed has...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Cheviot Wool
Posted on July 01 2020
The Cheviot Hills are located in English Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. Home to a variety of livestock since Neolithic times, it is these hills from which the white...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Perendale Wool
Posted on May 01 2020
It is time for another New Zealand sheep breed – the Perendale! This sheep is a relatively recent addition to the flocks of the world, only appearing on breed...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Whitefaced Woodland Wool
Posted on April 01 2020
The Whitefaced Woodland is a rare sheep breed that was once very popular in Northern England, but now is among the threatened breeds of sheep. It is hard to...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Corriedale Wool
Posted on March 01 2020
Corriedale is lovely and popular wool that is a wonderful all-purpose fiber loved by spinners, weavers, felters, knitters and crocheters around the world. Frequently referred to as “New Zealand’s...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Zwartbles Wool
Posted on February 01 2020
Undyed, black wool is always a treat to work with, but there are relatively few breeds of sheep that can reliably produce good, spinnable black wool in large quantities....
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Polwarth Wool
Posted on December 01 2019
An extremely popular wool breed in many parts of the world, the Polwarth began its development into the fixed breed we know today the 1880s in southeastern Australia, in...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Falklands Wool
Posted on November 01 2019
There exists a land where sheep and penguins live together in harmony – the Falkland Islands. A beautiful group of islands in the southern hemisphere about 300 miles off...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Dorset Horn Wool
Posted on September 30 2019
Known for their rams’ dramatically spiraled horns and their close, springy fleece, Dorset Horn sheep are originally from the verdant hills and valleys of southwestern England. Although they have...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Southdown Wool
Posted on September 01 2019
Friendly and easy to manage, the broad-backed and adorable Southdown sheep are a heritage breed of sheep that originated in southern England. These short-wooled sheep have been regaining their...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Lincoln Wool
Posted on August 01 2019
Located in eastern England, Lincolnshire has been renowned throughout history for their namesake breed, Lincoln sheep. Once the largest known breed of sheep in the western hemisphere, Lincoln wool...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Shave 'Em to Save 'Em
Posted on July 01 2019
Let’s take a look at the The Livestock Conservancy and their brand-new Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em initiative! The Livestock Conservancy has played an important role in heritage livestock...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Eider Wool
Posted on June 01 2019
One of the amazing things about sheep isn’t just the wool, milk and meat they produce, it is also how they affect the surrounding environment. Now, when flocks are...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Romney Wool
Posted on May 01 2019
The tale of the Romney sheep is one of the southeastern English coast, salt marshes, and smugglers. This long-wool sheep was critical to the early English wool trade, and...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Manx Loaghtan
Posted on March 31 2019
Who has adorable horns (up to six!) and has made dramatic come-backs from the brink of extinction? Manx Loaghtan sheep from the Isle of Man, that’s who! These unique sheep...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Rambouillet
Posted on March 01 2019
The late 1700s were an eventful time for French sheep! A French sheep (along with a rooster and a duck) were the first to escape gravity in a...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Black Welsh Mountain Sheep
Posted on February 01 2019
Baa, baa black sheep, have you any wool? The Black Welsh Mountain Sheep certainly does! A member of the Welsh Mountain Sheep breed, this hardy sheep is one of...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Lydia's Flock
Posted on January 01 2019
We are starting out this year’s Know Your Fiber articles with a look at Lydia’s Flock, a local flock of Icelandic and Shetland sheep kept right here in...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Gotland Wool
Posted on November 30 2018
Gotland sheep from the Swedish island of Gotland are not only gosh-darn adorable, but they also produce a beautiful wool with long, lustrous locks. Settle in, Know Your Fiber...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Jacob Wool
Posted on November 01 2018
Two horns, four horns, six horns! Jacob sheep, an adorable, multi-horned spotted sheep (most commonly they have four horns, but can have up to six) from the U.K., has...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Merino Wool
Posted on October 01 2018
Merino sheep are among the most broadly known and popular sheep breeds for wool today. Wool from Merino sheep has gained in popularity over the centuries, and has successfully conquered...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Viscose Rayon (aka Bamboo, Viscose)
Posted on August 01 2018
In the late 19th century, the first semi-synthetic fiber in history was invented – viscose rayon! Known as artificial silk until its rebranding as rayon in 1924, rayon has become...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Targhee Wool
Posted on July 01 2018
Targhee sheep, one of the youngest breeds of sheep in North America, have been experiencing a surge of interest from spinners and hand-dyers in the last several years. This American...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Shetland Wool
Posted on June 01 2018
Shetland sheep are beautiful and friendly little sheep with a soft wool that comes in almost every possible natural sheep color. These short-tailed sheep are from the Shetland...
Read More -
Dealing with Clothing Moths
Posted on May 09 2018
Part 1: Identifying the Evil Little Clothing Moth (Important note: there is no such thing as a Good Little Clothing Moth) These little buggers are the...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Flax
Posted on May 01 2018
Flax is one of the oldest fibers used by humans. First sourced from wild plants, the oldest evidence of humans using flax comes from the Republic of Georgia. Spun,...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Icelandic Wool
Posted on March 31 2018
Icelandic sheep are one of the oldest breeds of sheep still in existence. Descended from the first short-tailed sheep to arrive in Northern Europe during the Paleolithic Age, these...
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Bluefaced Leicester
Posted on March 02 2018
Named for their beautiful gray-blue skin underneath their lustrous wool, the story of Bluefaced Leicester sheep is also the story of how England contributed to a revolution in livestock breeding....
Read More -
Know Your Fiber: Churro Wool
Posted on February 01 2018
Navajo-Churro sheep, are direct descendants of the Churra sheep brought in two waves to North America by the Spanish, a very old breed of sheep from the Castile and León...
Read More
Follow US