Northwest Yarns

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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....

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  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...

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  Know Your Fiber: A (Very) Brief History of Wool

  Posted on January 02 2018

  Welcome to a (very) brief history of wool sheep! Wool is an amazing fiber, with qualities that make is unique among all other natural fibers – we’ll be discussing that...

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