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Where our wool comes from
We raise Icelandic and Gotland sheep, both primitive and hardy breeds with exquisite wool adaptable to any fiber art project.
At Tall Timbers Forest Farm & Fiber, we raise Icelandic and Gotland sheep.
The Icelandic sheep is dual coated. The fleece is open and airy with little lanolin. A fine downy undercoat called “thel” is typically 2-3 inches long and the coarser outer coat is called “tog”. The outer coat is a wool fiber, not hair or kemp. It is 4-10 inches long in most fall fleeces and is lustrous, softly waved or in corkscrew curls. Tog is water and wind resistant, strong and hardwearing. The thel is lofty and warm and very fine with an uneven crimp. This durable dual coat allows the animals to be comfortable outside in the winter with just a three-sided shelter or tunnel hut for shelter from the icy wind and snow. The bulky “Lopi” yarns, that are one of the most popular yarns worldwide, are spun from the two coats of Icelandic wool, and yet a prized fine lace weight yarn is also made from the fleece. The two coats can easily be separated for even more versatility. The wool from Icelandic sheep is also in demand by felters worldwide, as it is an easy and fast fiber to felt, and the natural colors are exceptionally lovely and diverse. It is wonderful for beginner spinners as well.
The Gotland Sheep wool is long, lustrous and silky. Although difficult for beginning spinners, the silkiness is prized by hand spinners worldwide. They are usually silver grey to dark grey in color and have a loose curl that turns in three dimensions, and is typically in the medium micron range (30 plus minus), though lambs can be considerably finer. It is soft and strong and when shearing ,falls off like butter.(our shearer loves them!)
