Broaden Your Fiber Horizons: Knitting Beyond Merino

Whether you’re working with indie-dyed gems or big-box yarns, chances are your wool yarn labels say one of two things: wool or, more specifically, Merino. For decades, “wool” or “virgin wool” was all the detail a knitter might expect to find on the ball band. More recently, Merino wool and Merino blends have occupied most of the wooly shelves. But occasionally at first and more often now, you might see less familiar names: Targhee. Corriedale. Rambouillet. Bluefaced Leicester. Romney. Dorset. What do these wools have to offer knitters?

A Sheep for Every Purpose

Sheep breeds come about to meet certain needs, and the nature and quality of their wool might not even make the list of priorities. Some were developed with the meat market in mind, to grow fast or produce multiple lambs. Others are selected to thrive in a particular wet or dry terrain or to care for themselves by foraging or lambing easily. Others were developed for longer, stronger wool; a variety of colors; fleece that resists vegetable matter; or easier shearing. And some shepherds and mills even have yarn from East Friesians, the world’s highest-producing dairy sheep!

With all these different wools, a knitter might wonder what to make of the skein in hand. Here are a few wools you might come across and why you might choose one. (Disclaimer: Individual shepherds may prioritize certain traits; weather and diet affect the qualities of fleeces; and trends in wool change the expectations of breeds over time. These are generalizations; your yardage may vary.)

Beyond this list, what do you see? Check out the shepherds, mills, and farmers markets in your Fibershed for regional delights. [PAYWALL]

Soft & Fine

If you love the softness of Merino but want to try something a little different, here are a number of wools that you might enjoy. All of these produce springy, bouncy, elastic yarns that your hands will adore.

Cormo

Cormo combines the softness of Merino with the loft of Corriedale. At its finest, Cormo rivals cashmere for softness, but it is extremely elastic. (Be sure to knit and wash a swatch before casting on for a project, as the yarn may plump up and shrink even before beginning to felt. You may also need some “yarn insurance”: make sure to buy an extra skein or two.)

Try this:
Sincere Sheep Cormo Fingering Gradient

A flock of naturally colored Polwarth sheep, some wearing coats to keep their fleeces clean, grazes on the Tarndwarncoort, Australia farm where the breed originated. Photo by Diane Mulholland

Polwarth

A few years ago, Polwarth was largely unknown in millspun yarn, but the discerning knitter can now find it ready to cast on. If you love the softness of Merino but want something with a little more drape (and a little less likely to pill), keep an eye out for Polwarth. In a blend with silk, it’s luxurious enough for lace but still sturdy enough for sweaters.

Try this:
Lisa Souza Polwarth/Silk

Rambouillet

The French town of Rambouillet is home to the national bergerie (sheep farm), which proudly maintains a flock of Merinos gifted by the king of Spain in the 18th century. When Rambouillets were imported into the United States, they spread across the West, where their wool has grown a bit stronger and less fine. Think of this as a less delicate Merino cousin.

Try this:
A Verb for Keeping Warm Flock

Targhee

Developed at the Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, Idaho, Targhee were intended for the wide-open spaces of the North American West, with good “flocking instinct” (tendency to stick together for safety), ability to thrive in a range of temperatures, and a stomach and palate for the variety of grasses that a Western sheep will graze on. Oh, and fine wool, too. Targhee is a springy, bouncy, medium-finewool that will hold its shape beautifully and is comfortable for next-to-skin wear.

Try this:
Solitude Wool Targhee 2-ply

Strong & Cozy

Softness isn’t the only trait to look for in yarn. If you’re knitting a sweater that shouldn’t pill, a pair of socks that will hold up to heavy wear, or a pair of mittens for cold days, reach for a medium wool.

A caveat: Our hands respond to softness, so maybe it shouldn’t be surprising that a number of these wools are drifting away from their traditional breed standards and growing finer and finer over time. You may find Bluefaced Leicester and Corriedale, which are conventionally considered medium to strong, that are hardly less soft than Merino. There’s a place for fine, soft yarn, but seek out wool with more character, too—you may love the knitting experience, and you may be part of preserving a wool tradition.

It takes some imagination to see the “blue” in Bluefaced Leicester, so called because of the white hair over dark skin on their faces. Photo courtesy of Little Smoky Bluefaced Leicesters

Bluefaced Leicester

The darling of the sock-yarn shelf a few years ago, Bluefaced Leicester (generally just BFL) is technically a longwool. Sometimes referred to as a luster longwools, these tend to be stronger, shinier, drapier, and possibly coarser yarns that are great for lace and sweaters.

Try this:
West Yorkshire Spinners Fleece Bluefaced Leicester DK

Corriedale

Corriedale is a classic medium wool: “I love Corriedale. I don’t think it’s used enough,” says teacher, knitter, and spinner Devin Helmen. “It’s the ideal blend of soft and strong.” Conventional Corriedale is not as soft as Merino, which is part of its charm—a sturdier wool that resists pilling and makes long-lasting knitwear, Corriedale is supremely versatile. Teacher and former yarn store owner Maggie Casey calls Corriedale a “Goldilocks fleece,” one you can use in a wide variety of garments.

Try this:
Manos del Uruguay Cardo

Dorset

Dorset is not a fine wool, and it isn’t meant to be. Part of the class of Down breeds—named for the region in England where they arose and not related to the downy fiber of cashmere—Dorset is still sometimes called a “meat breed.” The springy wool tends to resist felting in washing and use more than shrink-happy Merino or BFL. Mary Jeanne Packer, owner of Battenkill Fibers, produces several Dorset and Dorset-blend yarns and adds that Dorset is “very rugged, very durable.” (Akin to Dorset are Down breeds such as Southdown and Suffolk, which you may find from some small yarn mills.)

Try this:
Rambler by The Woolly Thistle (80% White Dorset, 10% white Corriedale, 10% gray Romney)

Polypay

Another wool developed at the Sheep Experiment Station, Polypay was designed to be the ultimate multipurpose sheep, producing versatile medium wool—surprisingly nice, considering that wool wasn’t a top priority in establishing the breed. For decades Polypay was hard to find, but their wool has appeared lately in small-batch yarns, mostly in the Eastern United States.

Try this:
Flying Goat Farm Polypay Wild

Romney

Romney shares some traits with mohair: shine, drape, and durability. You wouldn’t choose this for cowls or baby garments, but for a hard-wearing cardigan to last for many winters, Romney is an excellent choice.

Try this:
Bloom Woolen Yarns Roots (90% Romney/10% mohair)

Colorful Fleece

Although you can find natural colors of many different wools from smaller flocks, it’s more common in some older (pre-industrial) breeds. White wool is great for dyeing uniform colors, but the richness and depth that come from dyeing naturally colored yarns can be spectacular.

Finn

The ancient Scandinavian breed known as Finnsheep offers versatility, and not just in the palette of natural colors. Anne Hanson of Bare Naked Wools loves it for the balance of softness and durability, sheen, and drape. “We spin it two ways to take advantage of its range of properties—the 3-ply sport is super smooth and produces a denser fabric with great stitch definition and a controlled drape,” she says. “The 2-ply version is light and slightly fuzzy. It produces airier fabric with a soft halo for highlighting lace and textured stitches in a different way.”

Try this:
Bare Naked Wools Finn Dandy 2-ply

Jacob sheep offer several colors on the same sheep . . . for those who will separate the wool into different batches before sending it to the mill. Photo by David Merrett via Flickr/CC 2.0

Jacob

Jacobs are exceptional sheep. Spotted and horned, picturesque, and medium-small, they are generally placed in a category of their own. They grow a variety of colors on the same animal, so yarns either blend all of the available colors or require hands-on effort to separate the colors in each fleece. Depending on the flock, Jacob can be medium-coarse or medium-soft, so be sure to ask before buying. You will find differences between yarns from American and British Jacobs. “I do find that our domestic sources produce softer fiber, while our British Jacob is springier and available in more shades,” says Anne Hanson. “I love Jacob for the soft, springy, and airy fabric that it produces.”

Try this:
Bare Naked Wools Jacob Dream Sport
Meridian Jacobs Jacob DK
West Yorkshire Spinners Fleece Jacob DK

Further Reading

Deb Robson and Carol Ekarius, The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook