I have a flock of more than 70 Jacob sheep (a small, multihorned, spotted breed), and each year I proudly sell a batch of natural-color yarn to eager weavers and knitters. I also process and sell yarn spun from a neighbor’s flock of white-faced sheep of Targhee, Rambouillet, and Polypay breeding. And when I’m not caring for my sheep or getting fleeces to a mill for spinning, I enjoy weaving and knitting with these yarns.
My farming and fiber experiences combine to give me a broad perspective on the ins and outs of buying yarn directly from the producer that you may find helpful. Let’s begin with how wool is grown.
Growing and Selling Wool
While I don’t know what goes on behind the scenes at large yarn retailers, I assume that it’s vastly different from what happens at my farm. I have my hands on every aspect of every fleece from the moment the lambs are born, to shearing day, to skirting and sorting wool, to delivering wool to a local mill, to finding customers for the resulting yarn.
You could say the process of growing wool begins anew each year, the day after shearing. All year long, I monitor sheep health and nutrition (to prevent the weak sections in fleeces known as wool breaks), and I manage pasture and feeding practices (to minimize vegetable matter in the fleece).
Or maybe it starts before that, when I make sure the pregnant ewes have adequate nutrition so that the lambs are born with their full genetic potential for growing good wool (see Resources).
Get a closer look! Click on any image below to view it in full-screen mode and learn more about the fleeces.
We shear our flock once a year in January or February, about a month before lambing. Sheep are held off feed and water for 12 hours before shearing for the comfort of both the sheep and the shearer. Shearing is skilled physical work—our shearer can shear a sheep in two minutes.
Members of our Meridian Jacobs Farm Club come to help with shearing day tasks, and local fiber guild members are invited to come and watch.
Fleeces weigh anywhere from 3 to 6 pounds and are available immediately for sale. After shearing, we lay each fleece out on a table for skirting (removing less desirable wool from around the edges). Some buyers sort their new fleece into colors and separate britch wool (a coarse wool from the back legs) before taking their fleece home. I skirt and sort all remaining fleeces and deliver them to a local mill for scouring, carding, and spinning.
I sell to customers in person at the farm, online, and at Lambtown (our local California fiber festival). Our naturally colored yarn may sell out by the following summer. If it does, there won’t be more until we grow, shear, and process the next batch of fleeces.
Finding a Farmer
If you’re intrigued by small-batch yarn, how do you find farmers who sell yarn?
Most farmers who are direct marketing their yarn are happy to answer questions, and many have samples of finished goods. You may be able to meet them and their sheep at county and state fairs, as well as during sheep or fiber festivals. Some may also sell at farmers markets or may open their farms to visitors.
An obvious way in today’s world is to search online—but not all small farms have websites, and those with websites may not show up within the first few search pages. You can find a directory of heritage sheep breeders as well as info about a breed’s fleece characteristics and its best uses at livestockconservancy.org. Another source is Fibershed, an international network of farmers, mill operators, and textile producers. It has an affiliate directory that lists local chapters, which can provide information about wool growers.
Get a closer look! Click on any image below to view it in full-screen mode.
Buying Small-Batch Wool
I have a flock of more than 70 Jacob sheep (a small, multihorned, spotted breed), and each year I proudly sell a batch of natural-color yarn to eager weavers and knitters. I also process and sell yarn spun from a neighbor’s flock of white-faced sheep of Targhee, Rambouillet, and Polypay breeding. And when I’m not caring for my sheep or getting fleeces to a mill for spinning, I enjoy weaving and knitting with these yarns.
My farming and fiber experiences combine to give me a broad perspective on the ins and outs of buying yarn directly from the producer that you may find helpful. Let’s begin with how wool is grown.
Growing and Selling Wool
While I don’t know what goes on behind the scenes at large yarn retailers, I assume that it’s vastly different from what happens at my farm. I have my hands on every aspect of every fleece from the moment the lambs are born, to shearing day, to skirting and sorting wool, to delivering wool to a local mill, to finding customers for the resulting yarn.
You could say the process of growing wool begins anew each year, the day after shearing. All year long, I monitor sheep health and nutrition (to prevent the weak sections in fleeces known as wool breaks), and I manage pasture and feeding practices (to minimize vegetable matter in the fleece).
Or maybe it starts before that, when I make sure the pregnant ewes have adequate nutrition so that the lambs are born with their full genetic potential for growing good wool (see Resources).
Get a closer look! Click on any image below to view it in full-screen mode and learn more about the fleeces.
We shear our flock once a year in January or February, about a month before lambing. Sheep are held off feed and water for 12 hours before shearing for the comfort of both the sheep and the shearer. Shearing is skilled physical work—our shearer can shear a sheep in two minutes.
Members of our Meridian Jacobs Farm Club come to help with shearing day tasks, and local fiber guild members are invited to come and watch.
Fleeces weigh anywhere from 3 to 6 pounds and are available immediately for sale. After shearing, we lay each fleece out on a table for skirting (removing less desirable wool from around the edges). Some buyers sort their new fleece into colors and separate britch wool (a coarse wool from the back legs) before taking their fleece home. I skirt and sort all remaining fleeces and deliver them to a local mill for scouring, carding, and spinning.
I sell to customers in person at the farm, online, and at Lambtown (our local California fiber festival). Our naturally colored yarn may sell out by the following summer. If it does, there won’t be more until we grow, shear, and process the next batch of fleeces.
Finding a Farmer
If you’re intrigued by small-batch yarn, how do you find farmers who sell yarn?
Most farmers who are direct marketing their yarn are happy to answer questions, and many have samples of finished goods. You may be able to meet them and their sheep at county and state fairs, as well as during sheep or fiber festivals. Some may also sell at farmers markets or may open their farms to visitors.
An obvious way in today’s world is to search online—but not all small farms have websites, and those with websites may not show up within the first few search pages. You can find a directory of heritage sheep breeders as well as info about a breed’s fleece characteristics and its best uses at livestockconservancy.org. Another source is Fibershed, an international network of farmers, mill operators, and textile producers. It has an affiliate directory that lists local chapters, which can provide information about wool growers.
Get a closer look! Click on any image below to view it in full-screen mode.
Buying Small-Batch Wool[PAYWALL]
After you’ve met a farmer at a sheep show, found a farm down the road, or discovered an interesting website, how do you decide if the yarn is right for you? Consider these factors.
Breed
The breed of sheep generally determines whether its fiber is fine or coarse. In the wool world, those terms refer to the diameter of individual fibers measured in microns and indicate whether wool is soft or scratchy. Some breeds have very fine fleece (Merino and Rambouillet are well-known examples). Others, such as Lincoln and Cotswold, are considered coarser longwool breeds.
You’ll want fine wool if you’re making next-to-the-skin pieces, but coarse wool will be sturdier for outerwear or household items such as pillows and rugs. Don’t overlook medium wool (such as Corriedale and Columbia) for blankets, wearables, and more. There are even double-coated breeds such as Navajo-Churro and Karakul, which have a coarse outercoat and a finer undercoat. Traditionally, fiber from both coats is spun together for the familiar Icelandic lopi yarns.
There are dozens of sheep breeds that you won’t find on standard breed lists. Some are referred to as “primitive,” “unimproved,” or “classic,” which on the wool side means they haven’t been bred to produce an all-white or heavier fleece. Discovering rare or lesser-known breeds and deciding what to make with their wool is one of the exciting things about buying yarn directly from the source.
Get a closer look! Click on any image below to view it in full-screen mode and learn more about skirting and sorting.
Yarn Packaging
When you buy yarn from a large retailer, you can expect standard yardage in skeins or on cones, with standard labeling information indicating yards per skein or yards per pound (ypp) for cones.
When you buy yarn from individual farmers, they might be using smaller mills that may not be set up to produce standard and consistent package weights. If you have a specific use in mind, be prepared to buy all you need for your project (or even a bit more for sampling).
While not all farmers are knitters or weavers (truth to tell, most are not), you can always ask them for insights about what to expect as you work with their yarn. Some will even be glad for your feedback so they can use that information when they design and label next year’s yarn.
After a year of work, cones and skeins of naturally colored Jacob yarn are nearly ready for buyers; the skeins still need to be twisted and labeled.
Consistency and Availability
The idea of consistency applies both to a batch of yarn from a particular year and to yarn from that producer over multiple years. Mills adjust their equipment for each batch they process, working with each farmer to spin yarn that is most appropriate for that fiber and for the farm’s customers. Even so, characteristics may vary for a single batch of wool spun at two separate mills or spun at one mill but at different times—just as a handspinner can spin yarn that varies from one bobbin to the next.
I use two local mills, and both do a great job with my Jacob wool. However, when I sort my wool by natural Jacob colors (black, white, gray, and lilac), each lot may be slightly different, even when processed one right after another.
If yarn consistency is important to you, buy enough yarn for your project from a single year’s production, or work directly with a farmer who can help you find yarns that work well together. Many small-batch farmers can tell you how well yarn from one year is likely to match yarn from another.
The author (left) is shown with her friend Kathleen, both of whom are wearing sweaters Kathleen knit. Kathleen is holdling up her latest sweater in progress.
Whether farmers have dozens or hundreds of sheep, they will not have limitless quantities of yarn for sale. A good rule of thumb is to buy what you need all at once or be prepared to be flexible when you want more.
Knitting and weaving with yarns purchased directly from the farmer can be a rewarding experience—if you know how to approach using these yarns. It’s my hope that after reading this article you can do so with confidence.
—Robin
Need Help Getting Started?
If you picked up some gorgeous skeins at the farmer’s market or ordered from a shepherd you follow online, it can take some time to decide on the right project. We have some resources for you!
And check out the Farm & Fiber Knits Library for loads of great patterns to pair with farm yarns. Search by project type, yarn weight, yardage, or technique!
Resources
To learn about how wool develops on sheep, visit Woolwise.com.
For more about the advantages of buying yarn from local farmers, read Carol J. Sulcoski’s “Think Globally, Knit Locally”.
For information about heritage breeds and links to farmers in your area, visit livestockconservancy.org and fibershed.org.
Watch Jacob sheep being shorn at Robin’s farm on YouTube.
Robin Lynde raises Jacob sheep, weaves, and teaches fiber classes at her farm shop in California.
