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This beautiful, elegantly horned and spotted animal has wool that ranges from white to cream and beige through ginger, brown and black. Jacob sheep are small in stature (80 to 150 lbs), eat about one-third less then their modern cousins, and are intelligent and easily trained. The ewes are excellent mothers, usually twin after the first breeding and, because of their ancient heritage are very hardy. The lambs have a
birth weight of 6 to 7 lbs and look like stuffed toys that any child
would cherish. The wool from Jacobs is demi-lustre with a nice crimp suitable for
weaving or knitting. The Jacob also allows for creative yarns from one
fleece because it is the only pure bred sheep that carries two grades of
wool. The white is finer and the black, brown or ginger spots are
somewhat coarser. The Bradford Count range is approximately 44-56.
(The Bradford Count is a system for measuring the relative fineness and
coarseness of worsted yarn, developed in Bradford, England).
Although the origins of these sheep is in question, their existence in the British Isles is well documented with the earliest reference to them dated January 13, 1756. The breed can be traced back unchanged to at least 1760. Where did Jacobs come from? One story is that they are descendants of the sheep that Jacob received from his father-in-law, Laben, as payment for being his shepherd. (new English Bible, Genesis 30-40). Another is that they came from the Middle East traveling westward across North Africa and came to Spain with the Moors. This theory grows from the fact that the modern Jacob bears close resemblance to the sheep one sees in the Middle East today. Another possibility is that Jacobs are descended from an extinct Hebridian Breed. They have some resemblance to the head and horns of the St. Kilda sheep of which there are few today.
In modern times the Jacob surfaced in the British Isles. The Jacob Sheep Society Ltd. was founded in the late 1960's and this breed that was in danger of becoming extinct has grown in numbers in Britain today. Jacobs were exported to Canada and then eventually found their way to the United States. Top of Page
As with any specialty wool, Jacob has limited use for the commercial market but has captured the fancy of individuals from the cottage industry of handspinners. There is nothing written, as far as I know, about working with Jacob wool. As a result of my experience, I would like to share my methods with fellow spinners.
After the shearer has made his annual visit, the Jacob fleece is laid out like a pelt and the sorting process begins. The belly wool that is matted, and any head wool with chap or vegetable matter, is discarded. The black spots are removed, then the white areas are pulled, and the britch wool is separated. The britch wool is coarse hair fiber from the lower part of the back legs that is common to most sheep of primitive origin. What remains of the fleece are the areas
that are less well-defined between the black spots and the white wool
areas, a variegated fiber mixture of the black and white. After sorting,
four distinct piles of wool remain. All this from a fleece that weighed
from four to six pounds! One further note; the "hogget fleece" (the first shearing of a lamb) is very soft and great care must be taken when separating the colors. On a mature fleece (second shearing on) one can almost pull the black spots out cleanly and separately from the white
wool. All piles of the sorted wool are given a good shaking to remove
any second cuts from the shearing process. The wool is then put into
lingerie bags. Then the wool is washed and dried in preparation for the
spinning process. There are several ways to create interesting yarn with the black, white
and variegated wool from this special sheep.
Like many spinners, I was discouraged in the beginning from using the
coarse, wiry wool such as that which comes off the back legs of the
Jacob (britch wool). The first year it was discarded, but the second
year I took another look and decided it had great possibilities. It
provides still another texture and could be used for accents in outer
garments or added interest for woven home furnishings. To take
advantage of it's qualities: The yarn spun from the Jacob wool (excluding the coarse, hairy wool from
the back legs) is wonderful for knitting because of it's springy quality
when spun long draw. But for me, my greatest joy has been to use it to
weave unusual garments by taking advantage of the natural colors and
textures.
I also use my Jacob wool as a stabilizing fiber to add when spinning my llama fiber. If one spins pure llama, you will note that the finished skein is 'cold to the touch'. This is your clue that your yarn will not retain it's shape when knitted or woven. The finished garment will also become very heavy. The perfect ratio is 1 ¼ oz. Jacob to 3 ½ oz. of llama. I find that this blend does not compromise the beauty and feel of the luxury fiber, but gives the support needed to make a credible and useful yarn to make garments that will stand the test of time. Top of Page First shearing of a llama at about 12 to 15 months is $4.00 per ounce. 2nd shearing on is $3.00 per ounce. Please indicate number of ounces you wish to purchase and stipulate your color preference. I will email you back to let you know if I have your preferences on hand, or when I'll have it available. Top of Page
I always blend dog hair with some sheep wool. My experience has been that spinning dog hair alone requires "over spinning" to make it hang together. And even that is not satisfactory. The small amount of sheep wool that is added acts as a binder to hold the dog hair in place. This carded blend drafts easily in the spinning process and makes a nice, strong, soft yarn without over spinning. I never wash dog hair before spinning. I will not process dog hair that has been locked up in a plastic bag since the dog odor becomes very pungent to say the least. Store it in a paper sack and leave it open to the air so it can breathe. I cannot process clipped dog hair (such as poodle) that is less than 3 inches long. Shedded brushings are different, and in most cases can be spun. If you are interested in having me spin your dog hair you will need to contact me by email. Then I'll have you send me a small sample of the hair you would like spun. Only then can I can quote you a price. Top of Page If you think my price is too high just take a trip to any yarn
shop. You will be surprised to see what you are paying per yard for
quality, *commercially* processed fiber made into yarn.
If you have fiber you wish me to spin for you, please email me with all the particulars about the fiber to be used, and what you wish in a finished yarn. I'll quote you a price by return email. Email or call me for your fiber/wool needs. If you are in this area and would like to come for a visit, the llamas and I always enjoy company. Just call for directions.
We're located about 20 minutes east of Sacramento, CA off highway 80. Marian's Llamas
Marian Thormahlen
www.mindspring.com/~marianllama/wool.html
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