No two fleeces are exactly alike. This versatility and variety in wool is much of what makes spinning so engaging, as each spin is just a bit different from the last. While there's a lot of excitement from the unknown, this can also introduce stress, particularly for new spinners learning about different types of wool! Below is an overview of fiber characteristics and an explanation of how each may impact your spinning experience. 

Blends and Crosses

We use the term blend to describe prepped fiber that contains two or more different fibers. This could be the result of blending two different wools, a wool and a camelid, wool and plant fibers, and so on. Blends begin as two unique fibers and come together towards the end of processing, as they're carded or combed together. 

Blends differ from crosses, which are the result of breed diversity within a single sheep. Cross-bred sheep are the result of breeding a ewe from one breed with a ram from another. The resulting sheep itself has a fleece with characteristics from these two breeds. Crosses are not an exact 50/50 split of characteristics from their parent breeds, and each fleece is truly unique to the sheep.

Our listings will use this language consistently to clarify fiber composition. 

A Merino + Romney blend is the result of Merino wool from one sheep being carded or combed together with Romney wool from another sheep. 

A Merino X Romney cross uses fiber from a single sheep with both Merino and Romney lineage.

Breed Classifications

Breed classifications help us understand how different types of wool may perform. Classifications are based on shared characteristics of wool, and can be broken down into five primary groups: Fine Wools, Medium Wools, Long Wools, Down Wools, and Primatives. There are many excellent online resources to learn about each of these classifications, including The Nuances of Different Wools: Sheep Breed Classifications on the Sweet Georgia site.

For more a more in-depth look at specific breeds, we love The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook by Carol Ekarius and Deborah Robson. This book is a wealth of knowledge and offers a breed study of more than 200 sheep breeds, along with general knowledge of breed classification. There's also a pocket-sized version of this guide available for quick reference.

Marginal Fleece

Much of a fleece's character will come from its genetics, but environment can't be discounted. Heavy rainfall or drought, dietary changes, illness and pregnancy can all affect a sheep's fleece, among other considerations. A marginal fleece is any fleece which has a condition that makes it less desirable for processing. This includes excessive VM, scurf, matted or weak tips, burrs, breaks, or staining. For more information on what makes a fleece marginal, we recommend reading The Great Fleece Makeover, published in Spin Off magazine. 

Marginal fleeces may take additional processing, but they can result in some beautiful fiber! Weak tips, for example, may break off when the wool is being lock popped or carded. If we remove these tips, the resulting staple may still be a comfortable length to spin, and the remaining fiber strong enough to withstand additional carding. Removing these tips will take additional time and effort, but the resulting fleece will be just as enjoyable a spin. 

Other marginal fleeces may not be enjoyable to hand process. Everyone has their own limit, but we draw the line at scurf, excessive VM, or other imperfections which would be impossible to fully remove in processing.

It's important to keep in mind that while marginal fleeces may come with a lower material cost, that cost can quickly be made up through fiber lost in skirting and processing, and through time spent processing. Not all fleeces are suited for hand-spinning, but there are many beautiful, slightly imperfect fleeces that are worth the effort!