In Iceland, sheep are bred primarily for meat, however it is the long-stapled wool for which the Icelandic sheep are known worldwide. Icelandic sheep are a dual-coated breed which means that the fleece is composed of two distinctly different fibers; "thel” and "tog". The thel is composed of fine, soft fibers approximately 3"- 4" long, with a spinning count of 65-70 (20-22 microns). Once separated from the tog, the thel is soft and springy and makes a yarn suitable for wearing next to the skin. The tog is the outer coat which can grow to 12"-14", with a spinning count of 55-60 (26-30 microns). The tog is wavy or corkscrewed and it behaves in a manner similar to mohair. It lends itself to worsted spinning. There are many ways to process the Icelandic fiber. Many handspinners spin the fibers together which produces a yarn very similar to the commercial "lopi" yarn associated with Iceland. Knitters have discovered that this blend produces mohair-like results due to the presence of the tog fibers. It is also possible to separate the fibers in the Icelandic tradition and use each for a different purpose; the tog for outer garments, blankets or rugs and the thel for soft, close to the skin garments. In terms of yield, the typical twelve month fleece will weigh 6-7 pounds with very little grease. This low grease content allows spinners to spin the raw wool before washing if they desire. At Misty Meadow we shear twice a year which results in fleeces with a 6"-8" staple, producing a more manageable fiber for most handspinners. Icelandic fleece comes in a wide variety of natural colors including many shades of moorit (brown), gray, black, and white. In addition, Icelandic sheep display "patterns" and "spotting" so there is almost endless variation to the fleeces. We have bloodlines that represent the variety of patterns and colors for which this breed is noted. |
