Natural Roving & Top – Page 2

Flax Top – Natural Light Brown

100% Flax Lighter than our Natural Brown, this is possibly half-bleached. We get this from Italy but it probably originates somewhere in Eastern Europe. Staple length about 5 to 6 inches, and a nice fine-quality fibre. This is the same flax we offer as dyed colourways, before it's been bleached and then dyed. PRODUCT of ITALY

$6.50 – $50.17 Select options

Gotland – Grey (Top)

Classification: LONGWOOL Combed top, very clean. This breed originated on the Island of Gotland, in the Baltic Sea and is widely raised in Sweden. It features lustrous and silky fibre, our supply being a blend of medium brown and creamy grey. Most often used for outerwear. Micron count for Gotland is in the 48 to 52 range (though ours seems softer), with a staple length from 3 to 5 inches, relatively short for a Longwool. Felting properties are excellent.

$5.00 – $38.59 Select options

Hemp – Bleached (Top)

100% Hemp. This is beautiful stuff, the finest hemp we have ever seen and a local lady with a lot of experience spinning hemp tried it and agrees! If you want to dye your hemp fibre, this bleached version will give you nice, clear and bright colours. Very clean combed top, bleached to an off-white. Staple length is 6 to 7 inches. Hemp is a bast (stem) fibre from a very tall plant, essentially a strain of marijuana developed for fibre instead of other uses. Spun in a manner much like flax, the two also share the attribute of being harsh at first and just getting better and better over time with wear and laundering. It can be spun all by itself or blended with wool and other fibres. This has a light characteristic hemp scent but it's not overwhelming and should not be offensive to the nose during spinning. Since this is a plant or cellulose fibre dyers must use fibre reactive dyes. Natural dyers must resort to techniques used on cotton, such as alum-tannin premordanting, or Aluminum acetate. Hemp also works well in an indigo vat. PRODUCT of CHINA

$8.25 – $63.67 Select options

Hemp – Natural Brown (Top)

100% Hemp. This is beautiful stuff, the finest hemp we have ever seen and a local lady with a lot of experience spinning hemp tried it and agrees! Very clean combed top, in a natural tan colour. Staple length is 6 to 7 inches. Hemp is a bast (stem) fibre from a very tall plant, essentially a strain of marijuana developed for fibre instead of other uses. Spun in a manner much like flax, the two also share the attribute of being harsh at first and just getting better and better over time with wear and laundering. It can be spun all by itself or blended with wool and other fibres. This has a light characteristic hemp scent but it's not overwhelming and should not be offensive to the nose during spinning. Since this is a plant or cellulose fibre dyers must use fibre reactive dyes. Natural dyers must resort to techniques used on cotton, such as alum-tannin premordanting, or Aluminum acetate. Hemp also works well in an indigo vat. PRODUCT of CHINA

$8.25 – $63.67 Select options

Icelandic – Black (Top)

Classification: DUAL-COATED Clean combed top with minimal to no veg. Icelandic sheep have a double coat, and nearly always both types of hair have been carded together. This top is very dark brown-black, sprinkled with lighter tones. Best suited for outerwear or non-garment items. Micron count is difficult to assign because of the double coat. Wet felting properties are excellent, also great for needle felting. PRODUCT of UNITED KINGDOM

$4.00 – $30.87 Select options

Icelandic – Grey (Top)

Classification: DUAL-COATED Clean combed top with minimal to no veg. Icelandic sheep have a double coat, and nearly always both types of hair have been carded together. This top is dark charcoal grey, liberally sprinkled with lighter grey. Makes a heathered yarn and gives intersting results when dyed. Best suited for outerwear and non-garment items. Micron count is difficult to assign because of the double coat. Felting properties are excellent. PRODUCT of UNITED KINGDOM

$4.00 – $30.87 Select options

Ile-de-France (Rustic Roving)

Classification: FINEWOOL Thick and chunky rustic roving. Our current batch has a moderate amount of vegetation. Ivory-cream in colour, with lots of bounce and loft. Ile-de-France was intentionally bred as a meat sheep in France in the early to mid 1800s and is a relatively new introduction to North American shepherds. With Merino in the bloodlines, this fibre should be interesting to experiment with. This source is not as fine as most Merino but could be ideal for warm and cozy socks, midrange or outerwear. Staple length of this roving is around 2.5 to 3 inches. Likely in the 25 to 30 micron range. Excellent felting properties. An excellent core wool for needle-felting.

$5.00 – $38.59 Select options

Jacob – Black (Top)

Classification: PRIMITIVE Combed top with little to no veg. Jacob are one of the few multicolour (and multihorned) sheep, of ancient origin. This top is a deep and rich black-brown peppered lightly with grey. Certainly soft enough to use for sweaters and a scarf or three. Micron count is typically in the 27 to 35 range, with a staple length of 5 to 6 inches. Felting properties are good. PRODUCT of UNITED KINGDOM

$4.50 – $34.73 Select options

Jacob – Grey (Top)

Classification: PRIMITIVE Combed top with little to no veg. Jacob are one of the few multicolour (and multihorned) sheep, of ancient origin. This top is a gorgeous heathered blend of ash, grey and black. Certainly soft enough to use for sweaters, mittens and scarves. Micron count is typically in the 27 to 35 range, with a staple length of 4 to 6 inches. Felting properties are good. NOTE: Our supply usually includes a moderate amount of GUARD HAIRS sprinkled throughout the fibre. These are a fair bit coarser than the base fibres. Combing them out might be an option, if they are a problem for your intended project. PRODUCT of UNITED KINGDOM

$4.50 – $34.73 Select options

Karakul – Grey (Top)

Classification: DUAL-COATED Combed top with little to no veg. It's said that Karakul is one of the oldest-known breeds of sheep, and pelts from the lambs are what made those Persian lamb coats our grandmothers all wore. This lovely top is ash grey liberally sprinkled with darker grey and black hairs. We suspect this is among the softest Karakul fibre around, making it useful for outerwear and scarves as well as the typical carpets and household items. Micron count is typically in the 30s or higher, with a staple length of 6 to 12 inches. Felting properties are good. PRODUCT of UNITED KINGDOM

$4.00 – $30.87 Select options

Lincoln (Top)

Classification: LONGWOOL Combed top, very clean. This breed features smooth and long, lustrous fibre, our supply being an ivory-cream shade. Though often used to add strength in blends, Lincoln makes exceptionally beautiful lace-weight yarns that highlight the intricate stitchwork. Thicker spins are generally used for rugged outerwear. Micron count for Lincoln is in the 34 to 41 range, with a staple length from 8 to 12 inches or more. Felting properties are very good.

$5.75 – $44.38 Select options

Manx Loaghtan

Classification: PRIMITIVE BREED Lovely clean top with very little to no veg. This breed is native to the Isle of Man but is also raised in the UK. It was brought back from the brink of extinction and is considered a rare breed. The name is said to translate basically to "mouse brown" and that's exactly the colour of this top, sprinkled throughout with soft grey. Said to be excellent for sweaters and socks, and this feels plenty soft for either. Micron count for this top is 28 with a staple length of about 3 inches. According to a couple of our customers, this has average wet-felting properties. One reports that it did not work well for Nuno felting. PRODUCT of UNITED KINGDOM

$5.50 – $42.45 Select options

Masham – White (Top)

Classification: LONGWOOL Combed top with just a small amount of veg. Masham varies widely in quality, but our supply is exceptionally soft, in a lustrous ivory-cream colour. Though usually recommended for outerwear, this should be soft enough for midrange garments as well. Micron count for Masham is in the 29 to 34 range, with a staple length from 6 to 14 inches. Felting properties are average.

$5.00 – $38.59 Select options

Merino – Light 19mic (Sliver)

Classification: FINEWOOL Carded sliver/roving with very little veg. A lovely ash-grey, lightly streaked with charcoal. This will create a nice heathered yarn and will be extra-fun to dye. At 19 microns, it's nice and soft for against-the-skin wear. Merino is ever-popular with spinners and certainly being used like crazy by felters. This supply has a staple length around 4 inches, which is fairly long for Merino. Felting properties are excellent. PRODUCT of NEW ZEALAND

$7.50 – $57.89 Select options

Merino – Medium 19mic (Sliver)

Classification: FINEWOOL Carded sliver/roving with a small amount of veg. Medium-brown in tone with a generous sprinkling of ash-grey, creating a lovely heathered yarn. At 19 microns, this is nice and soft for against-the-skin wear. Merino is ever-popular with spinners and certainly being used like crazy by felters. Merino has a staple length from 2.5 to 4 inches. Felting properties are excellent. PRODUCT of NEW ZEALAND

$7.50 – $57.89 Select options

Merino – Superfine White 16-mic (Top)

Classification: FINE WOOL This is very special Superfine 16-micron Merino in a natural creamy-white colour. Very clean combed top. Excellent for spinning or felting by itself, but also perfect for blending with soft luxury fibres such as Angora, Cashmere, Yak or Qiviut. Felting properties are excellent. Staple length is in the 2.5 to 3 inch range. PRODUCT of ITALY

$9.25 – $37.80 Select options

Merino – Superwash White 22mic (Top)

SUPERWASH Merino. Classification: FINE WOOL The most common fibre offered as Superwash, this is lovely combed Merino top in an ivory-white colour. Micron count is 22, which is plenty soft for against the skin wear and a multitude of other uses. Perfect for knitting items that require easy laundering. Wool is conditioned through an enzyme process that strips off the outer scales, which prevents felting. This also makes for a different effect during the dyeing process, because Superwash fibre sucks up the dye quickly. Merino rates high for softness. Staple length is generally 2.5 to 4 inches. The Superwash treatment makes for a slippery feel during spinning when compared to untreated Merino, so it's not necessarily a good choice for beginners. NOTE: Superwash fibre is NOT GOOD FOR FELTING. PRODUCT of NEW ZEALAND

$5.50 – $42.45 Select options

Merino – White 19.5 mic (Top)

Classification: FINE WOOL Creamy-white natural combed top, this is always extremely clean and free of vegetation. Very popular with our spinning and felting customers. Merino rates high for softness, and this 19.5 micron fibre is excellent for against-the-skin wear and a multitude of other uses. Felting properties are excellent. Staple length is in the 2.5 to 4 inch range. NEW ZEALAND WOOL, processed in CHINA

$5.50 – $42.45 Select options