Fiber Arts Friday: Shave 'Em to Save 'Em, Navajo-Churro

Source: Navajo-Churro Sheep Association

Navajo-Churro - Since I learned to spin while we lived in New Mexico, and my very first visit to any wool market was the famed Taos Wool Market, I have purchased and spun locally-produced Navajo-Churro before.

I decided to break this lot into two approximately-equal-weighing balls so I could ply from two cakes rather than the inside and outside of the same cake.

With a roughly 5-inch staple, the Navajo-Churro feels extremely long after the Clun Forest... and while the undercoat is very soft, the guard hair and kemp gives it a coarse handle.

There is very little crimp in the undercoat and the guard hair is prized in Navajo-Churro because it makes for durable rugs.  This makes it an interesting spin... different from other wool breeds I have experience with.

The singles remind me a little of twine.

Not only did the plying go quickly, but so did the spinning.  After little more than one day, I had the first single complete and was nearly half-way thru the second single.

The VM fell out easily while spinning.  I remember this being true the last time I spun Navajo-Churro.

There is a lovely sheen to the finished yarn that I didn't notice while I was spinning the singles.

From the Livestock Concervancy:  The Navajo-Churro is native to North America and are related to the Churro sheep brought to the "New World" by the Spanish in the 1500's.  They are primarily used for carpet wool and meat, as evidenced by their primary use in Rio Grande style weaving.

In the 1860's this breed was nearly destroyed as a result of the US Government's effort to subjugate the Native people. (Indian Removal Act, Navajo Indian Schools, Sand Creek Massacre)

Fortunately, conservation began in the 1970's but the Navajo-Churro is currently listed as Threatened, meaning that fewer than 1000 sheep are registered in the US each year and that the estimated global population is less than 5000.

This Navajo-Churro roving was sourced locally at the Left Hand Wool Company.

As I mentioned before, it feels good knowing that I am able to support a local conservation breeder of rare breed livestock.  :-)

Final Yarn: Navajo-Churro
Single Duration: June 15 - 22, 2019
Ply Duration: June 22 - 23, 2019
Date Ready to Submit: June 28, 2019
ounces: 4 3/8
yards: 175.5, 2-ply
wpi:  12
Source: Mill-Prepared Roving

SE2SE Status:
Total Breeds: 22
Breeds Sourced: 11
Breeds Spun: 2
Breeds To Go: 20

Months Remaining: 29 1/2

After Submitting my Clun Forest per the initial instructions, I received a reply-back stating that 'due to the popularity of the initiative, they'd prefer receive submissions at each group of 5 rather than individually.'  This makes me incredibly happy.  If you are interested in participating, there is still plenty of time to join.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!