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| source: The Livestock Conservancy |
Karakul - I had heard of Karakul Sheep prior to SE2SE, but this is my first time touching the fiber.
It is reminiscent of the Navajo-Churro, but more coarse. My first thought is that this would be a great rug wool and I love the red color.
First blush.... this is very hairy, and should draft easily.... I like that it's in the pencil roving format.... so this should go quickly.
This Karakul sample has a generous 4-inch staple with very little crimp.
There is very little down in this sample, so the character of this spin is quite different from anything I've spun before.... even different from the Navajo-Churro, which I was not expecting.
This is a lovely pencil roving. Pencil roving is generally my preferred preparation to spin from... since this fleece drafts so easily and is quite a long fiber, I broke the roving several times, which caused me to spin more slowly for a while... and a few sections were a tad felted.
The texture of this wool has me thinking about straps, rugs, and felted outer garments. I think it would pair nicely with the Navajo-Churro, but not in a blend since the staple-lengths are so different.
From the Livestock Conservancy: The Karakul originated in Central Asia. Like the Jacob Sheep, there is a distinct difference between American Karakul and their Central Asian relatives. The Karakul first came to the US between 1909 and 1936 as a multi-purpose breed.
According to the Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook, Central Asia is one of the "cradles" for livestock domestication, and therefore considered one of the oldest breeds of sheep.
They are listed as Threatened by The Livestock Conservancy, meaning that fewer than 1000 sheep are registered in the US each year and that the estimated global population is less than 5000.
I met a Karakul breeder at the Estes Park Wool Market earlier this year.... I believe this sample came from her sheep, even though I sourced it from Aspen Kid. I did purchase a second sample from her, along with another SE2SE breed, that you'll see later.... so I will definitely be spinning this breed again.
It feels good knowing that I am able to support a local conservation breeder of rare breed livestock. :-)
Final Yarn:
Single Duration:August 4 - 25 - 2019
Ply Duration: August 25 - 30, 2019
ounces: 4
yards: 168, 2-ply
wpi: 16
Ready to Submit: September 2, 2019
SE2SE Status:
Total Breeds: 22
Breeds Sourced: 11
Breeds Spun: 5
Breeds To Go: 17
Months Remaining: 28 (12/31/21)
According to the Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook, Central Asia is one of the "cradles" for livestock domestication, and therefore considered one of the oldest breeds of sheep.
They are listed as Threatened by The Livestock Conservancy, meaning that fewer than 1000 sheep are registered in the US each year and that the estimated global population is less than 5000.
I met a Karakul breeder at the Estes Park Wool Market earlier this year.... I believe this sample came from her sheep, even though I sourced it from Aspen Kid. I did purchase a second sample from her, along with another SE2SE breed, that you'll see later.... so I will definitely be spinning this breed again.
It feels good knowing that I am able to support a local conservation breeder of rare breed livestock. :-)
Final Yarn:
Single Duration:August 4 - 25 - 2019
Ply Duration: August 25 - 30, 2019
ounces: 4
yards: 168, 2-ply
wpi: 16
Ready to Submit: September 2, 2019
SE2SE Status:
Total Breeds: 22
Breeds Sourced: 11
Breeds Spun: 5
Breeds To Go: 17
Months Remaining: 28 (12/31/21)
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