This is my first post and I'm confused as to whether or not it's going where I want it to. It's late tonight and I'm just going to go for it and see where this post ends up.

I'd like to hear about your Jacob wool projects.

I just finished 3 blankets for 2 different customers and as soon as i get some photos and figure out how to post them I'll do that. One is plaid. The large squares are black and they are bordered by thin lines of gray and white. This blanket was a trade for a ram who sired about half of this year's lambs.  He tried to kill me once too many times and he's not here any more.

The other 2 blankets are for another Jacob breeder who sent their wool for blankets. I wove 2 blankets before Christmas and then they wanted 2 more. I like this kind of customer--I am free to design the blanket any way I want. These blankets have different width warp stripes of white, gray, and black. One is woven with gray weft in a broken twill and the other uses white weft in 2/2/1/1/1/1 twill. 

Comments

Wed, 07/29/2009 - 16:06

seaphish (not verified)

Hello,

I am a newish weaver in Northern California.

I have never woven with Jacob's sheep wool, but I would like to try it.

I went to a talk a SolFest last year and also saw some of these sheep at the Mendocino County Fair (here in Boonville, where I live).

Several people in Mendocino Co. raise Jacob's sheep and I am hoping that I might be able to do so some day.  Our property is very steep and covered with trees and chaparal rather than nice, flat pasture and I hope to be able to find a fiber animal that would be happy here. 

I am also drawn to these sheep because they come in so many different colors and (I hope this does not make me sound too silly) I think they are cute.

I would love to see photos of the blankets you have woven. 

Carolyn

Wed, 07/29/2009 - 16:30

fran finocchio (not verified)

 Wow! That's ambitious. I love the 'sproing' of their fleece and their gentle ways. I'm looking forward to seeing your photos also. Fran

Wed, 07/29/2009 - 17:03

Little Meadows (not verified)

Living over here in North Carolina it couldn't be a more different place than what you have in terms of weather & vegetation but your place sounds like good Angora goat territory.  The plus side of having the same breed as people around you is that getting your initial sheep is easy but then  you're all competeing with each other later, plus you'll  have to go out for new genetics if you want to breed up a flock.  I'm a little confused about your comment about many colours ... all the Jacobs I know  are black & white spotted, maybe I've been too sheltered <G>  Perhaps you were really looking at Icelandics?  They really do come in quite a range.  Perhaps I suggest angora because I wish we had a climate better suited to them but the heat & humidity seems to take it's toll.  Good luck with your endeavors.  Liese

Sun, 08/02/2009 - 06:27

RobinLynde (not verified)

The blankets I wrote about are off the loom and when they're fulled I'll take photos. I put off fulling them because my shop has been under construction and that's the only floor space large enough that I can spread the blankets on to dry after i wash them. I have a double size blanket drying there now--not Jacob wool, but a customer's Suffolk/cross wool.

You can see other Jacob blankets I have woven on my website under photo album:

http://www.meridianjacobs.com/exec/ePhotoAlbumDisplay.asp?id=9

Now that the remodeling is mostly done and other things are getting caught up I'm getting to some weaving again.

Sun, 08/02/2009 - 06:32

RobinLynde (not verified)

That's a good question about the color of Jacob sheep. They only come in 2 varieties. The most common is black and white. The other is lilac--that is if the wool is a brown/gray and the facial markings are that same color--pretty much anything except brown. The black and white sheep sometimes look brown but it is the sun-bleaching of the wool. Also, they get gray as they age, but the lilac color is something different--and very pretty.

I wonder if Caroline is thinking about Navajo-churros. There are a lot of people raising those in the Booneville area and they do come in a variety of colors. Caroline, are those the sheep you're thinking of?

Sun, 08/02/2009 - 16:52

seaphish (not verified)

Robin,

Your blankets are beautiful!  I especially liked the one you wove for your daughter.

I think you are right about my sheep/color mix-up.  I am pretty sure that I was thinking of Navaho-Churro sheep.  Sorry to make such a goofy mistake!

Carolyn

Mon, 08/10/2009 - 07:21

RobinLynde (not verified)

I finally fulled a plaid Jacob blanket that I wove for a customer using her yarn (spun at Yolo Wool Mill). I'll see if I can post some photos. I wove it at 4 epi and it was VERY open, but it fulled so nicely. It's very light weight and soft.

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Meridian Jacobs--Northern California