Lustrous, strong, and soft. Teeswater is a really interesting wool that separates itself from any other breed. This wool has a long staple making it easy to spin and the natural luster really makes the dye pop. This is a very large breed of sheep that can produce up to 15lbs of fiber for just a yearling.
These sheep can grow up to 300lbs! They have gorgeous long locks with a staple length of 6-12 inches and a micron count of 40-60. To me, this breed feels like a soft wool blended with mohair. I was really surprised at how strong the fiber was. I spun it up, plied it and tried to break the yarn with my hands, which I can normally do with ease, but this fiber is so incredibly strong that it took all the strength I had to break it and left red stress marks on my hands. Ouch! This fiber has some Superman strength to it so I will use that strength to my advantage when picking a project to make.
Dyeing Teeswater Sheep Breed RovingÂ
The dyeing process for this roving was really fun. I used four different colors: orange, yellow, brown, and aqua specifically because I wanted a barber pole effect. I used the Mountain Aqua color from Country Classics Dyes and the other colors from MX Procion Dye. I again used the microwave method for dyeing this roving. Teeswater wool has a natural sheen to it, so the colors came out vibrant and gorgeously lustrous.
Spinning Teeswater Sheep Breed Roving
Spinning the Teeswater was a super fun experience. It felt like I was spinning a mix of silk and Shetland wool. It has the strength and soft feel of silk with amazing durability. The long staple length made it easy to draft out and keep an even consistency of yarn. The end result was unlike anything I could describe. You will have to just try it out for yourself to feel the amazing texture of the yarn this roving makes.
Overall this roving would be perfect for everyone from an advanced beginner to an expert spinner. I highly recommend you give this a try, especially if you love wool and are in the mood to experience something totally different. Put this one on your crafting to-do list because you will not be disappointed!
