[Jacob-list] Jacketing Jacobs?

[ARTHUR PARTRIDGE]

--Previous Message-- 

>Do any breeders jacket their Jacob sheep? It seems like the websites I

look at don't tend to jacket their sheep. Is there a reason why not?

> 

>Thanks!

> 

>Margie 

>in Illinois

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I know some spinners who like uncoated sheep, the natural browning of the
tips on black wool.  It adds some color and makes the wool unique and is
what one would expect from getting fiber "naturally" from an animal.  That
is what they tell me.  They like it.  Then there are others who don't like
it.  They say the tips are dried out and brittle.  One lady clips off the
tips, but I don't think that is a good thing to do because it makes a cut
edge instead of a tapered edge.  A cut edge makes the yarn feel rough. 
Ruins the yarn, in my humble opinion.  It would be better to coat the sheep.

I bought a coated, black, yearling ewe fleece from Bide-A-Wee Farm in
Oregon.  It was wonderful!!  Very black and very clean.  I combined it with
some alpaca fiber (I own the animal) and made a very nice shawl.  My own
sheep are not coated and I blend in the brown-colored tips during
processing.  My friend who is an expert spinner, knitter, and weaver
believes "natural" is the way to go.  She doesn't object to coated animals,
she just likes her fleeces from uncoated sheep.  She says yarn from coated
sheep is like the "perfect" yarn you can buy commercially in a store
whereas fleeces from uncoated sheep are special and unique, as nature
intended.  Personally, I like both coated and non-coated, but I probably
prefer uncoated.  I don't have enough experience to really tell for sure. 

Cathy
Moscow, Idaho