Perendale sheep are the result of a cross breeding of Romney sheep and Cheviot sheep, and the breed was developed in the 1950s on the northern island of New Zealand, as an answer to the foundering of the present Romney sheep on the native grasslands found on the northern island. The pairing was a success, and the new breed was established. Their wool is typically 28-32 microns, and averages 3-5" staple. A bouncy wool with a great deal of loft and spring, useful for thick bouncy sweaters, softer feeling rugs, and felting projects.
Perendale Roving - 4 oz braid
This wool was proudly sourced from a small farm in Maryland. This mill processed roving is on the softer side for Perendale and is quite luxurious. The roving is rather thin and does not require a great deal of drafting.
These braids were solar dyed in pickle jars, and no two are alike. The braid consists of 2 oz of white and 2 oz of grey overdyed (for 4 oz total) in the same jar to create a complimentary pairing. There are 2 braids of each color story, though they are anything but identical. One set was dyed (Jar 1), then the second set (Jar 2) was added to jar to absorb the remaining dye leftover in the jar. I have included many photos of each, both in braid form and undone loose in an endeavor to show as much of the color variation as possible - but more photos can be taken upon request. I have also included a photo with each color duo to illustrate the difference between the dye vats.
In the blue batch, Jar 1 has some deep purple tones in the grey fiber, while Jar 2 is more uniformly blue.
And the standard "color" disclaimer...: I do my best to take and post accurate pictures but please keep in mind that colors vary slightly from monitor to monitor and it may look a little different in person. If you are uncertain about the color, please send me a message requesting more photos.
Lady-led and running. We back the gals (lots of our good shepherds are actually shepherdesses), and are proud to take our place in the sisterhood of fiber that stretches back to the ancient world.