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2022 Fleeces Coming in the Spring
We will post photos of our latest fleeces here, after shearing in the spring. In the meantime, please scroll down and read about what makes Jacob wool so special and unique!
About Jacob Wool and Fleeces
Characteristics of Jacob Wool
The Jacob fleece is wonderful wool, much prized by hand-spinners, weavers, knitters, crocheters, and felters. The wool is soft and light, without too much grease (lanolin). Fleeces are relatively small, ranging from 2 to 4 pounds. The characteristic fleece is quite open, with separate staples about 3 to 5 inches long. The wool is graded medium, with a Bradford count of about 46 to 54.
Natural coloring enables lots of creativity
The white and black wool, which fades at the tips to brown in the sunlight, may be blended to produce a range of shades from light to dark grey. In one of the variations of the breed, instead of black wool, some Jacobs have blue-grey to grey-brown wool, known as “lilac.” Working the colors separately can produce intricate patterns, all of natural colors. The mix of shades from black to brown allows hand-spinners to make yarns in a full range of soft greys without dyeing the wool.
Variations are expected in a primitive breed
Fleeces tend to vary in crimp and fineness -- not only from animal to animal but also along the length and width of an individual fleece. Many Jacobs show some crimp in the wool at the shoulders, but not on the hind quarters. The wool on the lower rear legs is typically quite kempy (coarse and hairy). These characteristics reflect the primitive origins of the Jacob.
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