Buying a fleece straight from the sheep is the true starting point for many spinners. In this podcast I talk about thinking through the process before you actually go shopping, and then what to look for when you are finally ready to buy.

I would like to include references to two books that I mention in this podcast:

Turning Wool into a Cottage Industry by Paula Simmons

In Sheep's Clothing by Nola and Jane Fournier

Music is from the podsafe music network and was the instrumental Change of Autumn by Brian Turner.

As promised: a listing of sheep breed based on the softest possible micron count (the number listed after the name of the sheep):

Sheep breeds softest to roughest listing

Reference In Sheep's Clothing by Nola and Jane Fournier

Fine wools Merino 18 Rambouillet 19 CVM 21 Cormo 21 Polworth 21 Romeldale 21 Targhee 22 Polypal 22 Bond 23 Columbia 24 Corriedale 26

Down Breeds Shetland 23 Southdown 23 Clun Forest 25 Montadale 25 Tunis 25 Black Welsh Mountain 26 Ryeland 26 Shropshire 26 Suffolk 26 Cheviot 28

Longwools Blue faced Leicester 24 Texel 26 Gotland 28 Perendale 28 Teeswater 30 Wensleydale 30 Romney 33 Cotswold 34 Coopworth 35 Lincoln 36 Border Leicester 37