Merino Sheep

Growing up in Australia and New Zealand has meant I’ve been exposed to a lot of merino wool! Even with so many other choices out there, I keep coming back to it for the supreme softness, lush hand, springy loft and incomparable next-to-skin comfort. Though not well suited to Southern Maryland’s humid climate, I’ve chosen to raise merinos to share this beautiful fiber with the local community and beyond.

The origin of the merino breed is disputed in terms of which native breeds contributed to the development of this fine wool breed, but there is evidence that by the late 15th century/early 16th century Spain was dominating the global woolen textile market by exporting merino wool rivalling the English fine wool breeds.  Early in the 18th century, Spain allowed the export of a few small flocks to Europe where the breed was further developed and by the 19th century the commercial value of merino wool was well established and flocks had been brought into Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the United States and several other countries from various sources.  In the present day most merinos outside of the Iberian peninsula are a mix of source merino stocks but are a distinct breed with a pelt that is known for multiple folds and a dense, greasy fleece producing fine wool ranging from about 15 to 25 micron making it sought after for sportswear, the fashion industry and hand knitters, weavers and crocheters. Merino is often blended with other fiber types such as silk, cashmere, alpaca and other wool breeds to add strength and luster.

While pure white sheep are the industry standard for commercial wool production, I enjoy both my naturally colored and my white sheep who all produce beautifully soft yarn that results in unique colorways as well as naturally colored felt products. Check out Armani’s gorgeous black-brown felt cat toys and her mom, Chanel’s, lovely chocolate colored dryer balls. Look out for Chloe’s yarn made from her unique silvery brown fleece which has a 99.9 per cent comfort factor. Abe boasts amazing horns but also the whitest and heaviest fleece, and together with Effie who has an enviable 17-micron count fiber, they are the main producers of  white yarn with the lambs born on the farm contributing the rest. Gabby is a gentle ewe with the best mothering instinct but sadly her fleece is not great and so she mostly produces the wool pellets which are fantastic soil additives.