Photo Credit to Lesley Partridge
History
Jacob sheep are believed to have originated in the Middle East during Biblical times and take their name from Jacob the shepherd in the Old Testament. Since then, it is said the breed travelled from the Middle East through Africa and finally to Europe before being imported into Britain during the 17th and 18th centuries. Their unique colouring and horns made them popular with the English gentry who kept them as ornamental sheep to graze their parklands. Jacob sheep were classed as a rare breed after WW1 when the number of flocks declined, but the work of the breed society and selective breeding to increase meat production of the Jacob has led to a significant increase in their popularity and number.
Fleece Research
The wool from Jacob sheep presents a diverse set of uses to crafters. The colours in one fleece range from browns to whites and blacks with varying staple lengths in the same fleece. The variation in fibres means that one fleece can undergo different preparation methods and while shorter fibres can be carded, longer fibres may take well to combing. There are also multiple colour options when it comes to spinning, from blending shades to spinning each colour as it comes. My trusty wool books provided very little information on the tendency of Jacob fleece to felt, but last year I attended a local wool fair, where I met a crafter using Jacob fleece to make woven rugs who informed me that it was quite resilient.
Commercially, Jacob fleeces are used to make anything from carpets to clothing so I am excited about the creative possibilities this fleece could present me with. So far the fleeces I have worked with have been short stapled, so the opportunity to improve my worstead spinning is exciting. The fibre preparation is slightly more daunting, as I don’t own wool combs so the longer staples could be harder to card, however any kemp should be easy to identify and separate with ease from the fleece.
Further Reading
The following sources have been used for reference
- Breed Society Website – site.jacobsheepsociety.com
- British Sheep & Wool by the British Wool Marketing Board – ISBN 9780904969108
- The Field Guide to Fleece by Deborah Robson & Carol Ekarius – ISBN 9781612121789
Loose Ends 