Coopworth

Coopworth is next in the sampler.  Coopworth is a newish breed, developed in the 1950s and 60s in New Zealand.  It is a cross between Border Leicester and Romney.  Like the Lincoln I spun recently, Coopworth is a longwool, which means it has crimpy, long staples with a lot of “luster” (this is kind of like shine).  Its micron count can vary quite a bit, meaning that the resulting yarn might be okay right next to the skin, but probably not.  Some Coopworth is quite coarse and will be best used in household textiles rather than garments. (Sources: The Knitter’s Book of Wool and The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook)

My Coopworth is a heck of a lot softer than the Lincoln I just spun, but I probably still wouldn’t put it next to my skin.  I have 28 grams here, which made 81 yards of 2-ply.  I spun and plied on the 12.5:1 whorl.I just have one more breed in my sampler: Romney.  It is another longwool, so I’ll probably just repeat what I’ve done with Coopworth and Lincoln.  Then I’ll decide which direction to go next.  Lately I’ve been coveting the yarn on the cover of the current issue of Spin-off magazine – see the subtle variegations in those skeins at the bottom?

I’d love to be able to make yarn like that.  We shall see!

I also have some sock progress to share with you when I can get photos (it’s raining today).  I finished my plain vanilla socks and am nearly done with the first plaid sock – all that is left is the bindoff at the cuff.