White sheep, black sheep
When we think of sheep, we think of creamy white fluffy animals, but sheep actually come in several more colours. The main reason that sheep tend to be white is that they have been selected this way for centuries for the purpose of dying its wool. There is no need to explain why white wool is ideal for dying, and other shades are not. Thus the proverbial black sheep getting its bad reputation solely from the fact that its wool is less profitable for the shepherd.
Still, even if most sheep are white, there are still plenty of breeds for which the original diversity of colours has been preserved. In Great Britain, for example, a lot of the traditional breeds have a fleece that is unsuitable for making fine garments. Their wool was traditional used for other purposes, such as stuffing pillows and mattresses. Obviously, there was no need to dye wool for this purpose and hence nobody ever bothered to select a particular colour.
When you think of fair-isle, you usually think of intricate colour work, but traditionally fair-isle was done using the natural colours of the Shetland Moorit breed. Even today, Shetland wool is sold in as much as 6 beautiful natural shades. But the traditional knitting from the Shetlands is only one example of traditional colour work done with natural shades. In North America there is the Cowichan tradition, made famous by the Dude. In the Andes, the stranded knitting tradition of the natives often involves bright colours, but it can also use only the natural shades of the Merino sheep. The same is true in other parts of the world and in particular the region where Merino originated, the Iberian Peninsula. Note that it was the Portuguese and the Spanish that brought knitting to America (and the same can be said about Europe).
The natural shades of wool have a depth and shine that is unparalleled when compared to dyed colours. The only reason to dye wool is, of course, to obtain a more diverse palette, considering that the natural one comes in only about six shades that go from creamy white to dark brown. I always bemoan the fact that undyed wool is so difficult to find. This is particularly true for fine one, such as merino.
Rowan used to carry several yarns (chunky, DK and bouclé) named "British Breeds" which have been discontinued. I bought a lot of the chunky version and knitted a few pieces with it, the main one being a blanket (that used more than 20 skeins of all available shades). This yarn came in 6 shades, each corresponding to 6 different breeds. The Shetland Moorit was brown, the Jacob greyish brown, the Bluefaced Leicester white, the Black Welsh dark brown, the Masham cream and the Suffolk grey. Note that these breeds can have different colours too, but these were the ones used by Rowan. My opinion on this yarn is a bit mixed. On the one hand, I LOVE the colours, on the other, you only have to read what I've written above about British breeds to guess that this yarn is not wonderful to knit with. In particular, only the Bluefaced Leicester wool is truly soft and suitable for being used next to the skin. Shetland Moorit is also relatively soft and some people find it OK to be used in hats and gloves, but I'm not sure I agree. This is good wool to be used for sweaters, as one doesn't use them next to the skin usually, and it's sturdy, durable, and good looking. As for the other breeds, I love Black Welsh, but that's only because I love dark shades, I'd probably like it a lot more if it was another less scratchy breed. Don't even consider using this wool for a hat (I've done that and I can't wear the result). Suffolk is not only scratchy but coarse and fuzzy, which means it has terrible stitch definition and it splits a lot. To conclude, I'm still looking for a nice collection of fine yarn with a nice natural (undyed) shade palette and at a reasonable price.
Still, even if most sheep are white, there are still plenty of breeds for which the original diversity of colours has been preserved. In Great Britain, for example, a lot of the traditional breeds have a fleece that is unsuitable for making fine garments. Their wool was traditional used for other purposes, such as stuffing pillows and mattresses. Obviously, there was no need to dye wool for this purpose and hence nobody ever bothered to select a particular colour.
When you think of fair-isle, you usually think of intricate colour work, but traditionally fair-isle was done using the natural colours of the Shetland Moorit breed. Even today, Shetland wool is sold in as much as 6 beautiful natural shades. But the traditional knitting from the Shetlands is only one example of traditional colour work done with natural shades. In North America there is the Cowichan tradition, made famous by the Dude. In the Andes, the stranded knitting tradition of the natives often involves bright colours, but it can also use only the natural shades of the Merino sheep. The same is true in other parts of the world and in particular the region where Merino originated, the Iberian Peninsula. Note that it was the Portuguese and the Spanish that brought knitting to America (and the same can be said about Europe).
The natural shades of wool have a depth and shine that is unparalleled when compared to dyed colours. The only reason to dye wool is, of course, to obtain a more diverse palette, considering that the natural one comes in only about six shades that go from creamy white to dark brown. I always bemoan the fact that undyed wool is so difficult to find. This is particularly true for fine one, such as merino.
Rowan used to carry several yarns (chunky, DK and bouclé) named "British Breeds" which have been discontinued. I bought a lot of the chunky version and knitted a few pieces with it, the main one being a blanket (that used more than 20 skeins of all available shades). This yarn came in 6 shades, each corresponding to 6 different breeds. The Shetland Moorit was brown, the Jacob greyish brown, the Bluefaced Leicester white, the Black Welsh dark brown, the Masham cream and the Suffolk grey. Note that these breeds can have different colours too, but these were the ones used by Rowan. My opinion on this yarn is a bit mixed. On the one hand, I LOVE the colours, on the other, you only have to read what I've written above about British breeds to guess that this yarn is not wonderful to knit with. In particular, only the Bluefaced Leicester wool is truly soft and suitable for being used next to the skin. Shetland Moorit is also relatively soft and some people find it OK to be used in hats and gloves, but I'm not sure I agree. This is good wool to be used for sweaters, as one doesn't use them next to the skin usually, and it's sturdy, durable, and good looking. As for the other breeds, I love Black Welsh, but that's only because I love dark shades, I'd probably like it a lot more if it was another less scratchy breed. Don't even consider using this wool for a hat (I've done that and I can't wear the result). Suffolk is not only scratchy but coarse and fuzzy, which means it has terrible stitch definition and it splits a lot. To conclude, I'm still looking for a nice collection of fine yarn with a nice natural (undyed) shade palette and at a reasonable price.
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