Icelandic sheep at MD Sheep & Wool Festival. Today's Icelandic sheep are the direct descendants of sheep brought to the island by Viking settlers. It is considered an unimproved breed as there have been no outcrosses allowed to the Icelandic sheep population in its native country. (Ekarius and Robson, 168; Dýrmundsson and Niznikowski, 1276) This fact alone makes this breed very appealing to me for recreation purposes. Further, the wool is also readily available to me (in the U.S.) as there are quite a few breeders here with sizable flocks.
Most Icelandic sheep today have horns in both sexes, though on occasion there will be a ewe with no horns or a sheep with four horns. They are classified as a medium sized sheep with ewes weighing 150-160lbs and rams weighing 200-220lbs. (OSU)
These animals are double-coated with a variety of possible colors: black, brown, gray, brown-grey, white and patterned colors as well, such as badger-face or mouflon. Many Icelandic flocks today are primarily white, possibly due to selective breeding but I will note that the dominant genetic pattern in Icelandics results in all color being inhibited and, therefore the product is an all white sheep. (Sveinbjarnardottir-dignum, 10) Based on that fact, I have to wonder if possibly more white sheep would not just result naturally over time.
Most Icelandic sheep today have horns in both sexes, though on occasion there will be a ewe with no horns or a sheep with four horns. They are classified as a medium sized sheep with ewes weighing 150-160lbs and rams weighing 200-220lbs. (OSU)
These animals are double-coated with a variety of possible colors: black, brown, gray, brown-grey, white and patterned colors as well, such as badger-face or mouflon. Many Icelandic flocks today are primarily white, possibly due to selective breeding but I will note that the dominant genetic pattern in Icelandics results in all color being inhibited and, therefore the product is an all white sheep. (Sveinbjarnardottir-dignum, 10) Based on that fact, I have to wonder if possibly more white sheep would not just result naturally over time.
A flock of sheep in Iceland, driven from the highlands down to a sorting pen. In the background is Þjórsárdalur valley and Gaukshöfði. Author: Jóna Þórunn Ragnarsdóttir. Taken in the fall of 2004.
Unlike some other sheep from the Northern European Short-tail group, the Icelandic has a distinct difference in the length and fineness of its two coats. The long hairy outer coat is called the tog and the fine wooly undercoat called the thel. It is possible to spin the two together after combing (or directly from the lock) or they can be separated and spun into two vastly different yarns. The tog is coarse, strong and water resistant and is good for making sails or outer garments that need to shed water. The soft, downy thel is much shorter and it spins into a soft, warm yarn that is comfortable to wear next to the skin.
Like many primitive sheep, the Icelandic will shed its wool making it possible to roo (pluck) the wool in the summer rather than shear it. The tog and thel shed also shed at different times, allowing one to obtain wool that is largely free from hair.
Icelandic wool is also not as greasy compared to many other breeds. I have several whole fleeces and none of them were so unctuous that I could not easily spin in-the-grease if I so chose. The Soay and Shetland that I have handled, however, were so heavy with lanolin that I would not much care for the experience of spinning those unwashed.
Sources Cited:
Resources for Icelandic Wool in the U.S.:
Like many primitive sheep, the Icelandic will shed its wool making it possible to roo (pluck) the wool in the summer rather than shear it. The tog and thel shed also shed at different times, allowing one to obtain wool that is largely free from hair.
Icelandic wool is also not as greasy compared to many other breeds. I have several whole fleeces and none of them were so unctuous that I could not easily spin in-the-grease if I so chose. The Soay and Shetland that I have handled, however, were so heavy with lanolin that I would not much care for the experience of spinning those unwashed.
Sources Cited:
- Dýrmundsson, Ólafur and Niznikowski, Roman. “North European short-tailed breeds of sheep : a review,” 59th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production. 2008
- Ekarius, Carol and Robson, Deborah. The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn (Storey Publishing, LLC), 2011.
- Oklahoma State University. “Breeds of Livestock Project”. www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/
- Ryder, M. L. Sheep & Man (Gerald Duckworth & Co.), 1983.
Resources for Icelandic Wool in the U.S.:
- Icelandic sheep breeders of North America: http://www.isbona.com/breeders.html
- Tamarak Farm - I have bought both wool and pelts from these folks: http://www.tamarackfarmsheep.com/
- Morning Star Meadows - I have purchased a lovely whole fleece from this farm: http://morningstarmeadows.wordpress.com/contact-us/
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Above left: Whole lock of Icelandic ram's wool. Above center: Tog only from an Icelandic ram. Above right: Thel only from an Icelandic ram.
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Above left: Whole lock of Icelandic lamb's wool. Above center: Tog only from an Icelandic lamb. Above right: Thel only from an Icelandic lamb.
Wool from an Icelandic ewe (both tog and thel) ready to be combed.
Black Icelandic pelt.
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Commercially processed Icelandic roving spun on my Ashford spinning wheel.
Icelandic pelt. Note that this sheep had a white stomach, meaning it had the mouflon pattern.
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