For those who are familiar with using Border Leicester wool, and know its characteristics, I'd like to do a little survey.
I know someone who raises BLs, and she shears twice a year because she says with just a yearly shearing the wool is too long. I find that I can't spin her wool with the small amount of crimp (3-4 per inch, tops) at that short length (4-5") without putting in so much twist that it's wiry. I'm used to other breeders, who have staple lengths of 6-8 inches, and a touch more crimp. That type of BL (or any other wool of that type) can be spun with low enough twist that even coarser wools feel soft. This breeder is having a hard time selling her wool. In part that's because she only sells raw wool. I'm trying to offer suggestions that might help her wool appeal more to spinners, including dyeing and processing it into multi-colored roving, but I'm concerned that such short wool with so little crimp won't be any better as roving than raw. Anyway, just wondering what the experience of other spinners who've used BL is, so maybe I can offer a stronger recommendation to her for longer wool with that crimp than just that I say so :) And YES, I know that traditionally BL was a rug wool, long long and little crimp, but it's been years since handspinning BL in the US has had those characteristics. Thanks, Holly
