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From left, Trista Boe, Christina Taylor and Barbara Stinson meet at Stinson’s Farm of Beauty Goats and Sheep near Lodi, Wisconsin, to discuss Icelandic sheep and their versatility.
Barbara Stinson holds a skein of yarn that comes from the thel of one of her Icelandic sheep. Thel is the animal’s soft downy undercoat. Thel has a spinning count of 64 to 70 and a micron count of 19 to 22, according to the Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America.
Wool roving is used for hand spinning or crafts.
Barbara Stinson shows felted wool that can be used to make ornaments or trivets.
Shana Chapel raises Icelandic sheep at Sweet Pasture Pies Farm near Pella, Iowa.
Trista Boe shows the fleece of one of her Icelandic sheep.
Sweaters are among the items that Barbara Stinson makes as gifts for family and friends.
A handknit shawl shows the fineness of wool from one of Barbara Stinson’s Icelandic sheep and her skills at knitting.
A peg loom is used for making a rug designed by Shana Chapel.
Christina Taylor shows the difference between thel – a sheep’s fine, soft undercoat – and tog – a longer, coarser outer coat.
Cali is a 7-year-old ewe whose basic color is black but white covers all of it except one spot. The golden shade of her fleece is the result of pheomelanin, Christina Taylor says.
Among Barbara Stinson’s flock are a Badgerface and a Moorit, which features the brown-recessive gene.
Toasty sweaters, felted ornaments, roast lamb and sheep-milk cheese … they’re just a few of the many holiday gift items that can come from Icelandic sheep. Four women recently discussed the Icelandic breed’s versatility and the many ways the sheep bring value to their farms.
Lynn Grooms, Grooms Communications, is a freelance journalist specializing in agriculture.
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Barbara Stinson holds a skein of yarn that comes from the thel of one of her Icelandic sheep. Thel is the animal’s soft downy undercoat. Thel has a spinning count of 64 to 70 and a micron count of 19 to 22, according to the Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America.
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