Yes, I really am a shepherdess! I raise historic breeds of sheep, primarily merino with a few dorset and cheviot. The sheep are raised on my small farm using 19th century farming methods whenever possible. The wool is processed on a mill made early in the 20th century that uses the same milling methods that have been in use since the 1760s. Then the wool is wound by hand into traditional skeins and labeled with a unique label with a picture of the sheep that helped to create the yarn.

The colors are natural (not dyed) made from combining the fleeces of my white, gray, brown and black sheep.

I knit six stitches per inch using #5 needles, although I’ve used needles as small as #3 and as large as #10. The white and lighter grays dye well, the medium gray dyes with an interesting heathery look. The brown is too dark to dye well.

Great for using vintage patterns, for knitting at museum sites and historic reenactments, or for anyone who just wants to experience knitting as or foremothers did!