Little did I know when I visited New Zealand in early 2023 that just a few months later I would become enamored of sheep.
The country once had enough sheep to provide a small flock for every person, with the ratio peaking at 22 sheep for every human in the early 1980s. But with international wool markets in long decline, and forestry emerging as a more lucrative use of the land, sheep numbers in New Zealand have been dropping. Still we passed uncounted numbers of sheep on hill and vale of New Zealand.
But not all wools are equal. Marino wool tends to range between 18-23 microns making it incredibly fine and beautifully soft. Corriedale on the other hand, tends to be a bit coarser, usually between 25-30 microns. For this reason, quite a number of felters prefer the Corriedale over Merino for ease of felting.
Personally, I have discovered a supplier in North Dakota whose wool for felting is superior to either Corriedale or Merino. Bear Creek Felting raises Romney, Blue Faced Leicester and Wensleydale sheep. Their operation is remarkable as will be seen in another post.
