Oh The Fiber – Tantalizing Texel Wool

ewe and lamb by pinethwaite on flickr

Texel sheep are primarily know for their use as a meat sheep. Although this may be why they were created, I think the fleece has been overlooked.  It is a 3-6 inch staple with loft, luster and crimp. There are slight differences in the the length and micron count depend on where the texel is from.

american texel lambs- shared by Texel Sheep Breeders Society

The wool is of medium grade  with no black fibers. The micron count goes from 26-32 depending on the animal.  An adult texel can grow a fleece weight  of 7-12 pds sheared …. enough for a sweater and then some. Texel is feltable but requires a bit more work to do so…….I’ve tried it and,  Man my arms were tired!!!!!

ewe and lamb by seanofselby on flickr

Here is my lovely texel fiber.

Texel Top

Close-up of Texel

Information from :

http://www.usatexels.org/about.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texel_(sheep)

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/texel/