Breed-Specific Yarn Qualities
Knitters and designers have various reasons for choosing breed-specific yarns like taking advantage of specific qualities of one breed, helping to save endangered breeds, and supporting local farmers.
While there are more than 1000 breeds of sheep worldwide and over 60 in the U.S., this list is only a sampling of the breeds you're most likely to find in hand-knitting yarn. We're fortunate to have such variety today! The greater the demand, the greater the variety so please explore and be part of the movement of fiber artists advancing breed-specific yarns.
Listed alphabetically by breed name, with category of wool (finewool, mediumwool, longwool, down, dual-coat and primitive), whether it’s on the endangered list, micron count and overview of qualities*.
Black Welsh Mountain (Threatened). Down. 26-36 microns. Warm, lofty, durable with a natural black color that is naturally resistant to fading. Young sheep’s wool can be worn next to skin. Older fleeces are better for outerwear. You won’t know this from looking at a label, so do feel the yarn in person, or read a detailed description from an online seller.
Bluefaced Leicester. Longwool. 24-28 microns. Soft with average luster, durable, heavy, drapey wool. Good for next-to-skin garments.
Border Leicester. Longwool. 29-40 microns. Strong and hard-wearing, this has a high luster with lovely drape that is lofty and light. Excellent stitch definition so good for textures and cables. Some sellers advertise this as being soft enough for baby garments while some say it’s suited for outerwear. Since there is such a varying degree of softness, it’s best to touch this before buying.
Clun Forest (Threatened) Down. 25-33 microns. Robust elasticity, light and lofty, machine washable wool that will not felt.
Columbia. Mediumwool. 23-31 microns. Yarn with some substance, this is soft but with a slightly crunchy feel. Low luster. Best for mid-range garments and outerwear, durable sweaters, accessories, and blankets.
Cormo. Finewool. 17-23 microns. Soft, good hand, low luster and excellent elasticity and fluffiness. Suitable for garments worn next to the skin.
Corriedale. Mediumwool. 25-35 microns. Smooth, durable, yarn with average luster and a light bulkiness that provides warmth. Good for midrange garments. Felts well.
Cotswold (Critical) Longwool. 33-42 microns. Twisty yarn with a silky luster that is extremely durable with a nice drape. Good for outerwear, blankets, bags, or hard-wearing garments. Garments may gently felt over time to fill in the fluffy gaps.
Dorset Horn (Threatened) Down. 26-33 microns. Remarkably bouncy and elastic. This is lightweight and lofty, a little crunchy with low luster. Good for midrange garments like sweaters, hats and blankets. It resists felting.
Icelandic. Dual-Coated & Primitive. 19-31 microns. Rugged feel that blooms with a halo effect. Undercoat is good for knitting outer garments and accessories. Outercoat can be very durable or coarse.
Gulf Coast Native. (Critical) Feral. 20-32 microns. Good stitch definition. Nice hand. Easy to knit with. Shows textured stitches well. Good for midrange garments like sweaters to be worn over an undershirt.
Jacob. (Threatened) Dual-Coated & Primitive/mediumwool. 25-35 microns. Four natural colors of fleece, demi-luster, springy, lofty and durable. Good for outerwear like hearty sweaters and hats. Good for textured patterns, cables and Fair Isle.
Leicester Longwool (pronounced “Lester”) (Threatened) Longwool. 32-46 microns. Always worsted-spun, firm yet flexible yarn with a mohair-like halo. Sturdy wool with crisp hand, excellent luster and drape. Doesn’t felt well. Robust and durable. Suitable for mid-range garments, and outerwear. Formerly perceived as an itchy wool, selective breeding in Wales is producing a soft wool. With such a range from soft to coarse, it’s also best to handle this before buying.
Lincoln (Threatened) Longwool. 33-45 microns. Rough by itself but often blended with other fibers. High luster. Rugged outerwear. Does not felt easily.
Merino. Finewool. 11-26 microns. Extremely soft, lightweight with lustrous appearance. Felts easily. Good for delicate garments worn close the skin or baby clothes.
Navajo-Churro (Critical) Dual-Coated. 10-35 microns. Native-American. Wide range of microns due to the double coats. Undercoat can be used for garments worn next to the skin and is very soft. Outercoat is better suited for hats, gloves or cardigan. Moderate luster.
Polypay. Finewool-mediumwool. 22-29 microns. Drapey, high luster, spongy, durable yet soft and suitable to wear next to the skin. Good for sweaters.
Rambouillet. Finewool. 18-24 microns. Low luster. Very soft with good insulating properties, lofty, resilient, springy with a plump hand. Felts easily. Suitable for garments worn next to the skin.
Romeldale (Threatened). Finewool. 21-25 microns. Native-American. Shiny luster, extremely soft and pleasant to handle. Similar to merino in that it’s good for comfortable garments worn next to the skin.
Romney. Longwool. 29-37 microns. Hearty, earthy looking yarn with a crunchy feel and demi-luster. Good for textured knits, and hard-wearing outerwear like gloves, socks, jackets.
Shetland (Recovering) Dual Coated & Primitive. 20-30 microns. Fiber varies considerably depending on region, and flock. Warm, cohesive, well-wearing, low luster, and lofty and light in weight. Blooms and gives a heathered effect. Not great stitch definition but excellent for colorwork and mid-range garments.
Targhee. Finewool. 21-28 microns. Lofty, plush with high elasticity and low luster. It’s resilient and wears well. Suitable for next-to-skin wear.
Teeswater (Critical) Longwool. 30-36 microns. Good luster with shiny finish, good drape, smooth, durable but soft to handle. Great stitch definition so good for textures and cables and is suitable for outwear and rugged sweaters.
Wensleydale. Longwool. 30-36 microns. Highest luster of all longwools. Fluid drape, strong yet soft yarn with a hairy, fuzzy texture and irregular thick/thin appearance. Good for rugged outerwear.
See over 50 yarns on Pinterest:
I hope you enjoy exploring all of the yarns available to knitters and comment if you've knit with a specific breed that you like! Knitters love recommendations and first-hand experiences.
*Qualities can vary widely within a breed, and even between sheep in the same herd, depending on environment, diet, and other factors. One yarn may list their wool as being good for outerwear and another list the same breed as being soft enough to wear next to the skin. Both can be correct so if you're not able to touch a yarn in person, read the yarn company's description online to get a better feel of their specific yarn.
References
Blacker, Sue. Pure Wool. Stackpole Books. 2012.
Lee, Justine & Morency, Jess. The Wonder of Wool. David and Charles, Ltd., 2025.
Livestock Conservancy https://livestockconservancy.org/
Parkes, Clara. The Knitter’s Book of Wool. Potter Craft, 2009.
Rare Breeds Survival Trust https://www.rbst.org.uk/watchlist/sheep/
Robson, Deborah & Ekarius, Carol. The Field Guide to Fleece. Storey Publishing. 2013.
Robson, Deborah & Ekarius, Carol. The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook. Storey Publishing. 2011.
Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em https://livestockconservancy.org/get-involved/shave-em-to-save-em/
Smith, Beth. The Spinner’s Book of Fleece. Storey Publishing, 2014.
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