The Field Guide to Fleece: 100 Sheep Breeds & How to Use Their Fibers

Great little resource book. I loaded it onto my Kindle Fire for easy reference. Has good photographs and descriptions of a hundred breeds of sheep (although in some instances, such as with Dorsets, the author will write up descriptions of the various types of Dorsets). You get a little info on the breed's origins, characteristics of the wool, whether or not it tends to felt, how well it takes dye, some basic preparation recommendations (whether to comb or card the fleece) and what projects the wool is well suited for--such as whether a particular wool would be better for a sturdy blanket or outer sweater, or a next-to-the-skin scarf or baby item. I really liked that an example of a lock from each breed is photographed next to a ruler so you can see its length and how much crimp it has. I've used it at my fiber suppliers when they had a new kind of wool and I wanted to know more about it before buying some.

I couldn’t ask for a better field guide! Has all the information you need to determine what you need from a fleece! Small enough to take with you to fairs or shops to look up the wool before you purchase.

I am enrolled in the Master Spinner program through Olds College. This is an excellent reference to get a quick overview of the typical fleeces available (and some that I hadn't heard of). It's an excellent companion to Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook, and easier to carry with you. For example, if you find yourself at a festival and you see a fleece in which you are interested, you could quickly find the breed in the book and see what the typical micron count is and some suggestions for what to do with the fleece (even though you probably have something already in mind). There is a picture of a lock of each breed and generally a picture of the sheep as well. So if you run across someone who has sheep but doesn't know what breed they have, you could show them some pictures and see if that helps. If you are buying fleece online you could look up the breed here and be better informed. If you know the name of a breed but can't remember what it's useful for, you could look here and find out.

Can't say enough about this book! Small in size but literally packed with information. I have used this book daily for the past week. It's indispensable for buying fleeces and wool fiber online when I'm unsure about the qualities and characteristics of a certain breed of sheep. I will definitely take it along to the next wool festival as well. The breeds are listed in alphabetical order and even include many rare conservation breeds I've been interested in. This book is a great value!

Brilliant! A well done field guide to fleece is just what I needed to carry with me to all the sheep and wool festivals this autumn. I am fairly new to spinning and having this guide to refer to now will help me muddle through all the fleeces at the festivals and the planned road trips to different Vermont farms in search of wool. Each of the 100 breeds gets two pages with very well done color photographs on every page. The first has the name of the breed, a description of the fiber, effects of dyes used on the fiber (for example under Delaine Merino it says, "White fleeces dye well, yielding clear color.") photo of the sheep then on the right side is a photo of the wool and information on origin, fleece weights, staple lengths, colors and a place for you to put field notes. It is truly like having a mini version of the Fleece and Fiber Source Book in a pocket edition. BRAVO! The authors should be gleaming with joy over the results of publishing this book. I wish you every success with it - well done!

This book comes highly recommend by fiber artist of all types. It’s easy to carry in a purse or bag and is a great quick reference to many breeds of sheep. You get. Quick overview of the breed, a description of how well the fleece will take due and gives you some best uses for the wool. It’s a great resource.

I've been knitting my way through threatened and critical breeds in the US via the livestock conservancy program called Shave 'em to save 'em. This book is an incredibly useful tool because it helps me learn about the wool/ yarn before I buy it. Is it scratchy? Is it good for garments? Better for curtains or decorative? How well does it dye? Is it strong or fragile? Types of available color? The book has most (but not all) of the rare breeds listed, and includes all the needed info.

Almost all of the breeds I was looking for are in this book. It is small but packed with useful information, lovely photos and color, and good shots of the fleece structure. A nice little book to keep by the spinning wheel or take with you to those fiber festivals to quickly check to see if that lovely fleece you're looking at will behave the way you hope for your lovely next to the skin cowl, or if it really is a bit too itchy or sturdy and might be better for rugs.