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Discover the sheep behind the skein with rancher and knitter Becky Tilten-Orem. Explore wool from breeds including Merino, Rambouillet, Targhee, Shetland, Bluefaced Leicester, Lincoln Longwool, and Icelandic while handling yarns, swatches, and finished projects. Learn how breed, fiber characteristics, and regional origins influence the wool we use—and which wools shine in stranded colorwork.Have you ever wondered why Merino feels so different from Shetland—or why some wool seems made for colorwork while another creates a completely different fabric?
Join sheep rancher and avid knitter Becky Tilton-Orem for a close-up look at the sheep behind the yarn.
We’ll explore several important wool-producing breeds, including Merino, Rambouillet, Targhee, Bluefaced Leicester, Shetland, Lincoln Longwool, and Icelandic sheep. Becky will share where these breeds developed, how their sheep and fleeces differ, and how characteristics such as staple length and fiber fineness affect the yarn we eventually put on our needles.
And we’ll get to touch the results!
Becky will bring yarn, knitted swatches, and finished projects made from several different breeds so we can compare how the fibers feel and behave in actual knitted fabric. We’ll also look at photographs of the sheep themselves and talk about what makes particular wools especially well suited to techniques such as Fair Isle and stranded colorwork—one of Becky’s own favorite ways to knit.
We’ll also bring the conversation closer to home with a look at sheep and wool production in Texas and our state’s long connection to the industry.
This will be a relaxed, around-the-table session with plenty of opportunities to handle samples, look closely, ask questions, and talk wool with someone who knows it from both sides of the skein.
No knitting experience is required. Curious crocheters, spinners, weavers, fiber enthusiasts, and anyone who has ever wondered where their wool comes from are welcome.
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Event venue
8201 Quaker Ave. #149, Lubbock, TX, United States, Texas 79424
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