Once upon a time (in the early days of the internet) I decided to try my hand spinning Shetland Lace, as a way to learn more about the breed. So I proceeded to order an entire moorit fleece sight unseen (not recommended). This particular fleece was what Shetlander's call a "peerie" fleece, from the smaller, native type. It had a lovely crimp and a staple length of not quite three inches.
photo credit - Oliver Henry
Although nearly (but not quite) as fine as merino, woolen-spun shetland handles quite differently. It is quite springy, with a crisp hand, and is resistant to pilling. When spun woolen, like Jamieson's of Shetland Spindrift, the resulting yarn is lofty and warm. These are excellent properties for yarn used in garment construction.
It's the "stickiness" of Shetland, however, that makes Spindrift work so well for stranded colorwork. All wool is constructed of microscopic, overlapping cones of protein, exactly like human hair. These cones, or 'barbs', allow the fiber to felt together slightly. This is what is meant by "blooming". When wool is blocked, the fibers rearrange themselves into their natural position (because of crimp), and then the tiny barbs lock the fibers into place. In stranded colorwork this process causes the floats to felt, or stick, to the main fabric, lending structure, warmth, and a bit of wind-proofing to the knitted fabric.
I mentioned above that the wool I spun was from a peerie (meaning little) sheep. There is another type of Shetland sheep having a longer staple with less crimp, and this type can be subdivided further into single and dual-coated. This type is larger, displaying the genes from crossings with Soay type sheep brought over from Scandinavia over 1000 years ago. Because of this variability of native fleece, a grading system was introduced in 1978 to improve consistency.
Jamieson's of Shetland Spindrift uses the top two grades of wool, with fineness averaging between 23 & 25 microns. By comparison, Merino micron counts average in the low 20's. As a knitter, you'll find that working with Spindrift is pleasant, and the plys don't split readily. The yarn itself is slightly thick-thin in places, as is typical of woolen-spun yarns. However, once blocked, the bloom of the yarn smooths out color transitions and softens imperfections in tension. It also becomes softer against the skin over time, with washing and wearing.
Spindrift also comes in a whopping 225 colors. I began the Sweet Meadow Yarn Club for color enthusiasts looking for a more convenient (and affordable) way to collect a curated color palette. Find out more about the Sweet Meadow Yarn Club, including how you can become a member, or make up your own bundle for your next Fair Isle project.
PS) For more information about the Shetland Isles, Oliver Henry has a wonderful blog entitled "My Life with Shetland Wool". You can find it at https://olivershetlandwoolblog.home.blog/
Yours in Knitting,
