natural ryawool
Rya is an old swedish breed of sheep, today threatened by extinction. The Rya are hardy and heathy sheep, well adjusted to the Nordic climate. They are excellent mothers and usually have two or three lamb born in April-May.
We want to give our Rya as natural a life as possible. They can go outdoors all year round. We do not use artificial pesticides or fertilizers on our fields. Our lamb feed only on their mothers milk and grass.
Ryawool consists of long, strong, shiny guard-hair and shorter, more fine-fibred underwool. At the age of four months the wool-staple is at least 16 cm (7 inches) long.
Our sheep are sheared twice a year. In the fall and in the spring before lambing. After shearing the wool is trimmed, cleared of unwanter matter and sorted by colour, hue and coarseness of fibre. It is then either carded, handspun at home or machinespun into yarn of excellent quality, with intact strength and shine, by a spinnery in Norway.
Ryayarn is mainly used by weaving-artists, for tapestry weaving, for blankets or fine rugs. Lambs wool is also perfect for jknitting jackets, sweaters and socks. Ryawool is also perfect for embroidery.
Natural colours for Rya-sheep are white, black, grey and brown. Since our Rya are mostly black we buy fine Rya-wool of other colours from fellow Rya-breeders in the region. Our yarn comes only in colours made by nature. Brown, grey and white yarn may be dyed. Natural black yarn matures beautifullly, changing to brownish black as the years go by. If naturally black yarn is dyed (black) this quality is lost.
