I am a fairly slow knitter, so for me, this is good progress!It is being knitted entirely of rare breed yarns. The body (both the white and the green) is Ryeland, and the blue in the seeding pattern and peeries is Hog Island.
The sheep are intarsia knit and each one is of a different rare breed sheep wool.
Top row, starting at the left: Tunis, Ryeland, Karakul, Jacob, and Wensleydale.
Bottom row: North Ronaldsay, Hebridean, Soay, Manx Logthan, and Lincoln.
I will embroider in the eyes and facial outline later.
It is interesting to knit a row using 6 different types of yarn. The differences are very pronounced.
Next, I will knit the fronts. I'm entertaining the idea that I might actually finish this before the cold weather is gone, but I know myself too well to take myself seriously. :)
© 2006 Leigh's Fiber Journal
Related Posts:
Winter Knitting Project
Rare Breed Sweater Swatches
TA-DAH! Rare Breed Sweater Done!
16 comments:
I could spot the Jacobs immediately! How cute!
It's great progress - especially carrying all those yarns. I love it!
Great! I love that you made the Jacob sheep spotted and the horned breeds horned!
Great sweater, sounds like you knit at the same speed as I do ;-)
Are you using the same breeds on the front? Do you need any more?
I have a spun ball of Holmie, the seaweed eating sheep of Papa Westray, and small fibre amounts of French Charolais, Texel and some Welsh blackface. I can post if you need them.
Judy
I love it! It means so much more to me now that I have been diligently collecting rare breeds and unusual spinning fibers than it would have prior to my starting to spin! I love your details about each sheep, too. Great job, and thank you for your contribution to my rare breed project, too!
My sister spent a New Years Eve on North Ronaldsay and she told me about the sheep. Apparently, they eat seaweed and will stand on the beach munching away while the waves crash over them. She never got close enough to find out what their fleece was like and I have always wondered what kind of fleece would a sheep that constantly gets bathed in icy salty water produce. I would think that it would be a bit coarse, but I may be wrong.
The Ronaldsays and Holmies make excellent Aran weight yarn, and no you can't smell the seaweed on either of them ;-)
Judy
Looks great Leigh. Such detail in all the sheep.
Wow! You'll definitely finish it in time for some cold weather, no problem!
I absolutely love it...what a beautiful work of ART!!!!!
Wow, what a project! Beautiful work.
~firefly
Hi Leigh :)
I'm gone for a bit and look what happens! You've made great progress on the sweater, especially with all the weaving you do. It is even more lovely the more you go along. You have done such a great job from conception to design to construction. Brava!! Jane
The weaving is beautiful, but this sweater is fantastic! I love the Jacob sheep!
it is coming along....you must be very proud of yourself
OMG...Tina mentioned about your site and it's wonderful! Where did you find the pattern for the Rare Breed Work-in-Progress? It's great!
Kathy
Sheep Thrills Farm
Hi Kathy, thank you so much for you nice comment! The pattern is my own, I'm pleased to say.
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