Caorach agus olann – sheep and wool in Ireland

Today on our Wovember Words tour of the EU, we are in Ireland. The Irish word for sheep is caorach and the Irish word for wool is olann and we are once again delving into the fantastic The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook by Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius. In terms of our theme this year… Continue Reading Caorach agus olann – sheep and wool in Ireland

Week two of the #Wovember2016 instagram photo competition…

As we mentioned in this post Wovember is once again hosting an annual photo contest on instagram. All you have to do to enter is use the hashtag #Wovember2016 on any images which show the ways in which you are appreciating and celebrating sheep and wool this Wovember. You can see some of the diverse… Continue Reading Week two of the #Wovember2016 instagram photo competition…

The Hungarian Racka Sheep of Hungary – Magyar racka juh Magyarország

For today’s stop on our EU tour we are in Hungary, learning about the Magyar racka juh Magyarország – the Hungarian Racka Sheep of Hungary. The Hungarian word for sheep is juh while the word for wool is gyapjú. You can see these sheep in this beautiful 1966 film called ‘Snow Scenes In Hungary’: The… Continue Reading The Hungarian Racka Sheep of Hungary – Magyar racka juh Magyarország

Πρόβατα και μαλλί στην Ελλάδα – Sheep and Wool in Greece

For today’s EU themed Wovember Words post we are talking about the endangered and rare breed sheep of Greece. The Greek word for sheep is πρόβατο (próvato) while the Greek word for wool is μαλλί (mallí). Our information for this post comes from a report by the SAVE foundation whom we mentioned earlier in the… Continue Reading Πρόβατα και μαλλί στην Ελλάδα – Sheep and Wool in Greece

Daughter of a Shepherd labels by Rachel Atkinson

For this evening’s post we have Rachel Atkinson here for a Q&A session on labelling. Many of you may know Rachel from following Wovember last year, or through knitting with her 100% British Daughter of a Shepherd yarn. Having looked at the labelling of wool from a legislative EU position and from two people within… Continue Reading Daughter of a Shepherd labels by Rachel Atkinson

Sue Blacker on Labelling

We are delighted that SUE BLACKER is here tonight to weigh in on the labelling theme of this week. Here Sue describes the different forms of labelling that need to be adhered to and considered at the Natural Fibre Company and at Blacker Yarns.   A rose by any other name? Oh I wish it… Continue Reading Sue Blacker on Labelling

The Ouessant sheep of France

Today we are thrilled to have a Wovember Words post from Diane Falck AKA The Spinning Shepherd. Long term Wovemberists will remember Diane from Wovembers past, for which she has provided many fantastic articles and photos of her Ouessant sheep. In this article, representing France in our European tour of sheep and wool, she tells… Continue Reading The Ouessant sheep of France

The Finnsheep of Finland

Continuing our EU tour, today we are in Finland exploring the fleece of the Finnsheep. In Finland the word for sheep is lammas and the word for wool is villa – the proximity of these words to the words explored yesterday from Estonia perhaps points to the closeness of these two countries facing one another… Continue Reading The Finnsheep of Finland

Wool Labelling: Deciphering EU Legislation

This evening we’re thrilled to bring you a post by John Arbon who runs a wool mill in North Devon. As well as producing textile products – socks, fibres, hand-knitting yarns – John Arbon creates custom spun yarns for customers like Rachel Atkinson with her wondrous Daughter of a Shepherd Yarn. He’s also developed textile… Continue Reading Wool Labelling: Deciphering EU Legislation