Navajo-Churro Sheep
Last spring I saw an inspiring lecture at my knitting guild by Susan Strawn, author of Knitting America, where she presented her doctoral thesis on Churro Sheep, and the craft culture of the Navajo Indians. I was reminded of it as I was cleaning out my emails. I had written to Susan after her lecture to say how much I enjoyed it, and she replied and directed me to this interview.
The Churro Sheep were systematically wiped out by the US government first in 1865 by a massive slaughter prior to leading the Navajo on the long walk to Arizona, and again in the 1930’s by government imposed stock reductions. Or so they thought. The breed was considered extinct until Dr. Lyle McNeal and others started collecting and selectively breeding the sheep through the Utah State University. This is a great interview that aired on NPR last summer talking about the “Sheep is Life” festival that takes place every year in Arizona, and a bit of the history of the sheep.
These sheep have been saved from extinction, and are no longer considered endangered. If you have been reading this blog, you will know that I just purchased a used spinning wheel and I am having great fun (not great success yet) spinning on it. I had taken a drop spindle class a year ago, and never really got the hang of it. At the time of the class, I purchased 2 balls of Roving that I thought I would like to spin. They happened to be Navajo Churro.
Now that I have a real spinning wheel, this wool will be coming into play soon.
The Navajo-Churro sheep is considered a primitive breed, a direct descendant of the Churra sheep brought to Mexico in 1494 by Spanish explorers. It has a long hair outercoat, and a fine wool undercoat. Mainly used for weavings, the undercoat is good for outerwear. I am assuming that these rovings are the undercoat, as they feel very soft. I should be able to tell by the staple length. The wool comes in a wide range of natural colors.
Characteristics (from The book of Wool):
- Fineness: Undercoat: 18-30 microns; Outercoat: 30-47 microns
- Staple length: Undercoat: 3-6″; Outercoat: 6-8″
- Crimp: Low, with curly tips
- Luster: Moderate
- Suitable for: Midrange garments, Outerwear
- Felting Qualities: Medium
Mimi, 
knitting1105, 
Knitting before Knitting was Cool 
Bets 6:30 am on October 11, 2010 Permalink |
That looks like the roving I bought this year at the Midwest Fiber & Folk, from IL Green Pastures Fiber Coop. Though she said it was 30% alpaca for added softness. I also got a spindle and a free lesson there, and am enjoying learning it when I have time. They also told me Navajo-Churro is great for beginner spinners, along with Romney, Corriedale, and Shetland. Thanks, I will check out the interview.Good luck with your wheel!
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knitting1105 12:55 pm on October 11, 2010 Permalink |
It is from the Illinois Green Pastures Collection, but all Navajo Churro wool, from the Maierhofer Farm. This is next on my list to spin up.
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Karen 10:03 am on October 11, 2010 Permalink |
Thanks for featuring Navajo-Churro sheep on your blog 🙂 Your roving is most likely a blend of both the inner and outer coats. Separating the two coats is a lot of work and is not necessary since it’s lovely to spin ‘as is’. Navajo-Churro is indeed classified as a ‘coarse’ wool but it should never be harsh to the hand. The Navajo-Churro Sheep Association breed standard describes the wool as ‘lustrous with a silky hand’. The N-CSA website: http://www.navajo-churrosheep.com has more information on the breed.
Best wishes on the spinning. Keep at it – it will get easier as you go and it’s a lot of fun!
Regards,
Karen
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knitting1105 12:56 pm on October 11, 2010 Permalink |
Thanks, it is crimpy, but soft. I was not even aware of what I was purchasing at the time, just liked the look and feel. I had found that link, it is attached to Dr. Lyle McNeal’s name. It does have wonderful information there. Thanks for the info.
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Mimi 3:47 pm on October 13, 2010 Permalink |
She (Susan) also stopped by SnB on Monday! Did anyone (else) tell you?
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