Buying a fleece straight from the sheep is the true starting point for many spinners.  In this podcast I talk about thinking through the process before you actually go shopping, and then what to look for when you are finally ready to buy.

I would like to include references to two books that I mention in this podcast:

Turning Wool into a Cottage Industry  by Paula Simmons

In Sheep's Clothing by Nola and Jane Fournier

Music is from the podsafe music network  and was the instrumental Change of Autumn by Brian Turner.

As promised: a listing of sheep breed based on the softest possible micron count (the number listed after the name of the sheep):

Sheep breeds softest to roughest listing

Reference  In Sheep's Clothing  by Nola and Jane Fournier

Fine wools                                                                                                      
Merino 18  
Rambouillet 19              
CVM 21                                                                                    
Cormo 21                                                                                    
Polworth 21                                                                          
Romeldale 21                                                                  
Targhee 22                                                                          
Polypal 22                                                                        
Bond 23                                                                            
Columbia 24                                                                            
Corriedale 26                                

   Down Breeds              
  Shetland  23
  Southdown  23
  Clun Forest  25    
  Montadale  25            
  Tunis  25      
  Black Welsh Mountain 26 
  Ryeland  26
  Shropshire  26
  Suffolk  26
  Cheviot  28

     Longwools                                                                
 Blue faced Leicester 24                        
 Texel   26                                                  
 Gotland   28                                                  
 Perendale  28                                                      
 Teeswater  30                                               
 Wensleydale 30                                        
 Romney 33                                             
 Cotswold  34                                          
 Coopworth  35                                        
 Lincoln 36                                                
 Border Leicester  37