Tunis from TriPlyFibers

I just ordered my first ounces of Tunis.  I've never tried Tunis wool before so I'm looking forward to a new experience.  At the same time, I'm excited to introduce a new Etsy shop, TriPlyFibers.  The owner of TriPlyFibers happened across my shop and realized that we were neighbors.  He lives in the next town just east of my own.  I'm grateful to Jerry for sending me a little note and the opportunity to make a new connection.  


When I found out that Jerry shears sheep for local farms, I was very curious to find out what kind of sheep people are raising.  I pass by quite a few small farms just driving around the valley.  When I see sheep, I always crane my neck to see if they might be a breed with fine fleece.  Most often, they are more primitive breeds.  Cute, but not the best spinning fiber.  So when Jerry told me he had some Tunis from a local farm, I was intrigued. 


I did a little research and was excited to find that Tunis sheep are an ancient breed.  I'm feeling a little sleepy tonight, so rather than summarize, I'm just going to pass on a link to this wonderful blog post by Sittin' n' Spinnin'.  I also found this picture of a Tunis sheep in the Wiki Commons.  I love how their wool has a "rose undertone" as Jerry puts it.  He has a nice supply of Tunis roving in his shop right now if anyone else wants to give this pretty fiber a try.