Fiber Talk: Gulf Coast Native - Ep 18 - Sheep with an Identity Crisis?

Fiber Talk: Gulf Coast Native
In this video, I talk about one of the feral breeds of North America, Gulf Coast Native. It takes dye reasonably well, as you can see in the video. I think it'll be good for sturdy blankets and some of the softer fleeces could be used for jumpers, hats, mittens, and the like.
These videos are meant to highlight and inform, not fully educate about each wool type. The best education comes from a combination of factual and embodied learning. For all of the videos I post in this series, I have experience using the various wools, though my expertise will vary. If you would like to know more about a specific wool, feel free to send me an email.
Music credit: (from KZbin) "Believe"
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[@EasyAcresGnomestead]

Great info and insight. I raise GCN in the Northeast US and agree with most of your findings and statements. I process my own wool from sheep to finished product. My flock is quite soft and as an individual sensitive to wool skin contact, I wanted sheep that had a softer fleece for garment use. I also appreciate the parasite resistance, hoof rot resistance, higher butter fat and more mild flavored meat qualities in this particular breed. Being a conservation breed was a bonus. I sheer my sheep very early in the spring to get the fleeces before they begin to molt. The fiber processes better with finer combs/cards, but can be done with 72TPI and left with some lumps for a chunkier option which I have recently done for a rug. I love the identity Crisis. Within the conservation there are many stories and opinions about the breed, the "original" blood lines and closed flock qualities. Some feel only certain flocks and bloodline are "true natives". Thanks for sharing!!

[@ExpertlyDyed]

How fantastic! That's way more than I knew about the breed. Unfortunately, being on the processing side rather than the raising side means I don't know much about the behaviours and temperament of the breeds I discuss. Or why people choose to maintain these types of flocks. Big commercial money is in flocks of BFL and merino, and though I think shepherds big and small tend to have a love of animals, this is especially so when considering rare and conservation breeds. 😄 Thanks for watching and telling us more about Gulf Coast Native sheep!

[@debiritt4471]

I recently joined SE2SE and living in Florida it is definitely one of the breeds I am hoping to get a fleece in the spring. Thank you for the information I think this will be helpful

[@teacat55]

Last year, I was able to purchase a GCN fleece. After I scoured and carded it, I ended up with something that resembled attic insulation in texture and color. It spun up fine and took dye but the yellow natural color definitely affected the blue dye. I knitted 3 hats with the yarn.

[@sandraharper1184]

I just received my first fleece of the type.I havent begun to work with it but i am loving how it looks as a fleece.Wish me luck lol

[@ExpertlyDyed]

Good luck! :)

[@manicspinner1959]

I recently scoured GCN that had been raised in Kansas (Sand Hill Thicket Farm) and found the fiber to not have the amount of lanolin I would have expected for such a soft fiber. It did have a fair amount of VM in it, but that's not a breed-specific issue as much as where and how it's raised.

[@adrianalemen1137]

Hi! I got some raw gulf coast fiber from Etsy. Boy, I had a hard time cleaning and processing it. I think I got more sand then fiber, lol. My daughter was a art major at LSU and the fiber was used in her art fiber works. She wanted fiber that had a story to tell from the state she was going to school in.

[@manicspinner1959]

I wonder if all GCN "rise"... I did not experience any of that in the GCN fleece I worked with.

[@polloggertie4376]

By molting do you mean rooing?