I can’t believe it’s already time for another wool to try ! This months breed study is Eider, which I have spun before but it was several years ago and honestly I can’t remember a thing about spinning it. This months color is “What’s up, Buttercup” and I really love the rich yellowy gold. The color really reminds me of sunflowers.

“The wool from German Whiteheaded Mutton is called Eider wool.  Eider was originally the name of a sea duck known for its expensive and soft down that can be found in the famously warm and toasty eiderdown blankets.  Why it has been applied to wool is something of a mystery, although it would not be surprising to find that naming German Whiteheaded Mutton wool Eider was the brainchild of a shepherd with marketing genius.  Certainly, it is easier to say and quite descriptive of the loftiness of Eider wool. Saying “German Whiteheaded Mutton Wool” is quite a mouthful, while “Eider Wool” is short, sweet, and conjures visions of mounds and mounds of light, fluffy wool. In fact, Eider wool is a lovely fluffy wool, although at 37-41 microns it is quite coarse compared to many other wools used for spinning.  What makes this wool special is its crimp – while most wools with this micron range can be difficult to spin due to poor crimp, Eider wool has an excellent crimp that holds quite well when spinning.  If you are looking for a wonderfully durable wool for outerwear, blankets, or handwoven rugs, Eider wool is the wool for you.” — Northwest Yarns, Know Your Fiber

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I’m looking forward to spinning this wool and hoping that I achieve at least 100 yards of chain plied yarn when finished.

For those of you who spin, have you ever spun Eider before ?