Kelly's Tunis

$30.00 Save $-30

100% Michigan grown Tunis wool, Chunky weight.

Woolen Spun in Michigan at Zeilinger's Wool Mill

Approx. 136 yd/113 g/4 oz.

PATTERN SUGGESTIONS:

The Essential Beanie (1 skein)

Gathering Hat (1 skein)

Felix Pullover  (with gauge modification)

Kelly lives near Ann Arbor, MI, and the wool for this yarn came from her Tunis sheep, which were shorn by my brother Kirk. Kelly no longer has these sheep, so this is a really special, limited edition batch of yarn. 

This yarn has a nice warmth to its color-more ivory or cream-which gives a brightness to yellows and oranges, and a softness to other colors. It's fairly soft but some might feel it's a little scratchy for next-to-skin wear. Perfect for quick, sturdy sweaters, hats, etc. Lofty and lightweight courtesy of being woolen spun.

The name Tunis describes the breed’s connections to foundation stock from Tunisia in North Africa. North African sheep, variously described as “fat tailed,” “broad tailed,” and “Barbary” sheep, were imported to the United States as a gift by the Bey of Tunis to George Washington in the late 1700s. They nearly became extinct during the Civil War. Visit The Livestock Conservancy website to learn more about this breed's interesting history.

Sheep photos courtesy Kelly Young