Arapawa are native to a small island of the same name off the coast of New Zealand. The sheep are merino-related and were abandoned long ago by a whaling ship or, rumor has it, by Captain Cook. Left to their own devices, they evolved into a hardy feral breed, even shedding their fleece in warmer weather as do other primitive sheep. They have curling horns and are sometimes spotted. They come in rich shades of brown, black, gray and creamy white. We’ve taken advantage of their natural color variation and blended fleeces to make a warm brown, tweedy yarn. Arapawa wool is unusually soft, with a dry and almost weightless, lofty hand.
arapawa cap
Worsted weight
Yardage: Approx. 111 yds [101 m] /50g skein
Gauge: 4 sts per inch on size US 8 [5 mm]
Spin: 2-ply
Fiber: Undyed 100% Arapawa from New Zealand
Spinning: Massachusetts
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Arapawa are native to a small island of the same name off the coast of New Zealand. The sheep are merino-related and were abandoned long ago by a whaling ship or, rumor has it, by Captain Cook. Left to their own devices, they evolved into a hardy feral breed, even shedding their fleece in warmer weather as do other primitive sheep. They have curling horns and are sometimes spotted. They come in rich shades of brown, black, gray and creamy white. We’ve taken advantage of their natural color variation and blended fleeces to make a warm brown, tweedy yarn. Arapawa wool is unusually soft, with a dry and almost weightless, lofty hand.