Icelandic sheep question

[RomansRoad]

Recently bought a small herd of Icelandic sheep- just found out today that the ram is Shetland. Does anyone know if that will devalue the wool? Would it be better to get an Icelandic Ram? Thanks!
Also, is anyone a spinner/felter with their own wool here?

[Disastercat]

I would not cross Icelandics with a Shetland, I would get another ram. Shetlands are tiny and have lovely but rather short staple wool. Icelandics have lovely long staple wool. The combination might be interesting, but as a hand spinner I would really prefer one or the other because they are so different.

Also, shetlands tend to be very small (the ones over here anyway) and Icelandics very large. You get a lot more fleece on an Icelandic, than you do on a Shetland as well. Now, the ram may already have "covered" your flock for this year, so you may find out in the Spring what the cross looks like. I'd have to see a sample of the fiber myself to give feed back, but in general it sounds like something I would not create on purpose. But you could have some lucky "accidents."

Disaster Cat ...the cat who plays with string...

[packyderms_wife]

What DC said! Do some serious looking around as Shetlands in the US are consdered a threatened breed, as are the Icelandic, you may be able to do an even swap ram for ram. You dind't say which state you were in this will help with getting you in touch with the correct fiber people.

Btw while I don't have sheep, at the moment since I live in town, I do buy and sell hundreds of pounds of the stuff every year.

Kimberly