The Wool
The wool of the unique Gotland breed varies in colour from silver grey to charcoal grey. It has a natural high gloss and long, curly locks and which can be experienced more like mohair than traditional wool. Due to the size of the locks, the yarn becomes compact and has a heavy, beautiful fall. It felts easily and becomes durable, fine felt. The grey wool gives lovely mottled tones when coloured
The Sheep
The wool on the Gotland sheep is curly – not frizzy or straight as on many other breeds. The wool grows fast and produces long wool fibers. The Gotland sheep has coarse wool, which makes it rarely suitable for body-close garments. But because the wool is silky and glossy it feels softer than the wool of other Nordic country breeds and can be likened to mohair. The color of the curls varies from white to carbon black, but silver gray is most common.
The Island
Gotland has 70 000 sheep of which 80 percent are of the Gotland breed, with its characteristic grey wool. At present, the wool is often a by-product from the meat and skin production. Here lies a potential for an additional income for the farmers, if a full value chain were in place. In 2016, the only larcge scale wool scouring facility in Scandinavia was established on Gotland. Being able to wash wool on the island gives new opportunities for large scale processing of local wool.