Gotland Sheep

The breed was first established on the Swedish island of Gotland by the Vikings with Karakul and Romanov sheep brought back from expeditions deep into Russia and crossed with the native landrace sheep. The Gotland's developed were selected for curl and color beginning in 1920. The breed is primarily gray.

Looking to produce sheep with no horns and a better fleece, Swedish farmers crossed the Gute sheep with Karakul sheep from Central Asia (a hornless breed known for their long curly fleeces) and Romanov sheep from Russia (a hardy, cold weather tolerant breed without horns).  This produced sheep with long, silky wool which began to become quite popular when sold as sheepskins.  Used for clothing and decor, Gotland sheepskins saw a spike in popularity in other parts of Europe during the 1970s and again in the 1980s when Gotland sheep were imported to the U.K. to develop the flocks needed to meet the rising demand for Gotland sheepskins during those decades.

Although Gotland sheep are still used to produce sheepskins today, an increasing number of Gotland sheep are being raised in order to provide wool for hand spinners, and also for purposes of genetic conservation.  Like many primitive sheep breeds, Gotland sheep have unique adaptations to the land they live in, and for Gotland sheep that means being able to drink seawater, and showing a preference for shrubs and tough plants.  Not to mention the unique long and lustrous quality of their wool is unlike the wool you might see in the more popular and populous sheep breeds today, such as Merino. 

Gotland sheep did not start to arrive in North America until 2003, but it is starting to become a popular breed with small-scale farmers on this continent.  It is an easy to care for sheep with a wool that is seeing an increased interest among hand-spinners and other fiber artists.  Gotland is a long silky wool that when spun and dyed produces a yarn with a wonderful luster reminiscent of mohair and good drape, with a little bit of a halo.  Gotland sheep produce wool in a range of grays from light to dark, with the lighter gray wool being most suitable for dyeing. Soft and comfortable to wear against the skin, most Gotland wool is in the 27-33 micron range, with the lighter colors typically having the lower micron count.