Corriedale sheep are an old breed, by some accounts they were the first breed to be developed by crossing different breeds of sheep. Developed in 1882 in New Zealand, Corriedale is the result of breeding Lincoln Longwool or Leicester rams with Merino ewes. Corriedale is the second most common sheep around the world, second only to Merino, and is the most commonly raised sheep in Uruguay. Our co-founder Jay raised Corriedale sheep while attending agricultural school in Uruguay!
Mixing Merino with longwool breeds creates a slightly courser wool than pure Merino. Wool softness is measured in micron fiber diameter. The lower the micron count, the softer the wool. Corriedale generally measures between 31.5 and 24.5 microns, while the most commonly found Merino fiber measures around 18 microns. Corriedale is not a luxury fiber, but rather a solid, down-home wool perfect for keeping you warm and cozy!