Approximately how much yarn will one of your sheep yield in a year?

Icelandic sheep will typically produce 5 to 7 pounds of raw fibre per year per sheep.  We shear our sheep twice per year - in the spring and in the fall. 

When we have it processed at the mill, the finished weight is about 75% of the starting weight.  As the lanolin, dirt and vegetable matter are washed out, you lose some weight.  You also lose any felted/matted wool and short fibres in the processing.  So, if you get 3.5 pounds of raw fleece from a fall clip, you’ll have approximately 2.6 pounds of processed yarn.  Our skeins of Lopi yarn are typically 125g to 135g each, so you’ll get approximately 9 skeins of Lopi.  Enough for an Icelandic sweater!