We live in the Bitterroot Valley of Western Montana on a small acreage, shown with Benny above. The area is developing rapidly, but agriculture is a traditional value here and sheep, horses, steers, and goats are not uncommon. Our small handspinner’s flock (17) gives us a lot of entertainment (they are ALL spoiled and ALL pets) and gives our neighbors a chance to have weed control on their pastures as well.

We have one each CVM Romeldale, Romney cross, Shetland, BlueFace Leicester X, 7/8 BFL ewe and her mate, the Black Welsh Mountain Sheep Ram. Then we have added 2 Targhee ewes – the old girls – their lambs X Raven and then an accidental bunch of 2nd generation of the cross i.e. 3/4 Targhee and 3/4 BWMS. Click here to see the results!

Benny Fibers also offers sleeping bags. These bags are made with a soft all-cotton flannel lining, colorful outside print of cotton or cotton/polyester, a two-way zipper, matching piping trim, polyester quilt filling and wool yarn ties.

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When zipped closed, the bag is about 21 inches wide by 35 inches deep. Unzipped, it is about 42 inches by 35 inches.

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Wool yarn is used in the ties because the wool shrinks after the first wash and dry, leaving the ties almost impossible for little fingers to loosen.

Our friend is a blacksmith and he has produced a few sheepy items…

Welcome to Benny Fibers!

We offer a variety of fiber goods and related products, including baby sleeping bags.

Cashmere

Grown on spoiled goats in the Bitterroot Valley, Montana. The fiber is combed and washed by us, dehaired by Zeilinger. I spin it with a high twist and slow uptake on my Louet 90.

Fleece

• Blue Face Leicester
• Romney & Romney/Salish
• CVM Romeldale

Baby Sleeping Bags

Benny Fibers also offers sleeping bags. These bags are made with a soft all-cotton flannel lining, colorful outside print of cotton or cotton/polyester, a two-way zipper, matching piping trim, polyester quilt filling and wool yarn ties.

Batts

For spinning or quilting or whatever else you can dream up for them. Maybe a nice tea party?

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Blue Face Leicester

Blue Face Leicester is a long staple, lustrous “Santa Claus hair” wool that spins like butter. Corrie is BFL ewe and Bob is a BFL x wether. His fleece is just like hers only an inch shorter in staple. Corrie’s fleece is usually 6 inches.

Our BFL is sold out until Spring of 2006

Corrie

Bob

BFL Sheep

Romney & Romney/Salish

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We have a variety of Romney and Romney Salish critters. Some live with the cashmere goats and one lives here. Romney is a medium wool with springy hand and staple from 4-5 inches from our girls (and one boy). Here are pictures of Becca and her light grey fleece and Charles who has a darker longer staple fleece. We have much of the Romney processed in batts so that you can choose whether you want it for spinning or quilting.

Becca

Charles

Romney Sheep

CVM Romeldale

Benny

Benny is our CVM Romeldale wether – big boy at 200 + lb. He has a high crimp 3-4 inch fleece that is turning mocha-ivory as he gets older.

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Hand quilters love his fleece, as do hand spinners. It is a bouncy yarn with a medium-soft hand. He fit somewhere between medium and fine wool at Black Sheep Gathering where his fleece placed 4th in a class of 19. Go Benny !!!

Shetland

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Buddy is our Shetland wether and besides being handsome, he produces a long staple sock wool. Buddy has a true double coat fleece, and with some nylon blended in by our processor, we have a tough sock wool. Below see Buddy, his processed fleece, and a pair of long stockings on our friend who is a blacksmith – warm feet in the winter when working at the forge!

Buddy

Others

we try to keep a stock of unusual roving and batts for handspinners to try. We often have Black Welsh Mountain Sheep available and select the softest of those fleeces. Here is a picture of our BWMS ram, whose fleece we don’t market because it is coarse.

We also try to acquire fleeces like Texel from breeders who concentrate on meat, but pick out the best of their fleeces for us. Texel can be a soft white and long staple wool that spins very easily if selected carefully. Texel is very common in Europe and in the last decade or so become a breed used to add muscle to market sheep. It is yet raised in the US for its fleece – lamb producers have enough to do to stay solvent!

We also keep an eye out for nice Corriedale, other CVM Romeldale, and interesting roving that you don’t run across everyday. Check our inventory when your fingers are itching to try something different – or – email to see what we have coming up. Benny and I have lots of bright ideas!

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Grown on spoiled goats in the Bitterroot Valley, Montana. The fiber is combed and washed by us, dehaired by Zeilinger. We are currently growing a crop of dark, champagne and a slightly gold-red. In stock we still have some dark in 1 oz bags.

The dark overdyes beautifully and of course the lighter colors dye as if they were white.

I spin it with a high twist and slow uptake on my Louet 90.

Dark cashmere overdyes very well, giving a heathery look.

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Cashmere Samples

About Cashmere Goats

Cashmere is the undercoat of these goats and each goat produces a couple of ounces a year. Expensive stuff!

Most cashmere in the world market comes from China/Mongolia where the goats are kept as semi domestic stock. No complaints about herdsmen making a living herding goats; but Amy’s goats are living at the foot of the Bitterroot Mountains on untreated pasture and don’t starve when there is a drought. They are lucky members of the cashmere producing world, and we are fortunate to have them.