Development and use of Polwarth Wool
With Tom Dennis of Tarndwarncoort in Victoria, Australia
Australia is known in broad terms for fine wool. It has become synonymous with Merino sheep and the luxurious cloth espoused by the Woolmark brand. While Merino accounts for the overwhelming majority of fine wool production in the dry Australian interior, there are margins of the continent where there was a need for something different. This presentation will look into one of Australia’s alternative breeds of sheep drawing from a proximity to its story as the great, great grandson of the breed’s founder. Polwarth wool is now found around the world, but we will delve into the historic context of wool growing in Australia to understand the breed’s current distribution. We’ll study characteristics of the sheep and wool and consider the uses and application of Polwarth – commercial fabrics and craft supplies for spinning, dyeing, knitting, weaving. Our time together will also offer a gallery of garments and some thoughts on the future of Polwarth sheep.
We sell our yarn into USA from our online store: https://www.tarndie.com/onlineshop
There will be a 6:30pm trunk show with Treasure Goddess Yarns. The main presentation will start at 7:00pm.
After growing up in the city and suburbs, the owners of Get Bentz Farm felt a need to be closer to nature and to be more connected to where their food came from. 
