Rambouillet, Merino & Corriedale Wool Braid Comparison

How These Fibers Actually Behave at the Wheel

Not all wool is created equal — and if you’ve ever wondered why certain fibers draft effortlessly while others feel fussy, grabby, or inconsistent, the answer almost always lives in the fiber itself.

In this comparison, we’re looking at Rambouillet, Merino, and Corriedale wool braids side by side, focusing on how they perform in real spinning conditions — not just how they’re described on paper. Micron counts and breed reputations only tell part of the story. What matters most is how a fiber behaves in your hands.

This breakdown is designed to help you choose fiber with intention instead of guesswork.

I love being able to take my crafts with me when I travel. Knitting is easy enough but a spinning wheel can seem daunting. I am currently spending time with my family in Windy Hill Myrtle Beach so of course Mom and I had her pollywog and decided we needed some “ spinning wheel glamour shots” I have pictures of our pollywog at this particular location at the beach dating back almost 10 years! The small size of the SpinOlution Pollywog is a fabulous feature even if you’re not traveling. As someone who is running a business ( and a busy family )from home visual clutter really stresses me out. Being able to easily store my crafts out of sight and worry is a really an important feature for me.

Lately, I've been reflecting on the idea of contentment—not in a passive, shrug-your-shoulders way, but in a deeper, more spiritual sense. In Sanskrit, there's a word for this: Santoṣa. It’s one of the niyamas of yoga, and it refers to a kind of soul-deep peace. A way of being where you’re no longer chasing perfection or needing to control everything. You’re not numbing out or giving up—you’re simply rooted in the truth that what you have, and who you are, is enough right now.

We aren’t the first people to struggle with winter. Across cultures, the shift from fall to winter wasn’t just seasonal — it was spiritual. The world darkened, crops were harvested, and the year itself seemed to exhale. Rather than resist the change, most traditions created rituals to carry the human psyche through it.

I knew that shape. I’d seen it in nature, of course — sunflowers, pinecones, nautilus shells. But more than that, I’d felt it. In the quiet rhythm of spinning yarn. In the nested curves of my fiber batt layers. In the way color moves through a skein without trying too hard. I was already working with the spiral — I just didn’t have the name for it.

Explore my favorite natural fibers to spin and blend into batts — from heritage wools like Gotland and Shetland to silky bamboo and textured cotton neps. Discover what makes each one unique and why they’re part of my fiber subscription boxes.

That’s what I wanted to explore at my wheel. With a bundle of curly wool locks and a braid of bamboo top, I spun each into singles, then plied them together. The wool kept its wild, feral energy; the bamboo flowed like a ribbon. The result was a two-ply that echoed everything those medieval tapestries achieved—earthy foundation meeting luminous highlight, but with a touch of mischief.

Discover how knitting, spinning, and yoga calm your nervous system by engaging the lizard, elephant, and monkey parts of your brain. A modern blend of neuroscience, craft, and calm from indie fiber artist Erin James.