This is Amanda. She is a purebred American Teeswater from Ovelha Acres in Oregon. She came to live with us in April 2014 and making her the very first Teeswater in Alaska.

She is as sweet as can be and those locks, oh my! Teeswaters are known for their long curls that have amazing luster and shine, even after they are dyed.

Their wool grows in long curly locks, about 8-12 inches per year, depending on the environment. You see, healthy sheep grow wool faster than under nourished sheep. Sheep in super cold or really hot climates grow wool slower than their cousins in milder climates. The more energy the sheep needs to survive, the less energy they can allocate to growing wool. So for a wool farmer it really pays to take excellent care of the sheep.

The tight curls can be used in a multitude of fiber arts and craft projects. My mom wants to make a new beard for her favorite Santa.

I will never win awards for my photography skills, but I think you can see how the locks sparkle. Now imagine bright colors that shimmer and shine.

Next year I hope to get another ewe and start trying for lambs. Because there are so few purebred Teeswater rams, and all of them are so very far away from Alaska, I will need to use artificial insemination to make more of these lovely creatures.  Hopefully by then the local vet will have it down to a fine science…