Cheviot
My favorite so far.
History
Cheviot wool is known to be one of the whitest wools. The sheep are particularly suited to their environment. Mary, Queen of Scots tried to introduce Spanish Merino to the Cheviots, however the merino stock was not hardy enough to survive the highland hills.
Herdwyck
I wouldn't recommend this for general spinning. It was a struggle. The staple is very short, there are many guard hairs, and the fiber is coarse. It would be great for nalbound socks or slippers, but nothing worn next to the skin.
History
Herdwick sheep are thought to have been brought to the Danelaw in the late 10th c. The lambs are born black and lighten to brown/gray as they age. Their wool is coarse and they are currently prized as a food source.
Jacob
This was an easy spin, but not very fine in this preparation.
History
Black Welsh
I love the richness of the color of this raw wool. However it is coarse and a challenge to keep spinning evenly.
Corriedale-Cross
Targhee
Swaledale
Hebridean Black
Polwarth
Epic sheep. Super easy to spin. My fiber friends call this fiber "poof-warth" because it blooms enthusiastically when wet finished.
History
Work vs Zen
Spinning to a target weight is not my zen place. I tend to spin yarn that ends up Aran weight (? wraps per inch). It doesn't seem to matter if I am making 2 ply, chain ply, or any other combination. My body likes to spin fat, happy yarn- which is my preferred weight to knit!
This is only a problem because the extant pieces I am focused on are spun at 6-7 threads per CM for the "coarse" pieces. They are much finer gauge than what I produce consistently. This is something I am looking into refining, while trying to retain my enjoyment of working with fat, happy yarn.
General Breed information from https://breeds.okstate.edu/sheep/
