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This fibers come from the United States.

The modern Icelandic sheep is a direct descendant of sheep brought to Iceland by the Vikings in the 9th Century. It is a member of the Northern European Short Tailed type of sheep, along with Shetland, Finnsheep and Romanov. Attempts to crossbreed Icelandics to improve the breed were disastrous, and all crossbreds ended up being culled. It is now illegal to import other breeds of sheep into Iceland. The Icelandic sheep today is the same, genetically, as its 1,000 year old ancestor, and therefore is quite possibly the oldest and purest domesticated sheep in the world today.

Icelandic sheep are dual-coated like most primitive breeds, with a fine undercoat (called the Thel) and a coarser outer coat (called the Tog). The Thel is downlike, springy, lustrous and soft, while the Tog is similar to mohair ~ wavy rather than crimpy. Natural colors range from white to various shades of gray and brown, to pitch black. Some Icelandic are solid-colored, while others are dual-colored, badgerfaced and patterned.

Icelandic is not listed as a rare breed, but is unusual in the United States. For more information, please see: http://www.isbona.com/icelandicsheep.html