CVM

The California Variegated Mutant, or CVM, is a distinct-looking breed that originated in our home state in the 1960s. Sheep from the Romeldale breed – a white fine wool – were selectively bred for a naturally occurring genetic mutation that produces a fleece of variegated colors.

From tan to gray to brown to black, several colors can often be found in the same fleece and occasionally even in the same lock of wool. A typical one-year growth is three to four inches, making this breed ideally suited for woolen spinning projects. Likewise, the relative fineness and soft hand usually found in CVM lends it to being used next to skin. The crimp style and lock structure vary from being distinct locks with a merino-like crimp to open, undefined locks. While often compared to Merino, CVM tends to be a couple microns larger in diameter, producing a more durable and easier to process fleece, albeit with a slightly less soft feel. When crossbred with long wools, CVM tends to impart its variegated coloration and add fineness to the resulting fleece – often creating an ideal fiber for worsted spinning projects.

While once considered two distinct breeds, CVM and Romeldale have both seen their global populations shrink in recent years and are now considered a single breed. They are often referred to as the Romeldale/CVM breed, though many people refer to the white fleece from the breed as Romeldale and naturally colored fleece as CVM. They are in the Threatened category of the Conservation Priority List from the National Livestock Conservancy, meaning there are fewer than 1,000 registered Romeldale/CVM sheep in the US.

BFL x CVM #22253
Price range: $20.00 through $117.00
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Thin and squiggly locks abound in this highly energized crossbreed. It is bright white and measures 5″ in length when stretched but is closer to 4″ when relaxed. It has a medium to soft handle and will be next to skin soft for most people.
BFL x CVM #25360
Price range: $41.00 through $136.00
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A highly energized crossbreed whose lineage is 3/4 BFL and 1/4 CVM – and it shows. This fleece looks and acts like a BFL, albeit with a softer hand than usual and without those tight tips that are tough to process. It is bright white, with sproingy locks measuring around 5 inches but that will stretch out as long as 7 inches.
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BFL x CVM #622250
$174.00
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A springy white crossbreed with lots of energy and a medium to soft hand. The distinct, curly locks measure five to six inches in length. Sold as a half pound weighing 1.7 pounds.
BFL x Teeswater x CVM x Wensleydale #24189
Price range: $21.00 through $124.00
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Get your shades out for this bright white fleece with lots of luster! It is a four breed cross with a medium to soft hand and distinct, wavy locks measuring six to seven inches in length.
BFL x Teeswater x CVM x Wensleydale #25331
Price range: $43.00 through $142.00
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This is a high sheen, bright white, and uber-curly crossbreed. Its locks measure 7″ and longer and have a medium to soft handle. Yummy!
BFL x Wensleydale x CVM #23180
$44.00
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A 7″ long, bright white crossbreed featuring lustrous locks with open tips. This fleece has a medium to soft hand and will be a joy to spin in your next worsted project.
Border Leicester x CVM #22252
Price range: $18.00 through $104.00
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Bright white and big crimp! This unique cross of Border Leicester and CVM looks like someone took a CVM and just made everything bigger: 5″ long locks, big french fry crimp, and slightly larger fiber diameter – resulting in a medium hand rather than the typically silky soft hand of CVM. Still, this is an all around fun and squishy fleece.
Corriedale x CVM x Cotswold x Lincoln Lamb #624104
$198.00
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This lamb fleece has the relatively unique trait of featuring multiple colors in the same lock, with most of the fleece displaying some form of tan, brown, and gray along the length of the fiber. This should make for a stunning depth of color when processed! The bold, distinct locks measure around 5″ in length and have a medium (some might say coarse) hand. Sold as a half fleece weighing 2.1 pounds.
Corriedale x CVM x Lincoln x Cotswold #24102
Price range: $45.00 through $151.00
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This fun 4-breed cross is six plus inches in length and looks a bit like a Lincoln or Cotswold, but has the variegated color of a CVM and the medium hand of a Corriedale. This is an impressive fleece and was used in part for our 3rd Quarter Bliss Club in 2024.
Corriedale x CVM x Lincoln x Cotswold #24103
Price range: $17.00 through $97.00
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A dark black crossbreed measuring 7″ in length! While this has a softer feel than you expect from a fleece this long, it has a medium hand and would be appropriate to use in a second layer, rather than next to skin. The locks have a hint of brown on the tips that will blend in to create a beautiful depth of color when processed. The should be a relatively easy fleece to process for its length, as the tips are easy to open and locks are mostly defined.
Corriedale x Lincoln x Cotswold x CVM #2093
Price range: $18.00 through $106.00
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A four breed cross resulting in a 6″ fleece with a medium hand and curly locks. You can see the effect of the CVM on this fleece, as it sports several hues of gray – sometimes even within the same lock. If you are searching for a fun fleece for a worsted project, look no further.
Shave 'em to Save 'em
CVM #18139
Price range: $41.00 through $72.00
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A white CVM fleece with blocky, non-distinct locks measuring 3.5 to 4 inches in length and a medium to soft handle. This breed is on the National Livestock Conservancy’s Priority Conservation List; purchase of 4 ounces or more will include a passport stamp for the Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em Iniatitive.
Shave 'em to Save 'em
CVM #18150
$67.00
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A medium brown and tan CVM with a medium to soft hand that will be next to skin soft for most people. Locks are mostly indistinct and measure between 3.5 and 4 inches in length. This is a Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em breed and each order of four ounces or more will include a passport sticker.
CVM #23172
Price range: $24.00 through $44.00
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A stunning California Variegated Mutant (CVM) fleece with loads of crimp, a soft hand, and distinct locks measuring 4″ in length. This fleece has a very fun variegated color, running the gamut from bright white to tan to champagne to medium brown. CVM is a Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em breed, and each order of four or more ounces will include a SE2SE passport sticker.
Shave 'em to Save 'em
CVM #618130
$145.00
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A white CVM fleece with soft, indistinct locks measuring around four inches in length. This versatile fleece can be processed in either a woolen or worsted manner. This rare breed is on the Conservation Priority List and will include a SE2SE passport sticker. Sold as a half fleece weighing 1.7 pounds.
CVM x Corriedale x Wensleydale #23171
Price range: $25.00 through $152.00
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A 5″ long crossbreed with a medium hand. Mostly charcoal but exhibiting some light gray variegations. This fleece exhibits charasteristics of all three of its compenent breeds; variegated color from the CVM, good french fry crimp from the Corriedale, and length and strength from the Wensleydale.
CVM x Corriedale x Wensleydale #23183
Price range: $38.00 through $66.00
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Outside of a Jacob fleece, you do not typically see the stark white and brown coloring this fleece exhibits. Outside of a BFL fleece, you do not typically see the uber-curly, highly energized locks this fleece exhibits. So, obviously, this fleece has neither of those breeds in its lineage! This is a brown and white, 4″ long, sproingy, three way crossbreed of CVM, Corriedale, and Wensleydale, that will be next to skin soft for most people.
CVM x Corriedale x Wensleydale #24188
Price range: $40.00 through $70.00
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What’s white and brown and soft all over? This fleece! This crossbreed has a fun color variegation thanks to its CVM lineage, as well as energized 4″ locks and a handle that will be next to skin soft for most people.
CVM x Cotswold x Wensleydale x Lincoln #2135
Price range: $40.00 through $133.00
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A fun four-breed cross measuring 4.5″ in length. The locks are both crimpy and wavy, as sometimes happens in a crossbreed. This fleece did pick up some variegation in its color from the CVM lineage and the tans and light grays are best described as oatmeal in color. Don’t you need more fiber in your diet?
CVM x Rambouillet x Border Leicester x Cotswold #2466
Price range: $41.00 through $135.00
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A brown and gray crossbreed with gorgeous natural colors. Its locks are mostly distinct, easy to open, four inches long, and display themselves in a variety of styles from french fry to curly and energized. A fun fleece, begging to be featured in a sweater, socks, or some other outerwear and be shown off. This fleece has a medium hand and will not be next to skin soft for most people.
CVM x Rambouillet x Cotswold x Border Leicester #62412
$150.00
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A crimpy crossbreed measuring around 4″ in length with a medium to soft hand. This fleece is variegated in browns and grays and has sunkissed blonde tips, all of which will blend together for an intriguing depth of color when processed. Its locks are considerably sproingy considering the length, and it also has good sheen; this is a great example of the positive benefits of crossbreeding. Sold as a half fleece weighing 1.5 pounds.
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CVM x Romney x Corriedale #2090
Original price was: $36.00.Current price is: $28.00.
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A bright white crossbreed with locks measuring 4 to 5″ in length. Medium hand, with a tight CVM-like crimp in blocky, easy to process locks.
CVM x Romney x Corriedale #22255
Price range: $25.00 through $81.00
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A four-inch-long crossbreed with a medium hand. The big, crimpy locks are bright white throughout this fleece.
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CVM x Wensleydale #19070
$143.00
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A deliciously soft, 5″ long CVM and Wensleydale crossbreed. The locks have a wavy crimp and are easy to open and process. A gorgeous light silver color with blonde tips.
CVM x Wensleydale #20129
Price range: $49.00 through $92.00
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A fun crossbreed measuring as much as 9″ in length with a medium to soft hand. This fleece has thick, bold locks that are cotted (lightly felted) at the cut ends. In order to be spun, this fleece will require some work with a Lock Pop or combs and there will be a fair amount of waste. However, if used for a felting project – vegan sheep skins come to mind – this fleece is ready to use as is. Pricing on this fleece has been lowered to reflect the assumption of loss when processing for spinning.
CVM x Wensleydale #20167
$67.00
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Charocal gray crossbreed with 5.5″ locks. This is one of our favorite crossbreeds, as the result is good length with a soft hand.
CVM x Wensleydale #2176
Price range: $46.00 through $152.00
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A fine wool and long wool crossbreed featuring two of our favorite breeds. This fleece has a medium to soft hand, energized locks measuring four to five inches in length, and a deep black color with hints of brown and charcoal. This is additional fleece from our March 2026 Bliss club.
CVM x Wensleydale #2177
Price range: $38.00 through $126.00
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A CVM and Wensleydale crossbreed that definitely exhibits the “V” in CVM: variegation. Lock structure ranges from thin french fries to bold and Corriedale-like, color ranges from white to medium gray with blonde tips, and length is in the four to five inch long range. Handle is medium but may be soft enough for next to skin for some people.
CVM x Wensleydale #22130
Price range: $23.00 through $72.00
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A fine wool and long wool crossbreed featuring two of our favorite breeds. This fleece has a medium to soft hand, indistinct locks measuring around four inches in length, and variegated charcoal and gray coloring. This fleece is very similar to our March 2026 Bliss club, but with a little less energized and distinct locks.
CVM x Wensleydale #22143
Price range: $43.00 through $143.00
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A lightly variegated dark gray crossbreed with curly 4.5″ locks that are easy to open and process. This is one of our favorite crossbreeds, as the result is medium length, high sheen, and a soft hand.
CVM x Wensleydale #23175
Price range: $46.00 through $153.00
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A soft 4.5″ crossbreed in a lightly-variegated coloration we call oatmeal. This is one of our favorite pairs of breeds to see in a crossbreed fleece; it borrows length and sheen from the longwool and color, fineness, and energy from the fine wool.
CVM x Wensleydale #23237
Price range: $41.00 through $134.00
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A cross of two of our favorite breeds, resulting in a charcoal, silver, and tan fleece with a soft hand and four to five inch long locks.
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CVM x Wensleydale #619063
$184.00
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A charcoal gray crossbreed with locks measuring as long as 11 inches. This fleece has a medium hand and thick, wavy locks that end in gray-tan tips . There is some light matting at the base of the locks – as can be expected with a fleece of this length – but the locks pull apart easily for processing. Sold as a half fleece weighing 2.0 pounds.
CVM x Wensleydale #622121
$155.00
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A high energy crossbreed that reminds us that the “V” in CVM stands for variegated, as this fleece sports just about every shade of gray from light to dark. The locks measure around 5″ but snap back to around 4″ and have a soft hand. Sold as a half fleece weighing 1.3 pounds.
CVM x Wensleydale #72183
$297.00
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A fine wool and long wool cross featuring two of our favorite breeds. This fleece has a medium hand with curly, open locks measuring five inches in length. It is variegated between a dark silver and light charcoal, which is to say it is mostly medium gray but has an interesting depth of color, along with blonde tips. Sold as a whole fleece weighing 2.5 pounds.
CVM x Wensleydale x Lincoln #2140
Price range: $47.00 through $158.00
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A 4.5″ crossbreed with lots of sproing and medium to soft hand. We landed on “oatmeal” as a color designation on this fleece, as it is a mottled light gray and tan.