Buying a fleece straight from the sheep is the true starting point for many spinners.  In this podcast I talk about thinking through the process before you actually go shopping, and then what to look for when you are finally ready to buy.
I would like to include references to two books that I mention in this podcast:
Turning Wool into a Cottage Industry  by Paula Simmons
In Sheep's Clothing by Nola and Jane Fournier
Music is from the podsafe music network  and was the instrumental Change of Autumn by Brian Turner.
 
As promised: a listing of sheep breed based on the softest possible micron count (the number listed after the name of the sheep):
Sheep breeds softest to roughest listing
Reference  In Sheep's Clothing  by Nola and Jane Fournier
Fine wools                                                                                                       Merino 18   Rambouillet 19               CVM 21                                                                                     Cormo 21                                                                                     Polworth 21                                                                           Romeldale 21                                                                   Targhee 22                                                                           Polypal 22                                                                         Bond 23                                                                             Columbia 24                                                                             Corriedale 26                                
   Down Breeds                 Shetland  23  Southdown  23  Clun Forest  25       Montadale  25               Tunis  25         Black Welsh Mountain 26    Ryeland  26  Shropshire  26  Suffolk  26  Cheviot  28
     Longwools                                                                  Blue faced Leicester 24                          Texel   26                                                    Gotland   28                                                    Perendale  28                                                        Teeswater  30                                                 Wensleydale 30                                          Romney 33                                               Cotswold  34                                            Coopworth  35                                          Lincoln 36                                                  Border Leicester  37