Made with hand selected fleece from small farms in our local fibershed, each of our single breed wool yarns is designed to work with the character of the wool to maximize it’s beauty and use. Check the tabs on each yarn for description and detail to learn the provenance of the wool, yarn structure, gauge, weight etc and the about this wool tab for information and photos of the breed and fleece.
-design: 3-ply, woolen spun size: worsted weight, 12 wpi -suggested needles: 6 to 8 (US) -length: approximately 185 yards/169 meters -weight: 3.8 oz./ 107 grams -gauge: 4.5 sts. per inch on size 7 (US) -care: yarn is pre-washed. hand wash warm with low agitation, lay flat to dry or can be dry cleaned.
-fiber source: hand selected fleeces from Shepherds Knoll Farm, Phoenix, Maryland and Meadow Brook farm in Warrenton, Virginia -fiber content: 100% Clun Forest wool.
A breed from the Welsh border area of Britain, Clun Forest is a heritage breed in the US. Raised for meat and valued for their ability to grow well on pasture alone, they also grow a high quality, Down type wool that has robust crimp and elasticity. Clun fleece is fairly fine, with a short staple. Biggest problem with this wool can be breaks due to nutritional stress. Check fleeces carefully.
Down-type fleece is springy, spongy and perfect for cushiony, comfortable socks. Down type wools also resist shrinking and felting and that along with added nylon makes it possible to wash firm knit socks in the machine. I even throw them in the dryer.
-design: 3-ply, woolen spun -size: sport weight, 13 wpi -suggested needles: 3 to 4 (US) for socks, up to 8 for other -length: approximately 235 yards/215 meters (enough for a women's large, or men's average pair of socks -weight: 4.25 oz./ 120 grams -gauge: 7 sts. per inch on size 3 or 4 (US) -care: yarn is pre-washed. The Down type wool plus added nylon make this yarn machine washable. If knit tightly it can be dried in the dryer as well with only a small amount of shrinkage in the length. Of course, hand washing will maintain original appearance the best
-fiber source: hand selected fleeces from Millcreek Farms, Loudoun County, Virginia -fiber content: 80% Dorset wool, 20% nylon
Dorset sheep are originally from the Downs area of England and thought to be a cross between Spanish Merino and Horned sheep of Wales. According to the Oklahoma State Breeds of Livestock listing, the first Dorsets in the US came to Oregon, shipped by the Hudsons Bay Company in the 1860's. East Coast imports came in the late 1800's. Polled (hornless) Dorsets were a mutation that happened at North Carolina State College in the 1950's and now outnumber Horned Dorsets here and in other countries. They are one of the most common sheep breeds in the US. Raised primarily for meat, the ewes are good mothers, frequently have multiple births and can breed "out of season"
The fleece is very white with no black fibers like black faced meat breeds (Suffolks and Hampshires). The sheep will grow fleece from 2.5 to 4 inches long in a year and it has the robust crimp (extremely springy) of Down-type wools.
