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.
One of our favorites, Border Leicester yarn has beautiful lustre and the soft twist of this semi-worsted spun yarn gives it a silky feel and lovely drape. It comes in undyed white and a natural gray and both dye beautifully. Naturally dyed exclusively from both home grown, foraged or purchased classic dyes.
design: 2-ply, semi-worsted spun to accentuate the lustrous nature and drape of the Longwool fleece. Quite strong. The spin and ply are a bit uneven. size: sport weight, 15 wpi, 888 yards per pound suggestedneedles: 4 to 6 (US) length: approximately 240 yards/219 meters weight: approximately 4.5 - 5 oz./127-141 grams gauge: 5 stitches per inch on sizes 5 (US) care: yarn is pre-washed. hand wash warm with low agitation, lay flat to dry or can be dry cleaned.
fibersource: hand selected fleeces from Overlook Manor, Warrenton, Virginia and Orange Gate Farm, Maurerton, Virginia fibercontent: 100% Border Leicester wool. Border Leicester yarn is a Longwool breed developed in the 18th century in the borderlands between England and Scotland (hence the name). Related by breeding to the Leicester Longwool and Blue-Faced Leicester, it is in the middle of those breeds for softness and has beautiful lustre and drape. A very personable sheep, they are clean faced with Roman noses. The white fleece is ivory color.
Opalescent and bouncy, Coopworth Sport Yarn is a true worsted spun yarn that is easy to like. The round, 3 ply structure makes an excellent knitting yarn with great stitch definition. Lovely for sweaters, shawls, cowls, dressy hats and mittens. Felts well, make a great Downton Abby style cloche.
-design: 3 ply round yarn, worsted spun with low twist in the singles and in plying to create a soft, drapey yarn. The long, strong fibers give this light weight, soft yarn surprising strength. -size: sport, approximately 17 wraps per inch and 1600 yards per pound -suggested needles: 2-4 (US) for firm fabric or larger for softer, drapier fabric -length: approximately 340 yards/310 meters -weight: 3.5 oz./ 100 grams gauge: 6.5 stitches per inch on size 3 (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 Over the Grass Farm in The Plains, Virginia -fiber content: 100% Coopworth wool. Coopworth is a Longwool breed created by crossing Romney and Border Leicester sheep. The breed standard focuses on production not the way the sheep looks, so some Coopworth look more like Romney and some have the clean head and roman noses of Border Leicester. Creamy white, strong fiber with an opalescence that dyes beautifully.
This two-ply, woolen spun yarn is very versatile, light and soft. We’ve added 10% nylon to improve washability. Great for baby things or light weight knitting. We have experimented with machine washing on regular AND drying in the dryer and finished project will shrink about 10% in one direction (length) and not much in the other direction. Finished items get softer, but lose a little stitch definition.
design: 2-ply, woolen spun, very even yarn size: sport weight, 14 wpi, 1300 yds per pound suggestedneedles: 2.5 to 6 (US) length: small skein approximately 120 yards/106 meters large skein approximately 240 yards/219 weight: small skein approximately 1.5 oz./ 44 grams large skein approximately 3.1 oz/87 grams gauge: 6 stitches per inch on size 4 (US) care: yarn is pre-washed. hand wash warm with low agitation, lay flat to dry or can be dry cleaned. Can machine wash and dry with some shrinkage.
fibersource: hand selected fleeces from Saffer's Montadales in Warwick, Maryland on the Eastern Shore fibercontent: 90% Montadale wool. 10% nylon Montadale is a modern US breed developed in the 1930's in the mid-west from Cheviot rams with Columbia ewes. These sheep are raised for both meat and their exceptionally white wool which is in the "medium" range. Medium is right in the middle of all the types of wool and makes an excellent knitting yarn that is fairly soft but still fairly strong.
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.
