Sandra's Designing Blog

My haul of British Breeds yarn

Posted on 12:00pm Sunday 13th Oct 2024

Hi there,

At the Knitting & Crochet Guild recent yarn sale I picked up a pack of 50 gram balls of Blacker Yarns, a colourful pack of blues and pinks along with some balls of Ecru. The yarn looked DK weight so I didn't investigate, just thought I could bring it all together into a wonderful colourful sweater. When I got home I looked at my haul in more detail and discovered that the Ecru DK was in fact a mix of different breeds of yarns and different yarn weights too. Just having these 5 balls in my hands really highlighted the different categories of British wool yarn, some being soft to touch whilst others being a lot courser and hairy,
I decided to find out more.

Categories and Uses

Fine wool: Soft, typically used for garments worn close to the skin (e.g., Merino).
Medium wool: Durable and versatile, often used for garments, blankets, and general-purpose knitting.
Longwool: Lustrous and strong, with excellent drape. Best suited for weaving and elegant, drapey projects.
Primitive breeds: Known for hardiness and often coarser textures, suited for outerwear, carpets, or more durable textiles.

British sheep breeds are known for producing a variety of high-quality wools, each with distinct characteristics. The wool is categorised by texture, fiber length, and use, often classified into fine, medium, longwool, and primitive breeds. Here’s a summary of how my British Breeds yarn's fit into these categories.

1. Welsh Mule

Category: Crossbreed (often between a Bluefaced Leicester ram and a Welsh Mountain ewe).
Characteristics: The wool is versatile, typically medium in texture with good softness and crimp.
Use: Mainly in carpet blends.

2. Portland

Category: Primitive breed.
Characteristics: Portland wool is finer than many other primitive breeds, with a short staple length.
Use: Mostly by hand spinners in blends for apparel.
Location: This rare breed has a stronghold in the South West.

3. North Ronaldsay

Category: Primitive breed.
Characteristics: This unique breed, has developed to adapt to the terrain of the Orkney Islands. The wool is variable, often with a mixture of fine undercoat and coarser outercoat fibers, suitable for different uses.
Use: Popular with hand spinners.
Location: North Ronaldsay Island, Scotland.

4. Bluefaced Leicester (BFL)

Category: Longwool.
Characteristics: BFL wool is known for its fine, long, lustrous fibers. It's soft, drapey, and has excellent stitch definition, making it one of the most popular British wools for luxury garments.
Use: Ideal for next-to-skin garments, shawls, and accessories. Its fine, silky texture makes it a favorite for spinning and knitting.
Location: Mainly found in Northern England.

5. Jacob

Category: Primitive and multi-horned breed.
Characteristics: Jacob wool is medium in texture, with a range of natural colors, from white to dark brown or black. The wool has a medium staple length, making it versatile for different knitting and spinning projects. It is prized for its durability and loft, offering warmth and resilience while still being reasonably soft. Jacob fleece is often spotted, which allows for unique color blending in yarn.
Use: The wool is ideal for hand-spinning and felting, making it a favorite for those who enjoy working with natural, undyed fibers. It is also used for both outerwear and garments due to its balance of softness and durability.
Location: Jacobs are mainly found across the UK.

Click here for 'The British Wool Org' incl lots of cute sheep photos

* CHECK OUT THE YARN SALE *

Discounted yarns change all the time, so please keep checking them out for any bargains.

I always discount the very last few knitting kits I have so then I can concentrate on developing new ones for you. Check them out here