Our Yarn Bases

There are more than 60 different breeds of sheep in the UK. That’s a lot of different wool! To help you find your perfect match, we’ve included a little information about the sheep that help create our yarn bases.

Bluefaced Leicester

Bluefaced Leicester, often referred to as BFL, are a British sheep breed which produce some of the softest wool in the country. They developed from a breeding scheme by Robert Bakewell in Dishley, Leicestershire in the 18th century. They have a distinctive Roman nose, and almost blue skin, which gives them their name. They produce a beautifully soft, squishy yarn perfect for all your knitting or crochet projects.

Dorset Horn

Dorset Horn are a British sheep known for their amazingly spiralled horns, and their dense, springy fleece. They’ve been documented from as early as the 1600s, and are the only British sheep that can breed all year round. Unfortunately, they’re an endangered breed, and are recognised as ‘at risk by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust [RBST]. This is a wonderfully full-bodied yarn from one of our rarer, at risk breeds. 

Whitefaced Woodland

Whitefaced Woodland are a one of the most endangered British sheep breeds; one of four in the Priority (most at risk) category on the RBST Watchlist. Yet this British breed, closely related to Swaledale and Lonk, produces a really soft, sturdy yarn, perfect for a wide range of projects. This is definitely one of our most popular bases in person, and once you’ve squished this yarn, it’s not hard to see why!

Jacob

The origins of the Jacob are unknown, but they were almost certainly in England by the 17th century. These decorative sheep are piebald and both genders are polycerate (multi-horned). Jacob wool is soft, light and springy, making it great for spinning. It’s also perfect for projects that need a little more squish, like cosy jumpers and blankets.