Meet the animals

Our fibre comes from four different kinds of animal: sheep, alpacas, goats and angora rabbits. We use silkworms, too, which are an entirely different form of animal life; the Tussah silk we use does not kill the silkworm.

The main source of our raw materials are sheep. It was Rudyard Kipling who wrote 'poor little lambs have lost their way' and 'little black sheep who've gone astray'. But if you think that one little black sheep is the same as the next, then think again.

There are over 60 different breeds living in the UK alone and in the last three years we've processed fleece from over 50 of them. Where possible we've included a link to the relevant breed society.

Although the sheep themselves are unlikely to bleat a complaint, the following list is in alphabetical order. Opinions differ, and the views are those of one person and are not necessarily shared by the Natural Fibre Company!

Black Welsh Mountain/other Welsh sheep

The only truly black sheep! Their fleece includes 'kemp' or coarse white hair which adds character to the yarn. Although shearlings can produce soft yarn, this fibre is better for making outer garments and felt. We also use Llanwenog, white with dark kemp and generally softer, or blends to give you a totally Welsh textile or knitting experience. Look out, too, for the donkey-brown Balwen, whose fleeces make good, thick blankets and picnic rugs. For more information contact the Black Welsh Mountain Sheep Breeders' Association.

Bluefaced Leicester

The aristocratic Roman nose on these sheep gives them a certain distinction and the wool follows suit. The pure wool is quite creamy in colour, particularly when worsted spun, and can be used for baby clothes. We also use this lovely, fine, soft and lustrous wool to blend with mohair creating a drapey yarn which is particularly suitable for woven items. For more information contact The Bluefaced Leicester Sheep Breeders' Association.

 

Castlemilk Moorit

A rare breed supported by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. The sheep are small with short, brown fleece. Although the colour is attractive, the shortness sometimes makes the fibre difficult to spin, so we generally blend it with silk and/or alpaca. This makes for a softer, more brightly coloured yarn. Rarity means we generally use a strong and different fibre to make the warp for woven goods. For more informatrion contact the Castlemilk Moorit Sheep Society.

Corriedale

Developed largely in Australia and New Zealand, this is the oldest cross breed of them all coming originally from crossing Lincoln or Leicester rams with Merino ewes. The Corriedale we use comes from the Falklands Islands and we find it an excellent alternative to Merino on which we are less keen for a variety of reasons. Corriedale fleece produces a lovely, white, fine and crimpy yarn soft enough to wear next to the skin. As Corriedale helps mohair hold together, we use it for knitting yarn. For more information try the Australian Corriedale Association or the American Corriedale Association who supplied this picture.

 

Gotland

We have a soft spot for this Swedish breed developed by the Vikings on the island of Gotland over 1,000 years ago, and it's probably our favourite (This has nothing to do with the fact that Sue Blacker's flock is Gotland!). There are only around 1,500 in the UK, but they came originally from the island they take their name from in the Baltic Sea directly south of Stockholm. Their wool is wonderful! It comes in a variety of greys from silver to charcoal and is very fine, long and lustrous. Our Gotland/Merino blend uses Saxon Merino wool from Scotland. This is very rare and once our stock is gone, we don't know when we will get any more. For more information contact the British Gotland Sheep Society.

Hebridean

These small dark sheep are almost, but not quite black. They have lovely characters and are very popular for conservation grazing as they largely look after themselves. The older ladies go grey which adds a second shade when the fibre is woven or more interest for a knitting yarn. The fleece is fine and long and sometimes has lustre, but it can easily get matted which can be a problem at the sorting and grading stage. For more information contact the Hebridean Sheep Society.

Jacob

Most people know the distinctive dark brown and white fleece produced by Jacobs, an ancient breed of horned sheep. The two colours can be sorted to create up to five different shades with the mixed dark and pale producing an interesting grey/brown colour. It's odd, but true that brown and white together appear grey. The yarn looks more brown when worsted spun with mohair because of the way it reflects the light. This is a deservedly popular wool for outer garments and when blended with mohair it makes a soft yarn ideal for scarves. For more information contact the Jacob Sheep Society.

 

Lleyn

Ten years ago this native Welsh breed was little known outside the Lleyn Peninsula, but is becoming more popular with farmers, which is good news for us as the fleece is good, fine, mid-length and lustrous. It produces a nice yarn on its own or with blends, and is particularly good if used for felting and dyeing. For more information contact the Lleyn Sheep Society.

Manx Loagthan

With an unpronouceable surname and up to six horns, this sheep's wool has a lot to live up to! It is strong and crimpy and a lovely deep rich brown in colour. It's good when used on its own for outer wear or rugs and produces a softer yarn when blended with mohair. The sheep, are natives of the Isle of Man, go blond in the sun and this makes for a range of colours and can produce a heathered effect.

Mule

A Mule is a cross breed, mostly using Blue-faced Leicester rams with mountain ewes from Wales, the Pennines or Scotland. The resulting fleece is often very soft, fine and highly crimped. We select carefully as the range of mums produce a range of results! The illustration here shows what came from a Suffolk ram and a North of England mule. For more information contact the North of England Mule Sheep Association.

North Ronaldsay

Another rare sheep, one that grazes on seaweed and is mainly found on the island for which they are named. They have quite coarse, but very soft fleeces in a range of colours from white through grey to dark brown. This creates design oportunities for our throws. They are small sheep with strong wills. For more information contact the North Ronaldsay Sheep Fellowship.

Portland

An unusual sheep in that it is able to breed at any time of the year. A small, rare and protected heathland breed from Dorset with links to the Wessex tan-faced group of sheep. The characteristic colours of their soft, creamy fleece is tan/brown from the legs and face. For more information contact Portland Sheep.

Ryeland

These sheep are quite little and almost resemble teddy bears! The fleece is either white or dark, or more specifically a creamy white and a lovely mottled grey/brown. The fleece is quite fine, crimpy and warm. They are an ideal breed for smallholders and the ewes are particularly good mothers. For more information contact the Ryeland Flock Book Society.

 

Shetland

The finest fibre of all the British breeds and one whose history can be traced back to the Eighth Century. The wool comes in around eight main colours, but there are also various types of markings all with special Gaelic/Norse names. The fleece is fine, soft and crimpy, but sometimes short. The same animal can produce fleece of very mixed quality which is a challenge when we sort and grade. We use it to blend with alpaca to maintain colour intensity. For more information contact the Shetland Sheep Society.

 

Suffolk

Probably the most numerous breed of sheep in England and very much, like the Cotswold, the foundation of the wool trade. A larger, hardy sheep with drooping ears, the head and legs are dark brown/black. The fleece is strongly crimpy and resiliant. Best blended or used as the warp on throws and blankets. For more information contact the Suffolk Sheep Society.

Texel

A Dutch import from the island of that name, living in Britain since the 1970s. A big, meaty sheep, with a heavy head, long body and short legs. Not elegant, but very functional. They are normally white, but the dark coloured ones are also bred for wool and are called Blue Texels. The wool is fine, soft and crimpy.For more information conact the Texel Sheep Society.

 

Wensleydale and lustre longwools

These beautiful, tall and elegant sheep have long shiney coats with fine, wavy wool. They may be dark, and then the wool is grey/brown, but most are cream. These two are yearling ewes. The wool is typical of the longwools: heavy glossy and wavy rather than with crimp. For more information contact the Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breeders' Association. Their's is the finest longwool, but you can find others, such as Cotswold (the true old English sheep which came to Britain with the Romans), Leicester and Lincoln Longwool and Devon and Cornwall Longwool (a much coarser variety, more suitable for carpets and rugs).

Zwartbles

This Dutch breed is growing in popularity with farmers. Zwartbles are calm with lovely manners and an almost black fleece which goes rusty red at the tips when bleached in the sun. The colour of the resulting yarn is bitter chocolate. We also blend it with mohair to improve the handle and it comes out like dark, shiny coal. Rather nice! For more information contact the Zwartbles Sheep Association.