wool from coloured ryeland sheep

wool

wool from coloured ryeland sheepRyelands and Coloured Ryelands are one of the oldest of established British breeds with records dating back to the 12th century.  Ryeland sheep were bred by monks in Herefordshire who grazed them on rye pastures so giving rise to their name.  The monks were responsible for sorting and weighing the crop and then sending it to Hereford where it would be collected for shipment to Europe.  During this period, ryeland wool was highly prized fetching the highest wool prices in Europe.  It also became the measure against which the quality of other wools was assessed.

Ryeland wool is soft and springy and produces a fabulous knitting yarn.  The wool fibres have a natural crimp to them which when spun into yarn and knitted up makes wonderfully soft and cosy knitwear.

coloured ryeland sheep
coloured ryeland sheep

Coloured Ryelands are born dark brown, almost black.  As they age, they lighten up although some retain their dark colouring.  This means one flock can produce fleeces of a variety of shades ranging from dark brown through to pale cream, with a charming spectrum of greys, silvers, browns and fawns in between.

Our fleeces are processed and spun by the Halifax Spinning Mill in Yorkshire, a gem of a family run mill who pride themselves on promoting the production of British traceable products.

We have our fleeces spun together as a blend which produces a wonderful taupe yarn in a variety of weights suitable for knitting or crocheting.

Please visit our shop where you will find our full range of yarns for sale.

coloured ryeland wool from Scotland
coloured ryeland wool from Scotland