Fibre in Focus

Fibre in Focus – Romney

A little bit of history Romney sheep are the product of over a thousand years of natural adaptation and breeding. The Romney Marsh area of Kent and East Sussex has always had a somewhat blurred border between sea and land. Human settlers have been controlling it for centuries using various technologies. The Romans used drainage […]

Fibre in Focus – Polwarth

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways… I first came across Polwarth when I lived in Australia. This isn’t entirely surprising for two reasons: firstly, I started spinning when I lived in Australia, and secondly, that’s where the Polwarth breed originated. From a distance, Polwarth sheep look quite similar to Merino. In […]

Fibre Characteristics – Lustre

a windswept sheep against a glowing horizon

Welcome to another occasional blog series! In these posts, I’ll be looking at terms for fibre characteristics, such as ‘lustre’, ‘micron count’, ‘handle’, etc. It can take a while to get to grips with these terms, but being armed with the knowledge of how a fibre behaves can help you choose the perfect yarn or […]

Fibre in Focus – Wensleydale

Wensleydale sheep – they look so chilled out, with their loopy hair curling over their eyes. This is another breed that is difficult to misidentify, although other longwools such as Teeswater can look similar. However, Wensleydales usually have a distinctive deep blue face and ears, and the curly fleece, or ‘topping’, that falls over their […]

Fibre in Focus – Bluefaced Leicester (BFL)

A look at the Bluefaced Leicester breed and the characteristics of its fleece.

Fibre in Focus – Muga Silk

Hello and welcome to this episode of Fibre in Focus! This time, I’ll be talking about Muga silk, one of my favourite fibres to work with, to touch and to look at. It’s just divine. An Exhalted History Muga silk, or Assam silk, is one of the rarest silks in the world. It is made […]

Fibre in Focus – Seacell

I’ve been meaning to write blog posts about fibres I love to work with for absolutely ages, so I’m planning on this becoming a regular feature. Hit me in the comments with any fibres you’re interested in that you’d like to know more about. This week’s focus is Seacell, which is a pretty fabulous fibre […]