Description
Bluefaced Leicester (BFL) is the main staple of my yarn collection. I use pure 100% BFL, sourced directly from Yorkshire Dales farmers. The wool is scoured in Bradford, West Yorkshire, using just soap and water. We don’t add bleach or any other finishing agents so you may from time to time find a bit of clean straw in your yarn. It pulls out easily enough!
Each year I gather Bluefaced Leicester fleece from farms througout the Yorkshire Dales, with the bulk of the wool being sourced from farms within a 20 mile radius of Sedbergh. Many of my scarves as well as the Dentdale Blanket are woven from this yarn. It also forms the basis of my Cumbrian Tweed yarn and Cumbrian Summer Blankets.
Bluefaced Leicesters are distinctive sheep. With their long legs, upwards pointing ears and large roman noses, these characters wear one of the finest wool ‘jackets’ in the British sheep kingdom. Lustrous and of long staple, therefore softer than the hardier mountain breeds, Bluefaced Leicester fleece lends itself well to fine yarns, both woollen spun and worsted spun (click here for more on our BFL Worsted spun yarns).
While my yarns are spun for weaving it is also possible to knit with them, especially fine lace garments. Weaving yarns tend to have more twist than regular knitting yarns but that extra twist gives knitted garments enhanced stitch definition.
With a baker’s dozen of gorgeous colours to choose from you can mix and match to your heart’s content. Try twisting the colours together for unusual marls and a thicker yarn. In addition to the colours shown below, there is a light grey option which has been dyed in-the-fleece before spinning. All other colours are package dyed. For a closer look at the yarn and a more accurate assessment of the colour you can order a Shade cards.
Bracken Red
Carbon Black
Natural (undyed) Cream (o/s)
Clover Purple
Grass Green
Madder Orange-Red
Moss Green
Ice Blue
Pine Green
Plum Purple
Rust/Satsuma Orange
Sky Blue
Tarn Blue
Not shown: Grey, Lichen Yellow
This yarn weaves into beautifully light woollen cloth. If you’ve never woven with singles before you can start by doubling it up for a thicker more woolly result. If you’re a singles fanatic (like me!) then you can try our slightly finer BFL 14s for an even silkier finish.
Good to know:
- wool source: direct from farms in the Yorkshire Dales
- count: 1/12 yorkshire skeins weight (a fine lace weight)
- twist: z
- length: approx. 6000m/kg
- spun in West Yorkshire
- dyed in the Scottish Borders
- Yarn is sold in increments of 100g, wound onto a cone. I can now wind any weight onto cone. If you are interested in purchasing smaller or larger amounts please contact me directly.
