Single-Breed Fibre Tops
Single-Breed Fibre Tops
Single-Breed Fibre Tops
Single-Breed Fibre Tops
Bluefaced Leicester is one of the most popular British breeds – and rightly so! This top has a wonderful balance of drape and durability, with just a little woolly bounce. Our Bluefaced Leicester is a standard grade 100% UK sourced fibre.
Corriedale fibre has a good long staple length, is smooth with a hint of lustre and oodles of bounce. The breed is derived from a cross of the Merino sheep and Lincoln Longwool. Our Corriedale is farmed in the Falkland Islands – ensuring that the animals have been treated with the utmost care and are free from harmful mulesing.
The Devon Closewool originates from a cross of the Devon Longwool and the Exmoor Horn. It produces a fibre that is dense and springy with a sturdy handle. These tops are ideal for adding a bit of texture and durability.
The Exmoor Blueface is our local sheep which can be seen dotted across the Moorland roaming the Exmoor hills, just around the mill. A crossbreed of the Exmoor Horn (our local hill sheep) and the distinguished Bluefaced Leicester (the softest British sheep breed), the Exmoor Blueface sheep produces a beautifully soft and springy fibre tops which is excellent for spinning.
We found this fibre by visiting our local BWMB grading station. It is pale silver in colour, wonderfully soft, with a delicate woolly halo and plenty of lustre. The sheep are a crossbreed of the distinguished Bluefaced Leicester (the softest British sheep breed) with a local hill sheep.
Jacob is a light, soft, springy and open fibre. The complex colour range within the top can create a very interesting hand spun yarn. It is also great for felting.
Super soft white Merino farmed and bred in the Falkland Islands, ensuring that the animals have been treated with the utmost care and are free from harmful mulesing. This makes a high quality, luxury super soft tops that is a total delight.
The Polwarth sheep are now widely farmed on the Falkland Islands alongside the Merino, however the breed originates in Australia. Our Polwarth is a long, soft fibre and, being from the Falklands, it is ensured to come from animals that have been treated with the utmost care and are free from harmful mulesing.
The Romney breed has been farmed since the 13th century and originates from the Romney Marsh area of Kent. Their fibre is fine and semi lustrous with good drape and bounce – it produces perfect all round fibre tops.
The Zwartbles sheep breed originates from Friesland in The Netherlands but is now widely farmed across Exmoor. They are a naturally dark brown sheep with a distinctive white blaze from the top of their heads to their noses, two white socks on their back legs and white tips on their tails. The fibre is voluminous and bouncy with a wonderful depth of tone. Our Zwartbles is bred and farmed in Devon.
Here you will find all our undyed breed specific tops – perfect if you’ve always wanted to know what a particular fibre feels like on the wheel or spindle!
We’re fortunate enough to be based in a very sheepy part of the world, so we’re able to source the majority of our fibres from Westcountry flocks. Our local British Wool Marketing Board grading station is based just a hop skip and a jump from the mill, so we can stroll down and inspect the fibre coming in. We then purchase it via auction and pay an additional uplift on our fibre to ensure that it is fully traceable back to the exact farm it came from.
Some breeds, like Merino, Corriedale and Polwarth, are less suited to the British climate and need to be sourced from further afield. For these fibres we work with a lovely wool agent who visits farms in the Falkland Islands for us, ensuring the fleece comes from sheep who are well cared for and not subjected to harmful mulesing.
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Local Fibre
Our mill is situated in the heart of North Devon. As much as possible we use the fibre which is reared and sheared on this land, utilising the unique properties of each breed in our yarn and tops.
Unique Yarn & Tops
The hours of work and skill that go into producing one of our yarn and tops ranges is reflected in the dedication of a knitter, spinner or crocheter during the intricate journey from beginning to finished garment – both are a harmony of tradition and creativity.
Vintage Machines
Our Mill is one of only a handful of small-scale worsted spinning mills still operating in the UK. Many of our vintage machines were rescued from old, traditional mills before their closure. Keeping them going is a labour of love, but we reckon that the resulting woolly treats are well worth it!
10% Off with Mill Membership
Our Mill Members receive access to oodles of limited edition specials, early access to new products, a lifetime 10% discount and our heart felt thanks for helping us do what we love every day!