Welsh Blankets
A Yarn Story
A Yarn Story - Why Wool?
Natural, Renewable, Biodegradeable... and Plastic Free
Wool is a protein fibre formed in the skin of sheep, and is therefore one hundred percent natural. As long as there is grass to graze on, every year sheep will produce a new fleece; making wool a renewable fibre source. At the end of its useful life, wool can be returned to the soil, where it decomposes, releasing valuable nutrients into the ground. When a natural wool fibre is disposed of in soil, unlike plastic materials, it takes a very short time to break down, whereas most synthetics are extremely slow to degrade.
FelinFach Hand Dyed Yarns
Our hand dyed yarn is dyed in small batches from Welsh and UK yarn together with some specialty fibres. Each batch is hand dyed in Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK using ethically-sourced natural dye extracts.
Fleece to Yarn - The Process
The story of yarn is the process of turning a fleece from the back of a sheep into yarn to make clothes, carpets and many other textiles. The main steps in the process are.
- Shearing
- Sorting
- Scouring
- Carding
- Spinning
Once the wool has been spun, we can begin the process of hand dyeing our yarns with natural dyes.
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Shearing:
Sheep shearers carefully remove the fleece of a sheep in one piece. Shearing takes place in the Spring to ensure the health and comfort for the sheep before the heat of the summer.
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Sorting:
After shearing, each fleece is sorted based on its quality, staple length, and fibre diameter. This ensures that fibres with similar characteristics are grouped together, leading to consistent yarn.
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Scouring:
Once sorted, the fleece undergoes washing to remove lanolin, dirt, and grease accumulated during the sheep's life. After washing each fleece is dried which does take quite some time, hours not minutes!
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Carding:
Carding is the process of aligning and separating the individual fibres to prepare them for spinning. This can be done manually using hand carders or mechanically with drum carders. The fibres are passed through a series of fine teeth, which tease them apart and align them in a parallel arrangement, creating a fluffy, uniform mass called a rolag.
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Spinning:
The carded fibres are now ready for spinning, where they are drawn out and twisted together to form yarn. This can be done using a spinning wheel or a spindle. The amount of twist applied determines the characteristics of the resulting yarn, such as its strength and texture. Throughout this stage, the spinner must maintain consistent tension and thickness to produce high-quality yarn.
Finally, the yarn is finished and wound into skeins or balls, ready to be used by knitters, weavers, or other fibre artists to create beautiful and functional textiles.
FelinFach Hand Dyed Yarns
Our hand dyed yarn is dyed in small batches from Welsh and UK yarn together with some specialty fibres. Each batch is hand dyed in Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK using ethically-sourced natural dye extracts.
Campaign for Wool
FelinFach has been an official supporter of the worldwide Campaign for Wool for many years and is listed on the Campaign's official supporter's web page.
About FelinFach
Located in Pembrokeshire Wales, our ethos is defined in the three words...
NATURAL TRADITIONAL HANDMADE.
- Hand woven iconic Welsh blankets.
- Hand dyed yarn, dyed with natural dyes only - no exceptions!
- Hand poured candles, candle accessories, Candle Making Workshops and soapery.
- Natural Dyeing Craft courses.
- Yarn shop, yarn bowls, project bags, tools and accessories for knitters and crafters.
- Welsh Gifts, souvenirs, made in Wales, handmade in Wales.
We are a proud supporter of Americymru, the Campaign for Wool, Global Welsh and Red Dragon America.
Last updated 3rd May 2024
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