100% Ontario Border Leicester Pindrafted Roving, sold in 100 gram bumps.

This is a rare offering, indeed! Border Leicester sheep are a heritage breed and are listed as "at risk" by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Twin Oaks Farm in Ontario purchased a group of six ewes at auction because she knew they were special, and I purchased the wool, sight unseen, because I believe in the value of saving rare breed sheep. One way to do that is to support the shepherds that raise them.

Border Leicester sheep are large and notable for their rabbit ears. Their wool is lustrous, strong, and this batch of fibre is quite soft - Mikel tested a knitted swatch and found it comfortable to wear against his neck. However, if you have very sensitive skin, do be aware that you may find it more comfortable to have a layer between your skin and this wool.

This batch of fibre was processed into pindrafted roving by the amazing team at Wellington Fibres. Because Border Leicester is a long staple fibre, my favourite way to spin it is worstedm as that allows the special qualities of the wool to really shine - and I mean that literally. Border Leicester is considered a lustre breed, and worsted spinning will bring out the silkiness and the shine. It can be spun woollen as well, but the staple length does make it trickier to spin woollen and the shine and silkiness won't be as apparent. Border Leicester takes dye really well, and hand dyed bumps of this fibre will be available soon!

Sold in 100 gram bumps. As this is a limited run (and the sheep have been sold onwards), please ensure you purchase enough to complete your project.

Proceeds from the sale of this batch of fibre are earmarked for a weaving project that's in the prototyping stage. Stay tuned for more information!