Made with hand-selected fleece from small farms in the Chesapeake Fibershed, each of our single-breed wool yarns is designed to work with the character of each type of wool to maximize its’ beauty and use. Gently processed at small to medium size US mills, each yarn feels lively and good… just like the sheep, it came from.
Romney is a lustrous Longwool and spinning it with a semi-worsted technique accentuates its shine and silkiness. Available in five natural sheep shades, hand dyed solid or handpainted colors on white or overdyed on light gray or gray base. A strong yarn that will give great stitch definition and drape beautifully. Perfect for jackets & sweaters, throws, hats, scarves, mittens etc.
yarn design: 2-ply, semi-worsted spun. Lustrous and silky size: varies slightly between colors, aran weight, 9 wpi 488 to 600 yds per pound suggested needles: 8 to 11 (US) length: approximately 130 yards/121 meters weight: varies slightly between colors, 4 to 5+ oz./ 113-141 grams gauge: varies between colors, 4-4.2 sts. per inch on sizes 8-9 (US) fiber care: Yarn is pre-washed. Hand wash warm with low agitation, lay flat to dry or can be dry cleaned.
Fiber farms: Weather Lea and Solitude in Loudoun County, Virginia. Fiber content: 100% Romney wool.
Fiber farms: Weather Lea and Solitude in Loudoun County, Virginia. Fiber content: 100% Romney wool.
Lovely undyed alpaca merino yarn skeins, which are blended with just enough Merino wool to give this lace weight yarn a little elasticity. It comes in undyed black and three subtle color variations created with dyed in the wool Merino. Elegant and very soft for special knitting projects
-design: 2-ply (the best structure for lace knitting or weaving), semi-worsted spun -size: lace weight, varies a little between colors, but approximately 24 wpi 2800 yds per pound -suggested needles: 0 to 3 (US) lace 4 to 7 (US) -length: approximately 275 yards/251 meters -weight: varies slightly between colors, 1.5 to 2 oz./ 42-56 grams -gauge: varies between colors, 8.75 sts. To 10 sts. per inch on sizes 1 (US) -care: yarn is pre-washed. hand wash warm with low agitation, lay flat to dry or can be dry cleaned.
-fiber source: hand selected alpaca fleeces from Dark star Alpacas, Buttonwood Alpacas and Alpacas at Sunset Acres, Clarke County, Virginia and Merino from Black Sheep Farm, Waverly farm and Mere laur Farm in Loudoun County, Virginia -fiber content: 80% alpaca and 20% Merino wool.
Alpaca is a fine camelid fiber, a hair fiber actually, that is very soft. Blending a very Fine wool from Merino sheep adds some memory and body so your project won't continue to grow or stretch out of shape over time.
One of our favorites, Border Leicester yarn has beautiful lustre and the soft twist of this semi-worsted spun yarn gives it a silky feel and lovely drape. It comes in undyed white, natural gray and natural brown. This lustrous longwool dyes beautifully! Naturally dyed exclusively from both home grown, foraged or purchased classic dyes. This yarn qualifies for Chesapeake Fibershed (local fibers, labor and dyes). Purchased dyes (indigo, cochineal and madder) do not qualify. Look for "CF" at end of the color name to identify qualifying yarns.
design: 2-ply, semi-worsted spun to accentuate the lustrous nature and drape of the Longwool fleece. Quite strong. size: sport weight, 13 wpi, 900-1100 yards per pound suggestedneedles: 3 to 6 (US) length: approximately 240 yards/219 meters weight: approximately 3.5 - 4.5 oz./99-114 grams gauge: 5-5.5 stitches per inch on size 4 (US) care: yarn is pre-washed. hand wash warm with low agitation, lay flat to dry or can be dry cleaned.
fibersource: hand selected fleeces from Overlook Manor, Warrenton, Virginia fibercontent: 100% Border Leicester wool. Border Leicester yarn is a Longwool breed developed in the 18th century in the borderlands between England and Scotland (hence the name). Related by breeding to the Leicester Longwool and Blue-Faced Leicester, it is in the middle of those breeds for softness and has beautiful lustre and drape. A very personable sheep, they are clean faced with Roman noses. The white fleece is ivory color.
Glowing softness eminates from our airy Border Leicester yarn that has just enough twist to hold it together. Very light lofty yarn, delicate with high felting ability. Choose white or gray for lovely soft cowls, scarves or shawls. Works well held double for bulky but still light, airy projects.
design: 2-ply, semi-worsted spun; lustrous and airy size: worsted weight, 7-12 wpi 1100 yds per pound suggestedneedles: 7 to 15 (US) length: approximately 110 yards/100 meters weight: 2.25 oz./ 64 grams gauge: 5 stitches per inch on size 7 (US) up to 3 stitches pre inch on size 13 care: yarn is pre-washed. hand wash warm with no agitation, lay flat to dry or can be dry cleaned.
fiber source: hand selected fleeces from Overlook Manor, Warrenton, Virginia and Orange Gate Farm, Maurerton, Virginia fiber content: 100% Border Leicester wool. Border Leicester Yarn is a Longwool breed developed in the 18th century in the borderlands between England and Scotland (hence the name). Related by breeding to the Leicester Longwool and Blue-Faced Leicester, it is in the middle of those breeds for softness and has beautiful luster and drape. A very personable sheep, they are clean faced with Roman noses. The white fleece is ivory color.
Finer in diameter than our Border Leicester sport with strength added in the ply, our Border Leicester yarn plyed on cones is suitable for most warps (not great for rigid heddle) or weft. Combine this yarn as warp with a lighter, softer yarn as weft…like our Border Leicester soft spun yarn in either fog or cloud.
design: 2-ply (the best structure for lace knitting or weaving), semi-worsted spun with very light twist in singles, but extra twist in the plying for strength size: fingering weight, 16 wpi, 1000 yards per pound suggesteduse: warp or weft yarn. Will dye beautifully! care: hand wash warm with low agitation, lay flat to dry or can be dry cleaned.
fibersource: hand selected fleeces from Overlook Manor, Warrenton, Virginia and Orange Gate Farm, Maurerton, Virginia fiber content: 100% Border Leicester wool. Border Leicester yarn is a Longwool breed developed in the 18th century in the borderlands between England and Scotland (hence the name). Related by breeding to the Leicester Longwool and Blue-Faced Leicester, it is in the middle of those breeds for softness and has beautiful lustre and drape. A very personable sheep, they are clean faced with Roman noses. The white fleece is ivory color.
Opalescent and silky strong, our Coopworth yarn in lace is a true worsted spun yarn. The 2 ply sturcture is correct for lace, as it encourages stitches to open out. Two ply is also correct for weaving because the flat, bumpy edges lock together. Lace knitters have been very complimentary about the strength of this yarn.
-design: 2-ply, worsted spun; lustrous and silky -size: lace weight, 32-36 wpi, 4400 yds per pound -suggested needles: 0 to 5 (US) -length: approximately 400 yards/365 meters -weight: 1.75 oz./ 50 grams gauge: 8 sts. per inch on sizes 1 (US) -care: yarn is pre-washed. hand wash warm with low agitation, lay flat to dry or can be dry cleaned.
-fiber source: hand selected fleeces from Over the Grass Farm in The Plains, Virginia -fiber content: 100% Coopworth wool.
Coopworth yarn is a Longwool breed created by crossing Romney and Border Leicester sheep. The breed standard focuses on production not the way the sheep looks, so some Coopworth look more like Romney and some have the clean head and roman noses of Border Leicester. Creamy white, strong fiber with an opalescence that dyes beautifully.
Opalescent and bouncy, Coopworth Sport Yarn is a true worsted spun yarn that is easy to like. The round, 3 ply structure makes an excellent knitting yarn with great stitch definition. Lovely for sweaters, shawls, cowls, dressy hats and mittens. Felts well, make a great Downton Abby style cloche.
-design: 3 ply round yarn, worsted spun with low twist in the singles and in plying to create a soft, drapey yarn. The long, strong fibers give this light weight, soft yarn surprising strength. -size: sport, approximately 17 wraps per inch and 1600 yards per pound -suggested needles: 2-4 (US) for firm fabric or larger for softer, drapier fabric -length: approximately 340 yards/310 meters -weight: 3.5 oz./ 100 grams gauge: 6.5 stitches per inch on size 3 (US) -care: yarn is pre-washed. hand wash warm with low agitation, lay flat to dry or can be dry cleaned.
-fiber source: hand selected fleeces from Over the Grass Farm in The Plains, Virginia -fiber content: 100% Coopworth wool. Coopworth is a Longwool breed created by crossing Romney and Border Leicester sheep. The breed standard focuses on production not the way the sheep looks, so some Coopworth look more like Romney and some have the clean head and roman noses of Border Leicester. Creamy white, strong fiber with an opalescence that dyes beautifully.
Icelandic sheep grow a fleece with a long outer coat and a soft under down in one of the widest range of natural colors in the sheep world. Our Icelandic Yarn is a little softer and more refined than traditional lopi, a two ply, semi-worsted spun yarn has a halo from the underdown. Naturally dyed yarns in addition to the palette of natural undyed sheep shades. Will felt extremely easily. This wool does not have any elasticity.
design: 2-ply, semi-worsted spun with both coats together giving it a lovely halo. Will felt extremely easily size: varies between colors: dk to light worsted, 12-13 wpi suggested needles: 5 to 7 (US) length: approximately 130 yards/119 meters weight: varies slightly between colors, 2.25 to 3.25 oz./ 53-92 grams gauge: varies between colors, 5-6 sts. per inch on sizes 5 (US) care: yarn is pre-washed. hand wash warm with NO agitation, lay flat to dry or can be dry cleaned.
fibersource: hand selected fleeces from White Rock Manor, Pine Hollow Farm, Three Bags Wool and Kingsolver/Hopp Farm all in Virginia fiber content: 100% Icelandic wool. Icelandic sheep are one of the oldest breeds in the world. Brought to Iceland by the Vikings in the ninth and tenth centuries, they were imported to Canada in the 1990's. Icelandic fleece is double coated: the long outer coat is called tog and the short down undercoat is called thel. This Primitive type fleece provided many types of fiber for varied uses, ropes, sails and clothing all from one fleece. The primitive genetics also give us many natural colors from white, silvers, reds, brown all the way to black.
Solitude partner Sue Bundy raises Karakul sheep at her farm RedGate, so this is one our favorite wools, and we are one of the few sources of Karakul Yarn. Traditionally used for rugs, this yarn has not been spun tight enough for rug warp, but does great for weft. Same yarn as available in skeins if you want dyed colors.
design: 2-ply, semi-worsted spun with both coats together. Quite coarse, a little hairy and very strong! size: worsted weight, 13 wpi, black is a little heavier suggested use: rug weft yarn, not really strong enough for warp care: yarn is pre-washed. hand wash warm with NO agitation, lay flat to dry or can be dry cleaned.
fiber source: hand selected fleeces from RedGate Farm in Leesburg, Virginia fiber content: 100% Karakul wool. Karakul are possibly the oldest domesticated sheep breed. Rare in North America, Karakul are fat tail sheep native to Central Asia. A Primitive breed, they have a long hair outer coat that protects them from the weather and a softer down undercoat for warmth. They come in a wide range of natural colors from whites, to silvers, reds, gray and black. The fleece is sheared twice a year and has very little lanolin, making it easy to scour. It is one of the best felting wools.
Solitude partner Sue Bundy raises Karakul sheep at her farm RedGate and this is one our favorite wools. We are one of the few sources of Karakul Yarn in the US. It is fabulously feltable, exceptionally insulating and extrememly strong, but, it's quite coarse and has no elasticity. The undyed colors are heathered and beautiful, but it takes dye brilliantly. Traditionally used for rugs, it is also great for hard wearing items, knit-to-felt projects and weaving. The balls are the same yarn as in our skeins and cones, but a smaller amount wound into center pull balls. We made these to create knit-to-felt coasters in two or three colors. Free (maybe…have to consult with the designer) pattern available. Great for accent colors on any Karakul project.
design: 2-ply, semi-worsted spun with both coats together. Quite coarse, a little hairy and very strong! size: worsted weight, 13 wpi suggested needles: 6 (US) or large (9, 10+) for knit-to-felt projects length: Skeins: approximately 130 yards/121 meters; Balls: 30 yards/ 27 meters. weight: 3.2 oz./90 grams (black is heavier: 4.5 oz/127 grams) gauge: varies between colors, 4-4.2 sts. per inch on sizes 8-9 (US) care: yarn is pre-washed. hand wash warm with NO agitation, lay flat to dry or can be dry cleaned.
fiber source: hand selected fleeces from RedGate Farm in Leesburg, Virginia fiber content: 100% Karakul wool. Karakul are possibly the oldest domesticated sheep breed. Rare in North America, Karakul are fat tail sheep native to Central Asia. A Primitive breed, they have a long hair outer coat that protects them from the weather and a softer down undercoat for warmth. They come in a wide range of natural colors from whites, to silvers, reds, gray and black. The fleece is sheared twice a year and has very little lanolin, making it easy to scour. It is one of the best felting wools.
A blend of half llama & half Romney wool creates a yarn with lovely drape and color plus the elasticity and memory of wool. Great yarn for knitting, crochet or weaving. The rich heathered colors are created by dyeing some of the wool fleece and blending before spinning. No dyelots, all same color name yarn will match.
-design: 2-ply, semi-worsted spun; heathered colors created by blending natural color llama with undyed and dyed-in-the-wool Romney fleece. -size: fingering weight, 19 wpi 1400 to1 600 yds per pound -suggested needles: 3 to 5 (US) -length: approximately 270 yards/245 meters -weight: 2.5 - 3.5 oz./ 75-100 grams -gauge: 6 sts. per inch on size 4 (US) -care: yarn is pre-washed. hand wash warm with low agitation, lay flat to dry or can be dry cleaned.
-fiber source: hand selected llama fleeces from "The Farm" (our friends from Endless Summer Harvest's other farm where they raise llamas) and Downey Ridge Farm in Luray, Virginia. Romney from Solitude and Weather lea in Loudoun County, Virginia. -fiber content: 50% llama and 50% Romney wool.
Llama is a camalid fiber, actually more like hair than sheep wool which has crimp. Llamas natural colors are different than sheep and we love the ecru, brown and bittersweet brown in this yarn which are not dyed at all. The strong and drapey nature of this yarn lend itself to both crochet and weaving as well as knitting.
This two-ply, woolen spun yarn is very versatile, light and soft. We’ve added 10% nylon to improve washability. Great for baby things or light weight knitting. We have experimented with machine washing on regular AND drying in the dryer and finished project will shrink about 10% in one direction (length) and not much in the other direction. Finished items get softer, but lose a little stitch definition.
design: 2-ply, woolen spun, very even yarn size: sport weight, 14 wpi, 1300 yds per pound suggestedneedles: 2.5 to 6 (US) length: small skein approximately 120 yards/106 meters large skein approximately 240 yards/219 weight: small skein approximately 1.5 oz./ 44 grams large skein approximately 3.1 oz/87 grams gauge: 6 stitches per inch on size 4 (US) care: yarn is pre-washed. hand wash warm with low agitation, lay flat to dry or can be dry cleaned. Can machine wash and dry with some shrinkage.
fibersource: hand selected fleeces from Saffer's Montadales in Warwick, Maryland on the Eastern Shore fibercontent: 90% Montadale wool. 10% nylon Montadale is a modern US breed developed in the 1930's in the mid-west from Cheviot rams with Columbia ewes. These sheep are raised for both meat and their exceptionally white wool which is in the "medium" range. Medium is right in the middle of all the types of wool and makes an excellent knitting yarn that is fairly soft but still fairly strong.
Spun on the last mule spinner in the US, the machine uses a long draw method of spinning to trap air for extra warmth and light weight. Fast to knit, this woolen yarn is wonderfully squishy and warm; perfect for sweaters, hap shawls, comforters and the greatest hat yarn ever! Partner Sue Bundy says it's like old fashioned yarn... We talked about it in a video that is on YouTube
-design: 2-ply, woolen spun on a mule spinner (very woolen indeed!); versatile knitting yarn that is warm but light. Woolen yarns can pill. Great for mittens, hats, shawls, throws…anything you would like to wrap yourself up in on a cold day. So comforting. -size: worsted weight, 9-10 wpi 750 yds per pound -suggested needles: 8 to 10 (US) -length: approximately 140 yards/128 meters -weight: approximately 4 oz./ 113 grams -gauge: 4 stitches per inch on size 9 (US) -care: yarn is pre-washed. hand wash warm with low agitation, lay flat to dry or can be dry cleaned.
-fiber source: hand selected fleeces from Saffer's Montadales in Warwick, Maryland on the Eastern Shore -fiber content: 100% Montadale wool.
Montadale is a modern US breed developed in the 1930's in the mid-west from Cheviot rams with Columbia ewes. These sheep are raised for both meat and their exceptionally white wool which is in the "medium" range. Medium is right in the middle of all the types of wool and makes an excellent knitting yarn that is fairly soft and yet still fairly strong.
Down-type fleece is springy, spongy and perfect for cushiony, comfortable socks. Down type wools also resist shrinking and felting and that along with added nylon makes it possible to wash firm knit socks in the machine. I even throw them in the dryer.
-design: 3-ply, woolen spun -size: sport weight, 13 wpi -suggested needles: 3 to 4 (US) for socks, up to 8 for other -length: approximately 235 yards/215 meters (enough for a women's large, or men's average pair of socks -weight: 4.25 oz./ 120 grams -gauge: 7 sts. per inch on size 3 or 4 (US) -care: yarn is pre-washed. The Down type wool plus added nylon make this yarn machine washable. If knit tightly it can be dried in the dryer as well with only a small amount of shrinkage in the length. Of course, hand washing will maintain original appearance the best
-fiber source: hand selected fleeces from Millcreek Farms, Loudoun County, Virginia -fiber content: 80% Dorset wool, 20% nylon
Dorset sheep are originally from the Downs area of England and thought to be a cross between Spanish Merino and Horned sheep of Wales. According to the Oklahoma State Breeds of Livestock listing, the first Dorsets in the US came to Oregon, shipped by the Hudsons Bay Company in the 1860's. East Coast imports came in the late 1800's. Polled (hornless) Dorsets were a mutation that happened at North Carolina State College in the 1950's and now outnumber Horned Dorsets here and in other countries. They are one of the most common sheep breeds in the US. Raised primarily for meat, the ewes are good mothers, frequently have multiple births and can breed "out of season"
The fleece is very white with no black fibers like black faced meat breeds (Suffolks and Hampshires). The sheep will grow fleece from 2.5 to 4 inches long in a year and it has the robust crimp (extremely springy) of Down-type wools.
