Story of our Yarn
Yarndale celebrates all things woolly and wonderful. We want to inspire creativity and share our love of yarn and making with everyone.
One of the things we’re particularly passionate about is shining a spotlight on British wool. It’s local, natural, biodegradable, and incredibly versatile, but that’s just the beginning. British wool is also sustainable, ethical, and fully traceable, making it a fibre you can truly feel good about using.
We’ve been proudly supporting British Wool right from the start. For over 75 years, British Wool has played a vital role in the UK’s wool industry – supporting our sheep farmers, celebrating the heritage of wool, and championing sustainability long before it was a buzzword. Since 1950, they’ve worked to ensure fair returns for farmers, uphold the heritage of British sheep farming, and drive demand for this remarkable natural fibre.
Together with British Wool, we’re keen to encourage everyone to choose natural fibres over synthetic ones. Embracing natural fibres in your crafting is not so much a choice but a responsibility. Unlike synthetic yarns, which rely heavily on fossil fuels and shed harmful microplastics into our waterways, wool is a gentle, eco-friendly option that naturally breaks down over time. And it’s beautiful to use and to wear.
Yarndale’s workshops, making sessions and creative conversations throughout the show bring the wool story to life, from the sheep to the finished products. Visitors can meet farmers and their sheep, talk to small-scale spinners, and discover independent dyers working exclusively with British fleeces. The result is a growing number of knitters and crocheters who understand and value the source of their materials.
Since July 2020, we’ve also been proudly working with West Yorkshire Spinners to create our very own yarn, featuring six gorgeous colourways inspired by our much-loved Yarndale sheep: Brenda, Tristen, Maude, Nigel, Barbara, and Hope.
Each 100g ball is 75% wool and 25% nylon and the wool contains 35% Bluefaced Leicester making it one of the most sumptuous 4ply yarns on the market.
In a world increasingly focused on reducing carbon footprints and supporting local farmers, British wool is more relevant than ever as it continues to evolve, adapt and inspire. By choosing natural fibres like British wool, we can craft beautiful, long-lasting pieces whilst also creating a more sustainable, eco-friendly knitting and crocheting community for generations to come.
To find out more about our Yarn, please visit our Yarndale Shop.
To shop British wool yarns, visit https://shop.britishwool.org.uk/
We’re always keen to hear why our exhibitors choose to work with British wool. Jo Storie from BareFaced Knits shares her story and explains why it works so well.
