COME AND MEET
THE SHEEP
Without sheep, there's no fleeces and no wool fibres or yarn - so the sheep are at the heart of Woolplay and its endeavours. Sheep are great - they improve the pasture with their grazing and what comes out the other end and then convert that grass every year into an amazing fleece and if given the opportunity a new life.
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We have a massive sheep heritage in this country. We have more sheep breeds than anywhere else in the world, many of which have been exported around the world. Our country's wealth in the Middle Ages was largely created from sheep and their fleeces. This led onto us developing spinning and weaving skills that moved to a new level with the industrial revolution.
Sadly all of this went into decline during the 20th century as new synthetic fibres became available and fashion tastes changed. But over the last decade or so, for a whole host of reasons, there has been something of a resurgence. Wool is sustainable, British wool processed by mills in the UK has a much smaller carbon footprint, there are mental health benefits from making (and there are so many wool based crafts) and being more connected with the land.
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In a very small way, we hope that Woolplay can play its part in supporting and promoting our fabulous British sheep breeds, particularly the rare breeds, to crafters who want to pursue woolly crafts
The Leicester Longwools
Now an at risk rare breed, Leicester Longwool sheep were hugely important in the history of livestock development. In the 18th century
Robert Bakewell took the existing Leicester breed and by crossing it with the Lincoln and Ryeland breeds was able to create the new Leicester Longwool breed.
The rams are often used with commercial ewes both in the UK and worldwide. The ewes are good mothers and thankfully, given their size (they are big!), they are a placid and biddable sheep, except when they're not!
I bought my first Leicester Longwools in 2021 and added a ram in 2023. We breed to support the breed as well as filling the freezer but our main focus is producing yarn and fibres from the fleeces which are often 3kg in weight, have long curly locks up to 10" long and are deliciously lustrous.
The Ryelands
Ryeland sheep are one of the oldest sheep breeds in the UK and originate from around the Ross on Wye area. During the Middle Ages, Ryeland wool became the measure against which the quality of other wools was assessed. Ryelands were used also to develop a number of other sheep breeds during the 18th and 19th centuries. They went into serious decline in the 20th century, and were a rare breed. However in recent years their numbers have increased as they are a popular smallholder breed. Ryelands come in two flavours - white and coloured.
We bred a Ryeland ram with our Leicester Longwool ewes some years ago and produced Lazy Boy who has a fabulous fleece with the best of both breeds. We have now bred two Ryeland ewes with our Leicester Longwool ram and produced some more sheep with lovely cross bred fleeces.
We also buy in both white and coloured Ryeland fleeces from a local sheep breeder which are processed into both rovings and spun yarn
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Zwartbles
This wonderfully dark chocolate coloured yarn is from a local mixed flock which includes five pure and cross Ryland Zwartbles
The history of these sheep begins around the beginning of the 20th century with a particular type of sheep called the Schoonebecker. They were popular with farmers in northern Holland around that time for their natural abilities to fertilize pasture. As commercial fertilizers became more readily available, their value was in producing cheeses and milk.
They are tall, quite leggy sheep who have some goat-like traits (they don't llike getting wet as well as being good milkers). In the 1980's they went into rapid decline as commercial farming practices declined but have been saved largely because their fleeces are nice to hand spin.
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Dorset Down
We source the fleeces from a small flock owned and shown by the teenage son of parent sheep farmers here on the Norfolk/Suffolk borders .
The Dorset Down was developed in the early 1800s by crossing local, Wiltshire, Berkshire and Hampshire ewes with Southdown rams.
In time a breed was developed that was well suited to the local area and became popular as a terminal sire for commercial flocks. A breed society was formed in 1904 and the breed was in demand throughout the first half of the 20th century.
In common with the other Down breeds the introduction of foreign breeds such as the Texel and the immense popularity of the Suffolk meant that the number of Dorset Downs dwindled and they are now a rare breed.
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Jacob
We source pure and cross Jacob fleeces from a local flock of mixed breeds which we then get processed into rovings and yarn.
The Jacob sheep boasts a history as rich and spotted as its coat! While the exact origins of the breed remain a mystery, some believe they descend from the very sheep bred by Jacob himself, as mentioned in the Bible.
Fast forward to the 17th and 18th centuries, and Jacob sheep were making their way to Britain from Spain. These handsome creatures, with their impressive horns and unique spotted fleeces, became a favourite among British nobility. They were often seen grazing alongside deer in the magnificent parklands of estates like Charlecote Park, where they added a distinctive charm to the landscape.
Sadly, by the mid-20th century, the number of Jacob sheep had dwindled dramatically. However, a dedicated group of breeders stepped in to save the day. In 1969, the Jacob Sheep Society was formed, and thanks to their efforts, this breed with a fascinating past is thriving once again
Mixed breeds
The other fleeces we source come from a nearby mixed flock of some Ryeland cross, some Welsh/Ryeland cross, Southdown and Jacob. These produce the Sam's Special Blend and Needham Mixture yarns
The focus of the flock is producing fleeces especially suited to woolly crafts and they are very much loved by their owner, when they're not incurring vet bills!
