Description

Custom Handspun Fine Shetland Wool Yarn

Custom Hand spun Luxury Yarn 100% Fine Shetland Wool handspun to your exact specifications. I will work with you to insure that your new yarn will be just right for your planned project.
I have made up this chart of Guidelines and Standards for common yarn weights to help you choose your weight and yardage.

 Fine Shetland Wool Handspun

Authentic British Shetland wool hand spun yarn. This fiber makes a wonderful robust yarn that is bouncy and full of body. While it isn’t as soft as our Merino Wool it is quite acceptable for use in most of your everyday knitting projects. Not an itchy fiber, at all, but it also may not be for use next to baby skin. The Shetland wool has a wonderful life to it and your hand knitwear will outlast any Merino wool garment.  It can be handspun in a very fine lace weight or up to a worsted weight for a bulky but light weight knit.

The Shetland is a small sheep originating in the Shetland Isles. When the Rare Breeds Survival Trust was set up in the 1970’s The Shetland was considered a Rare Breed and was listed with them as Category 2 – Endangered. Since that time the Shetland has become more popular with many smaller farms and has graduated to Category 6 – Other Native Breeds. This is excellent news for us as spinners.
The Shetland produces a variety of characteristics in it’s wool from the superfine wool from around the neck area that is chosen for Shetland lace shawls to the sturdier wool for use in garments that are made to last for many years. Shetland sheep are also very well know for the variety of shades and natural colours in which their fleece will  grow. The Shetland sheep is hardy, adaptable and long-lived. Their wool has been used, traditionally, in fine shawls and Fair Isle knitting patterns.

The fiber comes in a top which is a combed preparation. I have developed a technique that I love to use for this yarn which add  a lot of air and loft while keeping the fibers relatively parallel to produce a semi worsted yarn with lots of loft, warmth and bounce.
Each skein of yarn is lovingly and carefully spun by hand in my home studio on my Louet S45 or my S90.

Suggested Uses

While some find this wool fine next to the skin it may be a little rough for some folks especially in sensitive areas such as the neck. However, many babies wear Shetland wool for sweater but probably not for undergarments. Shetland is stronger, has more body and is more durable than the softer wools such as Merino.

I am spinning this to order and you may order as many skeins as you need for your project .

This special hand spun yarn would be lovely spun in a lace weight for a lightweight shawl, in Sport, DK or Worsted weight for sweaters, hats and mitts, gloves, blanket or wrap.

Wool

A natural protein fiber, Wool is probably the most popular choice of fibers when warmth, weather proofing and durability are desired. Wool is warm and cosy in winter and if certain finer breeds are chosen it can be comfortably cool is spring and even summer.
Wool is warm, even when wet, absorbs moisture and takes dyes very well although it also comes in many different natural colours. Wool which has been carefully washed will still contain some of the natural lanolin. Lanolin is very good for our skin and adds a degree of weather proofing to our hand knits…… more about Wool

Care

Please use a gently wool wash such as “Soak”. The yarn or garment made from this yarn may be hand washed in lukewarm to cold water. Gently squeeze out excess moisture, roll in a towel to release more moisture and lay flat to dry away from direct heat and sun.

Blog Posts

Shetland Wool Moorit Hand Spun
Spinning Like Mad in March
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