Out of stock
Minimally processed and beautiful, Garthenor's yarns are produced to the highest organic standards. Garthenor's Number 03 is a two ply worsted spun DK weight yarn -- perfect for sweaters, blankets and accessories.
There are different views about the origins of the Jacob sheep, although it is known to have been bred in Britain for at least 350 years and spotted sheep were widespread by the mid eighteenth century. At this time the Jacobs were often kept as ornamental animals, grazed in parks. In recent years the breed has progressed from the Rare Breeds Survival Trust watchlist, with now over 3000 adult ewes registered.
Jacob fleeces are basically white with black or brown patches and the ratio can vary vastly between sheep, ranging from almost all brown to all white with only small patches of black or brown. The skin beneath the white fleece is pink, while skin beneath coloured spots is darkly pigmented. These colours can be sorted and spun separately, or blended to give a variety of different shades. The fleece can be light, soft and springy and varies in crimp and fineness with an average staple length of 8-15cm and a Bradford Count of 44 – 56. Each fleece weighing 2-2½kg.
Garthenor’s mission is to promote and provide a variety of sustainable, organic & British wool products in an ecologically responsible way. Every single product Garthenor produces is Certified Organic by The Soil Association to Global Organic Textile Standards. Their yarns are never dyed or bleached. There are only ever 2 substances that come into contact with the fibres during processing: a gentle detergent and a spinning oil. Both of these liquids have been approved the Global Organic Textile Standards, and are fully biodegradable. In 2003, Garthenor became the first fully certified organic yarn in the world.
This item is sold as a 50g ball, ready to knit. We only carry washed versions of this yarn, i.e oils used in the spinning process have been removed.
