Whether you are a novice or an experienced knitter why not try hand Knitting with yarn from our own flock of Coloured Ryelands, an ancient British breed of sheep producing a fine soft fleece. Reared here at Low Sutton, Masham the fleeces are professionally spun in Yorkshire, and the yarn is left in its natural state. Available to purchase as knitting kits or finished garments. There are a range of kits available, the patterns are exclusively designed and tested by Judi to ensure the end result is a quality product which you will enjoy and cherish. Ideal gifts for you to send to friends and family, or for your own pleasure. Knitting with British natural wool is a great hobby. Some designs will be embellished with and include carefully selected decorative yarns and trims to enhance the design. Or why not add your own creative touches with embroidery and beading etc. We also offer a range of decorative haberdashery (buttons, fastenings, shawl pins etc) to compliment your finished garment..

Go to on line store or purchase direct if you are staying with us.

BREED HISTORY

The Ryeland is a short woolled sheep originating from Herefordshire.It is believed to have acquired its name from the fields of Rye stubble on which they were traditionally grazed the Ryeland was one of three main breeds of sheep in the Middle Ages providing Europes finest wools from England.

The Leominster Benedictine priory kept large flocks on its granges and Lemster Ore the Golden Fleece of England was the term used to describe the valuable short staple wool produced by its Ryeland sheep. In 1193, Leominster Priory gave the years wool to help pay for the release of crusading Richard the Lion Heart. Queen Elizabeth was given Lemster wool stockings and liked them so much that she insisted only on Lemster Ryeland wool. By the early 20th Century Ryeland sheep had almost died out. In the 1970's the Rare Breed Survival Trust came to the rescue and now Ryelands have minority breed status. Ryeland sheep sometimes produce coloured lambs as the result of the expression of recessive genes. These coloured Ryelands have no gene for whiteness and so, when bred together, produce coloured lambs. Fleece colours vary from palest silver through many shades of grey to black. Occasionally fawn or dark brown may occur and the body colour may be uniform or spotted or patched.

WHAT IS WOOL

Wool is a fibre derived from the fur of animals of the Caprinae family sheep and goats, especially sheep. Unlike silk, it is formed of the protein keratin and it has two qualities that distinguish it from hair or from fur: it has scales that overlap like tiles on a roof and it is crimped (the natural wave of wool fibre).The tiny overlapping wool fibre scales allow the wool fibres to repel rain and spilled liquid with ease. The natural crimp helps the fibres to retain their shape and wool fibres can be stretched and then readily bounce back into shape.

HOW FINE IS RYELAND YARN

A micron is the modern measurement used for the diameter of wool fibres and is equal to one thousandth of a millimetre. Fleeces contain a wide range of fibre diameters and therefore a small sample is taken from the fleece of the sheep to calculate the average diameter of the fibres. The lower the value of microns the finer fibres are. Merino is typically 18-24 microns. The Ryeland is in the range 25-28 therefore producing a relatively soft yarn.