London City Farm Yarn Project

W O O L

Between the 12th and 18th centuries the UK produced some of the finest wools in the world.

During the Industrial age, the popularity of wool diminished due to the arrival of new fibres such as cotton and synthetics. Now we know the damage caused by these fibres, we need to take a fresh look at one of the UK's finest fibre resources, wool.

Tracing the lineage of these fine yarns reveals that many of the sheep breeds that produced it still exist. By focusing on quality British wool, we can produce a sustainable fibre that is 100% bio-degradable, anti-bacterial, comfortable, great at insulating the body and is sustainable due to the fact that sheep need shearing every spring.

By using a diversity of breed types, we can help maintain this invaluable gene-pool of our 62 pure breeds of sheep for future generations.

Reasons to Support This Initiative

Key points of the Urban Wool Initiative:

Collaboration with 10 London city farms to source local, ethically produced wool.
Bulk processing to ensure cost-effectiveness and consistent quality.
Creation of a unique, sustainable yarn that tells a story of urban farming and local production.
Revenue sharing model to support city farms' educational and community programs.
Providing a sustainable yarn option for environmentally conscious crafters and designers.

From City Farms to Cozy Knits

The majority of London City Farms keep sheep as part of their educational programmes, teaching children and adults about the production of meat, cheese and wool. Each year more than half a million Londoners will visit a city farm.

Sheep must be sheared for their wellbeing, but the amount of wool from each farm is too small to process commercially. This pilot project unites 10 London farms, combining their wool to a sizable amount (1 ton) for commercial processing. The finished yarn and products are offered back to the farms at cost, generating vital funds to support their running costs.

M E E T S O M E O F T H E S H E E P

C A S T L E M I L K M O O R I T

SPITALFIELDS

Conservation Breed

Developed in Scotland by Sir Jack Buchanan-Jardin, at his estate in Castlemilk. Crossing Shetland, Manx Loughton and Mouflon to create this self-reliant, 2 horned elegant looking sheep. Moorit means reddish-brown in the Old Norse language of Orkney.

M A N X L O A G H T A N

WOODLANDS TRUST

Conservation Breed

Descended from a primitive mountain breed thought to have been on the Isle of Man for more than a thousand years. The word Loaghtan is Manx for 'mouse brown'. 4 horned or 6. Its grazing habits create a favorable habitat for the endangered Red-Billed Chough.

B O R D E R L E I C E S T E R

TOMS FARM

Conservation Breed

A cross produced by mixing English Leicester (now extinct) with the Cheviot. Large and hornless, with characteristic long ears and Roman nose.

D O R S E T D O W N

TOMS FARM

Rare Breed

The Dorset Down was developed in the early 1800s by crossing local, Wiltshire, Berkshire and Hampshire ewes with Southdown rams. A breed society was formed in 1904 and the breed was in demand throughout the first half of the 20th century. Dorset Downs popularity has dwindled and now is classified as rare.

J A C O B

LAMBOURNE

Rare Breed

Jacob sheep have a multicoloured coat and a striking black-and-white face. Both the male and female have two or four horns. Lambs are just black and white. Closely related to a Middle Eastern breed from biblical times. Originally kept as ornamental parkland animals for their picturesque fleece and horns by the landed gentry, they are now found across the UK, and are one of the most popular of the rare breeds as they are easy to manage.

G R E Y F A C E D D A R T M O O R

WELLGATE

At Risk Breed

This medium-sized, hornless sheep has a long, thick white fleece with a furry face and a grey/black mottled nose, and short, woolly legs. The breed was famous for its large, heavy lustrous fleece typical of the longwool family and helps it survive the extremely cold winters on Dartmoor. The ewes make excellent mothers, who need little intervention with birthing. The breed is currently at-risk.

The Journey of Our Wool

From the fields of London to the mills of Yorkshire, every step is handled with care.

1. Shearing & Collection

All city farm sheep are sheared each spring. The fleece is then collected from 596 sheep across 10 farms.

2. Grading

The collected fleece is taken to be graded by the WB in Ashford, Kent, ensuring quality.

3. Scouring & Carding

In Yorkshire, the wool is scoured to clean it. The fibres are then brushed by huge wire rollers, a process known as carding, producing rolls of wool with all the strands facing the same direction.