Cotswold Sheep & Wool

Cotswold sheep are longwool sheep originally from the Cotswold region of the UK where they were prized for their wool. They grow beautiful, distinct locks of 8-10 inches annually. Their wool can be cream-coloured, multi-coloured (tans, grays, charcoals), silver-gray, and black. Their wool is known for its high lustre, which is still retained in wool products. It also has the reputation of being the strongest of the longwool breeds, making it both lovely and durable. The cream Cotswold wool has a golden sheen, historically valued as it was used to weave cloth of gold. The wool dyes very well. The micron count of Cotswold wool ranges 32-40.

Cotswold wool is highly suitable for anything needing beauty and durability, including throws and blankets, rugs, outerwear (scarves, hats, mitts), sweaters, and socks. Because of the distinct, high lustre locks, Cotswold locks are sought after for dolls/gnomes hair and beards and art yarn. The wool felts beautifully, and many of our patrons use it for felting and fibre art. It is easy to handspin in thicknesses from lace weight (where it shows its drapey qualities) to chunky. Here on the Farm, we handspin all our Cotswold wool from the raw fleece. Its long staple and lovely lanolin content make it a joy to spin. The yarn also retains the beautiful sheen of the fleece. We have also made living rugs of our Cotswold fleeces, felting the base and allowing the natural locks to form the top of the sheepskin rug.

Clun Forest Sheep & Wool

Clun Forest sheep originated in the Clun Forest region of the UK. Their wool has a micron count of 25-33, and is therefore considered a fine-medium fine wool that is comfortable next-to-skin. The crimp is light and consistent and the staple length is 3-4 inches. It is a low lustre wool, and knitted products display its clear stitch definition. It dyes well, can be dry-felted, and resists wet-felting.

A Tour of Our Sheep

Enjoy our gallery of sheep in this wee selection of candid photos of life on St. Mary Meade Farm!