Wool Talk
Learning the terminology used in the wool industry can be like learning a whole new language. As we want to meet your expectations and deliver a product that meets your individual needs the below definitions are what we apply across all our products.
Raw Wool
This fibre is unprocessed and is exactly how it comes off the sheep when it is shorn. The fleece we sell is (as much as possible) uniform wool from the side of the sheep which has been skirted (inferior wool and faults removed). All wool is prepared by a registered wool classer.
Top
Fibre which has been worked through a wool comb by hand. Top is used to spin worsted yarn (all fibres aligned in one direction). Hand combed top is not as thick or compressed as commercial top.
1
1
Roving
Carded fibre pulled off the carding equipment into a wrist thick strand. Roving is used to produce woolen yarn (not all fibres aligned in the same direction).
1
1
Rolag
A carded roll of fibre that is spun from one end. Some blended rolags may include top.
Batt
Wool processed through a drum carder to create a large fluffy sheet.
Breeds
| Breed | Micron | Length | Guide |
| Blue Faced Leicester | 26 | 85 | Lustre |
| Border Leicester | 30 - 40 | 100 - 125 | Versatile |
| Charollais | 30-33 | 80 | General Purpose |
| Cheviot | 30 - 35 | 100 | Durable |
| Cormo | 23 | 90-100 | Fluffiness |
| Corriedale | 25-30 | 80-120 | Versatile |
| Devon | 40 - 60 | 200-250 | Substantial |
| Dorset Horn | 32-34 | 100 | Crisp |
| Eider | 27 - 31 | 75 | Durable |
| English Leicester | 32-46 | 130 -250 | Versatile |
| Exmoor Horn | 36-39 | 90-110 | Hearty |
| Faroese | 34-36 | 90-100 | Lofty (undercoat) |
| Finnsheep | 28 - 30 | 80 | Resilient |
| Gotland | 30 - 44 | 80 -150 | Texture |
| Hebridean | 35+ | 50 - 150 | Challenging |
| Herdwick | 40 | 85-90 | Texture |
| Icelandic | 34 - 36 | 90 - 100 | Strength |
| Jacob | 33-35 | 85-95 | Springy |
| Kent Romney | 27-29 | 80 | Lustre |
| Lincoln | 36-40 | 100-150 | Shiny |
| Lleyn | 31-33 | Sturdy | |
| Lonk | 32-33 | 100-150 | Robust |
| Manx Loaghtan | 29-31 | 75-80 | Bounce |
| Merino - Ultrafine* | <15.5 | 75-85 | Delicate |
| Merino - Superfine* | 15.6 - 18.5 | 75-85 | Lightweight |
| Merino - Fine | 18.6 - 19.9 | 75-85 | Versatile |
| Merino - Medium | 20 - 21.9 | 80 -90 | Resilient |
| Merino - Strong | 22 - 23.9 | 80 -90 | Durable |
| Merino - Extra Strong | 24+ | 80 -90 | Sturdy |
| Norwegian | 33-36 | 80-120 | Strength |
| Perendale | 28-33 | 80-120 | Bounce |
| Polwarth | 21 - 24 | 80 | Lofty |
| Punta Arenas | 24-26 | 90-100 | Bulky |
| Radnor | 32 - 33 | 80 - 140 | Bounce |
| Rambouillet | 20 - 23 | 50 - 70 | Elasticity |
| Shetland | 29 - 31 | 90 | Durable |
| Shropshire | 31-33 | 60-100 | Resilient |
| Southdown | 28-30 | 80 | Springy |
| Suffolk | 35-40 | 75-80 | Loft |
| Swaledale | 35 - 45 | 100-200 | Sturdy |
| Teeswater | 40 - 60 | 150-300 | Lustre |
| Texel | 32-40 | 80-150 | Crisp |
| Welsh | 31-35 | 80-100 | Sturdy |
| Wensleydale | 40 - 50 | 200-300 | Weave Me |
| Whiteface Woodland | 35-38 | 100 | Sturdy |
| Zwartables | 30 - 32 | 100 - 120 | Springy |