Welsh Yarn - Farm to Yarn in Wales

Summary

We in specialise in hand dyed Welsh Yarn, crafted in small batches in Cardiff Bay, Wales.

• Wool from animals who live and graze in outdoor farm environments in Wales.
• Wool from native (sheep) and non-native (alpaca) animal breeds.
• Wool is spun in mills in Wales.
• All finished yarn is dyed in Pembrokeshire with natural dyes only - no exceptions.
• A "farm to yarn" Welsh product with provenance.

Welsh Yarn with Provenance

We specialise in hand-dyed Welsh yarn, dyed with natural dyes. Our journey begins on Welsh farms, where a variety of animals, including sheep, goats, and alpaca, graze in outdoor environments. Not all the animals are native breeds to Wales but all have lived and grazed in Wales. We link to the farms concerned if we have permission to do so. This raw Welsh wool is then transformed through a meticulous process: it's washed, carded, and spun into yarn at a Welsh mill. The result is a 100% natural fibre yarn that is truly a "farm to yarn" product, made entirely in Wales. Once the yarn is ready, we hand-dye it using only natural dyes, creating the unique colours you see in our shop. 

What Makes Hand Dyed Yarn Different?
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Natural Dye Process

All our yarn is hand dyed in our Dye House in Cardiff Bay - we do not 'buy in' any dyed yarn. With over 20 years experience in dyeing yarn with natural dyes, we can produce a spectrum of stunning colours. We use a wide variety of traditional natural dyes, such as Madder, Weld, Cochineal, Logwood, Lac, Fustic and many more, in their natural form and as extracts.

The colours are enthralling, each will depend on where the dyestuff was grown, how it was harvested, the fibres being dyed, and the method of application - part of the beauty of a hand dyed product!! The Knitter Magazine featured our founder in an in-depth interview about hand dyed yarn, dyed with natural dyes. 

Explore Our Welsh Yarn Collection

The Welsh yarn you'll find in our online shop depends on the fleeces available to us throughout the year. We've had the pleasure of working with a number of beautiful Welsh sheep breeds, including Welsh Black, Kerry Hill, Llawenog, Lleyn, and Welsh Mountain. A perennial favourite is the Welsh Mule, a popular choice for knitters, which is a cross between a Blue Faced Leicester ram and a Welsh Mountain ewe.

The "Farm to Yarn" Process

Converting raw wool into finished yarn involves several key stages: shearing, washing, carding or combing, and finally, spinning. During spinning, the fibres are twisted together to form a continuous thread. The thickness and twist can be adjusted to create a variety of yarn weights, from fine laceweight to bulky yarn perfect for warm sweaters.

Currently, only one mill in Wales is capable of completing the entire process from a raw fleece to finished, spun yarn. When a fleece from a Welsh farm is spun at this mill, it is considered a true "farm to yarn" Welsh product. We proudly stock yarn from this mill, alongside other selections from spinning mills in Wales, including an organic mill.

Browse All Welsh Yarn, Hand dyed with Natural Dyes
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