Breed-specific yarns are yarns made of wool from one or more specific breeds of sheep. With thousands of sheep breeds around the world to choose from, that can make for a lot of yarn!
Why make yarn with wool from one specific breed of sheep? This lets the unique character of each breed’s fiber really stand out – after all, people wouldn’t have spent centuries developing different breeds if there wasn’t something special about each one. Fiber characteristics like crimp, fineness, and length vary from breed to breed – from soft and springy Merino to robust and sturdy Corriedale, each type of wool has its own distinct personality.
Most commercial yarn manufacturers blend wool from several different breeds – they’re going for softness and uniformity, not individuality. But just like wine, coffee, or chocolate that’s sourced from a single varietal, a breed-specific yarn brings something extra to the table, with its own special flavor.
Here are some of our favorites available at the shop!
Brooklyn Tweed
Brooklyn Tweed has been in the breed-specific business since 2010 with the launch of their first yarn, Shelter, spun from Wyoming-grown Columbia-Targhee wool for the perfect balance of softness and durability.
Brooklyn Tweed’s mission is to connect handknitters to their materials by creating timeless wool yarns and patterns that support domestic textile production, responsible labor practices, and high environmental standards – all of their yarns are designed, sourced, dyed and spun entirely in the United States.
Their newest breed-specific yarn is ranch-specific as well – Ranch 02: Forbes, made from soft and springy Rambouillet wool sourced from Forbes Ranch in Kaycee, Wyoming.
Breed-Specific Yarns To Try:
- Arbor – DK-weight 3-ply worsted-spun Targhee wool – 145 yards/50 grams
- Loft – fingering weight 2-ply woolen-spun Columbia-Targhee wool – 275 yards/50 grams
- Peerie – fingering weight 4-ply worsted-spun Merino wool – 210 yards/50 grams
- Ranch 02: Forbes – worsted weight 3-ply woolen-spun Rambouillet wool – 102 yards/50 grams
- Quarry – chunky weight 3-ply woolen-spun Columbia-Targhee wool – 200 yards/100 grams
- Shelter – worsted weight 2-ply woolen-spun Columbia-Targhee wool – 140 yards/50 grams
- Vale – lace weight 2-ply worsted-spun Rambouillet wool – 450 yards/ 50 grams
De Rerum Natura
This small ecologically-friendly yarn company from the south of France creates transparently produced, ethically sourced yarns with a minimal ecological footprint.
White and black wool from French Merino d’Arles and Portuguese Petra Merino sheep is blended and spun semi-woolen to create wonderfully lofty yarns in beautiful heathered hues.
Great care is taken to ensure that the dye products used are as environmentally friendly as possible.
fibre space is proud to be the exclusive US stockist for De Rerum Natura.
Breed-Specific Yarns To Try
- Cyrano – aran weight 5-ply semi-woolen spun French & Portuguese Merino wool – 164 yds/100 g
- Gilliatt – worsted weight 3-ply semi-woolen spun French & Portuguese Merino – 273 yds/100 g
- Ulysse – sport weight 2-ply semi-woolen spun French & Portuguese Merino wool – 202 yds/50 g
Harrisville Designs
Woolen yarn has been spun in the water powered, brick mill town of Harrisville since 1794. This small village in southwestern New Hampshire is the only industrial community of the early 19th Century that still survives in America in its original form.
Harrisville Designs has been spinning wool yarns here since 1971 (Brooklyn Tweed’s Shelter, Loft, and Quarry and Jill Draper’s Kingston are all spun at Harrisville.)
Breed-Specific Yarns To Try
- Nightshades – DK-weight 3-ply woolen-spun Cormo & other wool – 250 yards/100 grams
Jill Draper Makes Stuff
All of Jill Draper‘s yarns are sourced and spun in the US, and most are made with breed-specific wool.
Jill purchases most of the fiber used in her yarns directly from farms in the US so she knows the people & animals involved are well treated.
Each yarn is designed by Jill to highlight the unique properties of the fiber used, be a pleasure to work with & make something that will wear well so it can be treasured for years to come.
Her newest yarn, Kingston, is woolen-spun from New York grown Targhee wool, dyed before spinning to create terrifically tweedy hues.
Breed-Specific Yarns To Try
- Kingston – DK-weight 3-ply woolen-spun Targhee wool – 270 yards/113 grams
Woolfolk
Woolfolk’s mission is to bring quality and design to handknitters, sourcing sustainably produced fibers and creating unique yarns paired with modern yet classic patterns.
Woolfolk sources their superfine Ovis 21 Ultimate Merino® fiber from an organization in Patagonia dedicated to preserving and renewing grasslands while helping farmers develop sustainable practices.
Their lineup of amazingly soft yarns features sophisticated color palettes and unique construction.
Breed-Specific Yarns To Try
- Får – worsted weight chainette Ovis 21 Ultimate Merino® wool – 142 yards/50 grams
- Luft – chunky weight chainette Ovis 21 Ultimate Merino® and pima cotton – 109 yards/50 grams
- Tov – aran weight worsted-spun 12-ply Ovis 21 Ultimate Merino® wool – 173 yards/100 grams
- Tov DK – DK weight worsted-spun 12-ply Ovis 21 Ultimate Merino® wool – 160 yards/50 grams
- Tynd – fingering weight 2-ply worsted-spun Ovis 21 Ultimate Merino® wool – 223 yds/50 g