Tag Archives: Wool

The Classification of Wool Fibres; count, staple length, crimp and lustre

Bluefaced Leicester Top - White

Four factors are considered in the classification of wool fibres; count, staple length, crimp and lustre: Count: The traditional classification of wool fibre was done using the ‘Bradford Count’ which represented the greatest length of yarn that could be spun from 1lb (454g) of the wool fibre. The fibre was spun into yarn which was […]

Christmas Wreath Decorations made from Merino Wool Tops

Merino Wool Christmas Wreath

Simple and effective Christmas Wreath decorations made from Merino Wool Tops by Cara and Jo Barrell.   How to Make the Christmas Wreath You will need a framework on which to attach the wool tops, and these can be found in floristry sections in garden centres. If you can’t find one, you can bend a […]

Wool Fibres for Spinning or Felt Making

Wool for felting and spinning

Prepared Wool Fibres Wool fibres that have been washed and carded into a roving are commonly known as Wool Tops. The fibres are prepared so that the wool tops are consistent in their staple length and count. The Bradford count (see more about the classification of wool fibres) of fibre fineness is sometimes used in […]

Tapestry Weaving in the Falkland Islands

falkland-island-customer-5

Thanks to the wondrous invention of the world wide web, George Weil receive orders for craft tools and materials from all over the world. One of the furthest delivery destinations is the Falkland Islands. Although it is more than 8,000 miles away, there has never been a lost parcel yet! Our sales manager Jo has […]

Tapestry Woven Fish

Fish shaped tapestry

We had great fun making this fish at an experimental tapestry weaving workshop. You can use any flexible materials to weave, so exploring the craft doesn’t have to be expensive. For this project we used lengths of left over yarns and wool tops, the technique would work equally well with ribbons, laces, string or strips […]

Hand Spun, Knitted Hat

pineapple-hat-full

Karen Malledent sent us this great photo. ‘Thought you might like a photo of my daughter wearing one of my creations using your merino and blue faced Leicester (the one I dyed yellow using your acid dyes). I call this the ‘Pineapple Hat’!’ Karen has hand spun dye wool tops, and hand dyed and spun […]

Needle Felted Animals by Coralie and Phil Miles

needlefelting-animals-coralie-phil

We love these needle felted animals created by Coralie and Phil Miles. This is their first attempt and we can’t wait to see how their skills progress! Coralie used to work here with us before she retired. She is a keen spinner (see her skein samples and her freeform crocheted bag) and crafts person, as […]

Knitting from a Wool Top

knitted-tops

The Fibrecrafts Merino wool tops have a long fibre length which means that it can be knitted or crocheted without being spun, to create a thick, dense knitted fabric ideal for making Afghan squares, scarves and hats. If you would like to learn how to knit, please visit our “Knitting, Casting On” page to get […]