Mendip is a 4-ply yarn spun in the UK from wool from a single flock of Shetland-cross sheep that graze the Mendip Hills in South-West England.
100% pure British wool
Full skeins: 50g (1.75 oz) / 150m (164 yd) per skein
2.75–3.25 mm needles / 27–30 sts per 10 cm / 4" gauge
Hand-wash only, and lay finished items flat to dry.
This yarn is hand-dyed on the Stormy base – a naturally heathered beige yarn, and has a rustic character that yields moody, tweedy. It has a matte finish and pleasant toothiness that is perfect for colour work.
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A note on the background of this yarn, as it is important to consider its environmental impact. The wool is sourced from an eco-farm less than 20 miles from where I live. Effectively the wool is a by-product, as the sheep are raised primarily for meat. They are part of a holistic management system to regenerate the soil where they graze, adding back nutrients to land that was previously dedicated to mining.
The wool is scoured, then spun at a small mill in Yorkshire. There are no plastic fibres and no superwash process involved – this means that this yarn, and whatever is made from it, will biodegrade. I do use synthetic dyes, but always ensure that the dye is exhausted in the pots so none is returned into the water system. I also have naturally dyed colours using alum and cream of tartar as a mordant – these will include the name of the dyestuff in the colour name.