Sheep breeds
It matters which sheep.
Merino for softness next to the skin. Bluefaced Leicester for lustre and wear. Polwarth for how it drinks up colour. The wool is half of every skein, so we name the breed on every label.
Eleven breeds on the shelfMicrons, staple and best uses
named on every label
The breeds
Reading the label
Microns, staple and superwash — in plain words.
- MicronsThe diameter of a single fibre. Under 22 feels silky next to the skin (Merino, Rambouillet); 24–28 is soft with more body and wear (BFL, Polwarth); over 30 is sturdy and made for outerwear (Romney, Lincoln).
- StapleThe length of the lock. Longer staples (BFL, Gotland, Lincoln) spin into smooth, lustrous, low-pilling yarn. Shorter, crimpier staples (Merino) give loft and bounce.
- SuperwashWool treated so it won't felt in the wash — our sock bases are superwash with a little nylon. Non-superwash wool keeps more of its natural character and prefers a hand wash.
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