The striking two-coloured coats of Jacob sheep inspired us to create this unique yarn, with four distinct bases using the natural fleece colours.

When the fleeces arrive at our mill they are hand sorted by colour and selectively blended to achieve four undyed shades. Traditional marls are created by plying two shades together, but we’ve combined shades in the spinning process to create subtle and contemporary marls. The glorious gradient of natural shades - Clay, Marlstone, Granite and Basalt - are dyed in the same colours, so the transition from light to dark comes from the fleece itself.

Even from the same sheep, the pale and dark Jacob fibres have different textures. The lightest shades have wonderful drape and subtle sheen, whereas the darker shades have more bounce. This subtle variation is one of the many joys of working with wool sourced directly from British producers.

This yarn is worsted spun, giving it a smoother handle and wonderful stitch definition, making it ideal for garments and shawls. Despite its smoothness, Jacob is also hardwearing enough for outerwear and accessores, even socks.

The breed is believed to have come to the UK from the Middle East. Spotted Jacob sheep can be seen in Egyptian wall hanging dating back to 1800 BC, making them one of the most ancient sheep breeds. How wonderful to think that their fibre is still being used almost 4000 years later.

The pure yarns are firm and hard-wearing, suitable for outer wear. We have refined these by worsted spinning to create a softer and smoother finish, which can be worn next to the skin by more people.