Annfield Farm
Balmerino™
Balmerino sheep are bred on a nature friendly, organic farm in Scotland. The sheep (rare to the British Isles) have fine, luxurious wool, so soft it can be worn next to the skin. Balmerino™ yarn is entirely traceable; it is grown and shorn in Scotland then spun and dyed by experts in Yorkshire. Currently there are 7 different colours in DK available in 50g doughnut balls.
Blue Dot Yarn
Blue Dot Yarn is a small batch dyer based on the West Coast of Scotland who is inspired by the sights and sounds that can be found on our Pale Blue Dot. Especially for the Scottish Wool Producers Showcase Blue Dot Yarn has been curating a small limited collection using The Scottish Yarn Festival’s very own Scottish provenance wool which will only be available from the FLOCK stall.
Bow Fiddle Yarns
Now a veteran of our events, Louise has carried her love of colour forward on her journey to explore a range of British yarn bases including a custom Corriedale Rose Fibre blend. A stockist of HiyaHiya and KnitPro needles, you will be able to replace those sizes you suddenly can’t find – or need more of – here.
Brawliemuir Farm
Brawliemuir Farm is a young business based on animal welfare, eco-sustainability, respect for life and nature, and the principle that inspires us is that it is morally right and materially possible to interact with the environment without plundering it, to raise animals without abusing them, to obtain quality products without forgetting the rhythm of nature.
Matteo is in the early days of his fibre journey and as such his stock of Hebridean and Cashmere blend yarn is not large enough to support a full stall at our event. However, he will be there in-person to speak with anyone wanting to know more about his flock and this strictly limited precious yarn will be available to purchase from our FLOCK stall.
Caithness Croft
We produce yarns and fibre batts from fleece that would otherwise be destined for burning or burial and create knitting and crochet patterns under the Beardychiel name. We also stock wooden dealgans that are crafted in the Scottish Highlands.
Chocflock
Chocflock celebrates and champions the wool of Castlemilk Moorit sheep. By demonstrating the beauty of material and products created from the mocha fleeces of these native Scottish sheep I hope to inspire others to see value in the breed to make these beautiful sheep treasured and no longer rare. Chocflock Rare Wool yarn is grown, spun, dyed and woven in the Scottish Borders from the distinctive fleece of our rare native pedigree Castlemilk Moorit sheep (and other known flocks), and blended with native Shetland fibre to achieve a hard-wearing yet soft yarn. The colour palette of earthy yet vibrant tones reflects the colours we can see from the window of our Galloway coastal farmhouse. In a world shaped by technology we want to share the joy of creating something unique, something personal and something very special.
Culross Yarn
Culross Yarn has evolved as a small family venture because of our love for wool, colour, growing and making. Through spinning, knitting, and dyeing the fleece from our small flock of sheep we have created a start to finish cottage industry producing plant dyed yarn from our own sheep.
Rachel is a designer who machine knits the yarn into beautiful items for wearing and for the home. Veronica grows the dye plants, dyes the yarn, and makes up the knitting kits using Rachel’s patterns.
This is our way of promoting and sharing the wonderful qualities of wool and by using the remarkable colours of plant dyes we play a part in perpetuating heritage skills and the use of natural dye materials.
Dystopic Fibre
Jon is the dyer behind Dystopic Fibre, based in Glasgow, Scotland. Dystopic Fibre references a wide range of mushroom species in it’s colourways, paired often with apocalyptic-themed narratives from pop culture. Jon has been working on diversifying his offering of yarn bases this past year and it’s his selection of British yarn bases that he will be bringing to the Showcase.
Guardswell Farm
Guardswell Farm is located on the Braes of the Carse, overlooking the beautiful Carse of Gowrie, North Fife, and Dundee. Rolling species rich grassland, diverse ancient woodland, and home to Angora Goats, Hebridean Sheep, Castlemilk Moorit Sheep, Shetland Cattle, and a few other interesting things.
We farm as closely with nature as we can – and all of our farming practices actively look to increase biodiversity, sequester carbon, and maintain the highest level of welfare in our livestock.
We have a small collection of British spun DK from our Hebridean Sheep and Angora Goats – 100% pure Mohair, 100% pure Hebridean – and our absolute favourite, the Guardswell Blend, 50% Mohair and 50% Hebridean. This is the start of our fibre journey and we are thrilled to be attending the Scottish Wool Producers Showcase.
Ka Lok Shek Ellen
Skilled sewist Ka Lok Shek Ellen takes inspiration from her home town of Aberdeen, as well as her Chinese heritage, to produce beautiful and functional project bags for all fibre crafters.
Lammermuir Wool
Low Auldgirth
Over the hills but not too far away sits a small organic farm that works in harmony with nature. Using traditional methods and heritage breeds we farm the land in a way that enriches the environment, allowing us to produce quality farm products that capture the passion and heritage of the place it was grown. It’s a slow grown quality that you won’t find anywhere else.
Our wool is produced purely from our own flock of Ryeland and Gotland sheep who spend their days grazing on rich Scottish meadows in the heart of Dumfries and Galloway, this regenerative way of working creates high quality fibre that’s truly sustainable, raised the good old way, the slow way, the way nature intended.
Lunan Bay Cashmere
Since 2016, farmers Jillian and Neil McEwan have specialised in rearing Scottish Cashmere goats at Lunan Bay Farm in Angus, Scotland. They currently have the UK’s largest commercial Cashmere herd, over 150 head. In 2020, Lunan Bay Farm produced their first batch of hand combed Cashmere yarn, in partnership with The Border Mill in Duns. This is the first time in 30 years since Scottish Cashmere has been homegrown, harvested, and spun in Scotland.
The fibre from Cashmere goats is unique in terms of it’s softness, warmth and yield. Cashmere goats grow a double coat of the outer coarser guard hair, and an incredibly soft winter undercoat of pure Cashmere, of which the yield is between 150-250g per annum per goat. Lunan Bay Farm gently hand comb their goats’ undercoats every spring, when it naturally casts. The raw Cashmere contains guard hairs which are removed by a dehairing process, an additional costly step which results in only 50% spinable Cashmere fibre.
New Lanark Spinning Co.
New Lanark Spinning Co. are spinners of luxury yarn made from 100% wool. Spun on historic machinery in the mills of New Lanark World Heritage Site which is powered by renewable energy.
The Scottish Yarn Festival
Our own custom yarn will be available at the Scottish Wool Producers Showcase. We’ll be launching a new ‘clan’ to the existing range of 9 colours and 2 natural blends; all of which are available in 4-ply and DK. Slow grown from Scottish provenance Shetland and Cheviot fleece before being worsted spun in Yorkshire, our yarn yields outstanding stitch definition to cables, colour-work, and lace.
Sealy MacWheely
Kirkintilloch based Sealy MacWheely specialise in high quality fibre for spinners and felters, bright and colourful hand dyed yarns on bases with a British provenance, and a variety of crafting equipment including Ashford and Kromski spinning wheels, ChiaGoo and KnitPro needles, and accessories. Sealy MacWheely will be hosting spinning wheel and weaving loom demonstrations during the Scottish Wool Producers Showcase.
Shearing Crafts
I am a shearer based in Aberdeenshire, specialising in pets and small flocks. These fleeces are the raw materials for my wet felted rugs. They look like traditional sheepskins but are 100% wool, made by hand using soap and water. They are sustainable, eco-friendly and washable. I will also have local raw fleece and carded batts.
Uist Wool
Uist Wool runs a spinning mill and wool centre on the island of Grimsay, North Uist, in the Southern part of the Outer Hebrides. We buy fleece and fibre directly from crofters and farmers and specialise in spinning natural tonal blends of yarn for knitting and weaving. Provenance is a key part of our story. All the production processes are done at the mill on Grimsay by our small team of dedicated staff who care about creating yarns that are true to origin and showcase the exceptional qualities of Scottish wool and fibre.
Although sadly unable to join us in-person at the Showcase we will have a selection of products from Uist Wool available to purchase at our event.
Unaroo Designs
During lockdown Alex found herself increasingly asking not only “who made my clothes?” but also where does my yarn come from? She noticed that the majority of wool that she personally consumed was merino, and usually a merino / nylon blend. The more she paid attention, the more she noticed that a lot of the yarn she loved could be kinder to the planet so, in January 2021, Alex bought herself a yarn dyeing kit and fell in love again; culminating in launching Unaroo Designs in December of the same year. Unaroo only use 100% British wool – bought from British Wool, spun in Yorkshire and dyed in the Scottish Highlands – and is currently on a journey to offer Scottish yarn bases. All of their packing is recycled and / or recyclable, and they use as little water as possible in my work.
Wee County Yarns
Westfield Croft
Life’s journey brought Frank and Marguerite to rural Aberdeenshire in 2015. They have a small breeding flock of rare breed sheep, and wool has become a cornerstone of their sustainable craft business. On seeing their first sheep being shorn, Marguerite wanted to use the beautiful material of raw fleece to produce yarns that would be true to their flock and their landscape. Westfield Croft yarns are spun from carefully selected fleeces, from their own flock and from neighbouring farms and smallholders. All their raw fleece materials have clear Scottish provenance; spinning is outsourced to hand spinners or mills to produce their 100% wool and alpaca yarns.
Frank and Marguerite have rejuvenated willow and hazel coppices on their land and annually harvest rods for making baskets and willow structures. Their goal is to be as sustainable as possible in terms of food, fuel, and enhancing the raw materials of wool and willow that they harvest on Westfield Croft. Frank will be bringing a small selection of his baskets to our Showcase.
Woolly Originals
Established in Edinburgh in 2015, Woolly Originals uses domestic knitting machines to create bags for crafters and artists to use for their projects and for their tools. The outer woolly fabric is made from undyed and plant-dyed Shetland wools. Guest single origin breed wools also feature. The bag designs are based on a range of ideas and inspiration. All tell a story and all are unique to Woolly Originals.