In 2016, disheartened by the poor prices we received for our wool, I set about looking for ways to add value to this fantastic, natural, renewable and sustainable product. As an avid knitter since early childhood, it made sense to learn to spin yarn from the fleece from our pedigree flock of Poll Dorset sheep, the Braeview flock.

My first attempts at spinning on a hastily purchased drop spindle were not very successful and so i searched the internet for a popular make and type of spinning wheel. My research led me to the Ashford Traditional wheel and so i took the bull by the horns, never having used a spinning wheel before, and ordered a brand new one from Wingham Wool Work.

It was a steep learning curve, from putting together the flat-packed wheel, learning how to process the wool to make it ready for spinning to the actual spinning, plying, dyeing and finishing the yarn.

But here I am now carrying out the entire process here on the farm…scouring, drying, combing, carding, spinning and dyeing the fleece…from ewe to yarn