Description
The fibre from the essentially black Hebridean sheep is variable across the fleece and from one sheep to another, from proper black to brown and even occasionally some light grey. Some parts of the fleece are quite kempy (that is, having thick, hair-like fibres) while some parts are nearly as fine as the Shetland. The staple is long, which allows a more relaxed spinning and contributes to its strength. The combination makes a yarn with a pleasant feel which is soft and springy to knit with.
Because of the high-diameter fibres, this yarn may not be your first choice for garments to go next to the skin of people with sensitive skins, but it can be excellent for harder wearing outer garments and gloves. The brown component of our Hebridean derives from the black wool bleaching to brown at the tips over the summer, altogether averaging to a rich Chocolate Black.
The Hebridean DK is a soft wool but not a smooth one. The longer fibres from the shaggy fleeces allow a more lax spinning which is comfortable to work with and the lustrous kemp gives it an extra texture and life. Double Knitting is probably the most all purpose of our yarns. It offers plenty of scope for all knitters and is an excellent thickness for children to work with.
If you want to be creative with natural colours to the full, DK is the best yarn to choose because we also have three Jacob colours, nine Shetland colours and a light cream worsted wool from the Dorset Downs. This is our greatest range of colours in any one thickness. This means that there are many combinations available to you, from the subtle to the striking. Browse the product gallery for inspiration!
