Yarn lovers are increasingly in touch with the origins of the wool that they work with. All wool is not created equal, and each breed of sheep has its own unique properties. This year fibre space has been focused on sourcing breed specific wools and even wools sourced from one traceable farm or flock of sheep. As knitters, we feel a connection to the animal who provided the wool as we work with their fibre in our fingers. There is nothing quite like holding a skein of extra sheepy yarn, rich with lanolin and smelling of the farm that it was grown on. And when it comes to sheepiness (a very technical term), hand dyer Jill Draper doesn’t disappoint!

Based in New York State in the Hudson Valley, Jill Draper specializes in hand-dyeing yarns that she sources from nearby Albany County farms. She recently sent us a small collection of woven blankets made from her yarn Ellsworth. 

Jill's Ellsworth yarn is made from Dorset wool grown in upstate NY. This breed originates from the Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset sheep. Horned Dorsets were brought over from the UK in the late 1800s, and Polled Dorsets originated at North Carolina State College, Raleigh, NC, as a result of a mutation which occurred in the purebred Horned Dorset flock at the college. The Dorset flock that provides the wool for Ellsworth is from the Finger Lakes region of NY State, from a farm local to Jill’s studio. The yarn is dyed in the wool and then blended to make a melange of colors that she has then woven herself into these gorgeous and warm throw blankets. The sturdy structure of this breed of wool means it crisp and able to wear well for years without fear of pilling. 

We don’t usually have ready made pieces here at fibre space, so this is a unique opportunity to grab something already made from our shop. However, I have a big warning about these blankets. Your dog will LOVE them! My dogs can sense the connection these pieces have to the farm they were grown on. This throw will quickly become the entire family’s favorite throw to snuggle with on the sofa or picnic in the park.  

Large Handwoven Wool Throw By Jill Draper

• $250

• Measuring 52"x 60"

• 100% Dorset wool

• Woven in a 2x2 twill

• Hand wash (recommended) or machine wash on gentle/cool and hang to dry

Stop into fibre space and feel for yourself!

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