UNUSUWUL & British Wool
Fabric Innovation
In 2024 British Wool invited UNUSUWUL to experiment with some of their certified yarns within the UNUSUWUL process.
After several very exciting yarn deliveries and some experimentation, Nicci quickly realised there was something special about one particular yarn from The Wool Library. This yarn blends together two quite different native breeds from flocks that live just down the road from each other in Ulverston, Lake District.
Blue Faced Leicester (BFL) and Teeswater, though very different looking sheep, are both categorised as being LUSTRE breeds, which means that their fibres have a natural shine. They are both also longwool breeds, individual hair fibres called staples being longer than average. The Teeswater has an especially long staple, measuring up to 30cm. BFL is one of the most widely used and sought after UK breeds, prized for its soft, wavy texture. Teeswater, despite its similarities, are sadly an endangered breed recognised by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.
British Wool are showcasing this new UNUSUWUL fabric in the innovation section of their new Cloth Sourcing Guide. They have been touring this to a variety of industry events across Europe this summer including Future Fabric Expo, Pitti Filati, Premiere Vision and more. Most recently the guide was on show as part of the Central St Martin’s Wool Exchange event at University of the Arts London.
If you’re interested to find out more or get your hands on a sample of this fabric, please do get in touch!
The combination of these two breeds makes for a strong, silky, lustrous yarn which I’m finding works very well within the UNUSUWUL process.The presence of the long fibres has enabled me to achieve a mohair type finish through brushing the felted fabric - an unexpected surprise! Showcasing the influence of the Teeswater fibre within this yarn is one way I hope to help improve awareness and demand for this endangered breed.
Combining with another naturally coloured yarn from Shepley’s British Wool’s certified range, UNUSUWUL brought a subtle nod to traditional tweed type patterning into the design, in keeping with my love for blending tradition and innovation. As you can see within the photos, this fabric has a soft, fluffy surface, which produces an interesting effect depending on the direction of the pile. Having developed enough strength through the UNUSUWUL process to hold its shape, this fabric would be ideal for outerwear or accessories applications.
British Wool is a farmers' organisation working on behalf of around 35,000 registered UK wool producers. Their mission is to promote the use of British wool by championing its properties, heritage and profile as a natural sustainable fibre.