Rosedean Ryelands 2019 DK Dark Yarn

This new yarn is produced from the darkest coloured fleeces from the 2019 clip of our Coloured Ryeland sheep. It’s a beautiful soft creamy, dark-grey colour, complementing our two other 2019 DK colours – Light and Mid.

Our small flock of pedigree sheep was established in 2007 and is now kept on our 12 acre smallholding in Barry, Angus.

The Ryeland is a very old breed originally from the Hereford area and was developed by the monasteries there to graze the rye pastures – hence the name. The breed fell from favour in the 20th century and by 1974, there were only 980 breeding ewes left – and the breed was recognised as “rare” by the then newly formed Rare Breed Survival Trust. Since then numbers have recovered and the breed is now recognised as “native” rather than “rare”. Coloured Ryelands has experienced a rapid rise in popularity in recent years. The breed is popular with small-scale and new sheepkeepers as it is relatively small, docile and has good feet. The teddybear appearance undoubedly helps too.

Processed by the renowned Natural Fibre Company, this 100% pure, undyed double-knittng yarn is a blend of all of our darkest coloured fleece from 2019 – Coloured Ryeland fleeces range from dark chocolate brown through mid-browns to silver and light gray. Each ball is 50g / 110m. Hand-wash only.