Sägen wool tops: Corriedale

Hand dyed wool tops! A dream for those who spin, or those who want to start spinning. Each braids weighs approximately 100 g and has been hand dyed using high quality acid dyes. The fibres are combed, meaning they are parallel and ready to be hand spun! There are numerous ways of spinning wool tops, and here are some ideas to get you started:

- Fractal spinning: Split the braid in half lengthwise (it opens easily!) and spin one of the halves into your desired thickness. Take the other half and split it into even thinner strips - I like to splig mine in three or four strips, but you can also split it in two or, if you want to spin a thinner yarn, in even more parts! When you ply the two strands together, the colours on one strand will shift slowly while the other shifts faster, giving a very lively and pretty result.

- Colour section spin: Tear the braid apart where the colours change, and spin one colour at a time. You can then make a 2- or 3-ply yarn where the strands have different colours but still match, creating a marled effect.

- Chain ply: If you don't want the strands to have different colours, chain plying is a great option! This creates a 3-ply yarn where the strands are more or less solid and the colours shift slowly from one to the next.

- Carding: You can use hand carders or a drum carder to create new blends and mix colours however you like! Carding the wool tops allows you to mix in other fibres and make the colours more blended, and you can turn your wool top into an art batt or rolags and spin them instead of the top itself.

- Combination spin: You can ply two or three strands from different tops together to create a more marled yarn and new colour combinations! This is great if you have leftovers and want them to last a bit longer, or if you want to create a fade. If you have two different wool tops, you can spin one skein using two strands of colour A, one skein using one strand of colour A and one strand colour B and one skein using two strands of colour B. 

What kind of yarn you make is totally up to you! You can make a bulky, thick-and-thin yarn, a very fine, smooth yarn, or experiment with different colours and techniques. 

This wool top is 100% Corriedale, a gorgeously lustrous and soft wool. The colours are clear and bright and it's a dream to spin, perfect for beginners! The wool is untreated which means it will felt - great if you want it to, but if not, make sure to treat it with a little extra care.

Fibre: 100% untreated Corriedale wool
Micron: 25-30 mic
Staple length: 80-120 mm
Care: Soak your finished yarn in cold water with a mild detergent suitable for animal fibres. Rinse it carefully. Gently press out excess water using your hands and then wrap the yarn in a towel and give it a squeeze. Dry flat. The finished yarn may bleed a bit - if it does, soak it again in cold water with a bit of white vinegar.

The braid may have been compacted on its way to you. If it feels dense, you can steam it to loosen up the fibres and make it easier to spin! Either hover a steam iron over it (don't press it with the iron!), or put it in a colander or steaming basket over a pot of boiling water. It will puff up in no time!

The colourways called Monsters are OOAK, non-repeatable colours. They're the result of extensive dye testing and while these combinations didn't make it into the standard line of colours, they're just as good as the others, with an extra touch of uniqueness!