Our sheep can only grow so much wool in a year!
Our next edition of Iona Wool IW8 is underway and should be available in the spring.
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F.C.B Cadell
GROWN EXCLUSIVELY ON THE ISLE OF IONA
SUSTAINABLE, DURABLE, COSY, UNIQUE.
Bunnets and Ties in new Iona Tweed - Diamond Twill - Blawlowan / IW7 Silver
Famous throughout the world for its beauty and tranquility, the island is often described as a “special” place. Saints, scholars, and artists have called it home over the years, but the island has always belonged to its indigenous crofting community, who have shaped and defined life on this Atlantic outpost for centuries. At just three miles long by one and a half miles wide, Iona is home to seven crofts, two farms, around 170 islanders and over 1000 native breed sheep.
The simple mission of Iona Wool is to realise the full potential of the wool grown by the island flock - a raw material already laden with value when it is gathered in the summer, thanks to the skilled husbandry and care of the island’s crofting families. Each raw fleece documents a calendar year of nature and nurture, the fibres describing the wellbeing of the animal - how successful they have been at grazing and finding shelter, how they fared through lambing, whether winter was mild or harsh.
Every single fleece is rolled out on a table and worked by hand, feeling for any course or matted sections and testing the fibres for strength and condition. We sort into two grades; the finest becomes our knitting yarns and the second, our weaving and crafting yarns. We try not to manipulate the colour too much, grading by feel rather than by sight, so that each edition of Iona Wool reflects the collective colour of the island flock.
