The Sheep

Wensleydale Sheep

The Wensleydale wool is a luxurious fibre, the most lustrous and finest longwool in the world. It contains no kemp, which are the coarse, itchy fibres found in other types of wool. This means that it can be worn against the skin. It is an exceptionally rare breed and is on the ‘endangered’ list, with only around 1800 breeding ewes in the world. Wensleydales are large and majestic and they are placid and thoughtful by nature. They produce a long curly fleece which in the first year grows to the floor. Somewhere along the way they fell out of favour, in part due to the small size of the modern oven and also with the introduction of man-made fibres. The breed became forgotten and a new interest in wool was responded to by the import of the Australian merino which is mainly what is used today.

Shetland Sheep

Shetland wool from the Shetland sheep is an exquisite fibre. It is so fine that it can be spun to the thickness of a strand of cotton. It should not be confused with the itchy, coarse ‘shetland’ knitwear that has flooded the shops over the last couple of decades. Most of our Shetland wool has been woven into cloth and it has the feel of a soft, fine cashmere. Shetlands are a rare and primitive breed, with only several thousand in existence in the world. They were introduced to the Shetland Isles by the Viking settlers over 1000 years ago. They have retained their primitive habits, and often exhibit goat-like behaviour.

Whilst our Wensleydales are happy to graze, the Shetlands like foraging in the hedgerows and eating nettles and thistles. They always manage to find a way out of their pastures and love to explore the lanes. Some orphan ones that we raised particularly enjoyed garden flowers and especially roses. They are inquisitive, gregarious and very friendly. They produce a multitude of different colours of fleece. The katmogets, for example, are fawn or grey and the moorit are a wonderful chestnut tinged brown. They do not produce an abundance of wool, enough for just over 1 garment each year.

Our Shetland wool comes predominantly from our own flock of around 250 Shetland sheep. Most of our animals were destined for the meat markets – we stepped in and offered them good and often better prices to save them. They reside here in the Yorkshire Dales where they will live out their entire natural lives. We continue to intervene and purchase any which we hear are about to go to market.

Cashmere Goats

Cashmere yarn is one of the world’s most luxurious fibres. The downy wool comes from the underbelly of the goat. Each goat only produces around 100g of the fibre each year, so it can take up to 3 or 4 to make one garment. The fibre is gently combed from the goat during its normal moulting season, usually late spring to early summer.

Before being spun into yarn, the cashmere fibre has to be dehaired, a process where any coarse hairs are removed.

Izzy Lane cashmere comes from British herds of goats. The British production started in 1983. The goats were feral ones and had escaped domesticity hundreds of years ago, they were found living on the north west coast of Scotland, Galloway, Holy Island and in the Kielder forest. Farmers were encouraged to look at cashmere production in order to diversify. Today there are only around 12 cashmere herds in Britain, mainly in Scotland and they are cared for in small groups of between 6 and 60 animals. The whole annual UK production barely exceeds 100 kilos. As well as producing the fibre they are extremely useful ecologically, improving land and keeping weeds under control. The herds which provide us with our cashmere are scattered. Some are in the Grampians, some Midlothian and the Borders and others further down in southern England. The goats here are kept to very high welfare standards.