Details About Our 100% Wool Bases

Hi! Hello.  We're primarily Dyed to Order these days at Created by Elsie B. Our aim with this is to balance our smaller workspace with our desire to keep all our colorways easily accessible for your fiber needs; even if they aren't already dyed, labeled, and sitting on a shelf. 

I mention this in the listing itself, but turn around time for these dyed to order fibers is currently 6 weeks; that time will vary depending on a variety of factors, but that's the baseline estimate & we'll be in contact after your order is placed in the event we'll need to extend your ship-by date. 
Now on to the fiber bases: 

Blue Faced Leicester  
Perfect for both beginner & experienced spinners, Blue Faced Leicester wool is fine and dense with a good lustre and is long in staple length. The Blue Faced Leicester fleece is highly prized for its likeness to mohair and for its production of attractive lustrous yarns with good resilience. 
• 25-27 Micron and an average length of 3.34" to 4.33". 
• Rated as next-to-skin for most. 
• Beginner friendly. 

Cheviot 
Cheviot is a main British wool breed. The wool top is open without being slippery making it an excellent wool for beginner spinners. 
• The micron count ranges between 27-35 with an average length of 3.14" to 4" in staple. 
• Rated as not next-to-skin for all, definitely best for outerwear. 
• Beginner friendly.

Corriedale  
Corriedale fleece has good crimp and soft handle and is very even. Our Corriedale wools originate from New Zealand.  
• The wool produced is approx. 25-30 microns and staple length of 3.14" to 4.75". 
• Rated as next-to-skin for some. 
• Beginner friendly. 

Falkland  
The base flock of the Falkland wool is Corridale, Polwarth and Dohne Merino. These breeds were developed for dual purpose, meat and wool production and are selectively bred for the ability to survive in the harsh climate of the Falkland Islands. The upside of the harsh climate is that insects and disease associated with them are not a problem. The wool is almost guaranteed to be chemical free. Since there are no known sheep diseases in the Falkland Islands, the sheep are never dipped and never go through mulesing. 
• 28 micron wool with a staple length of 3.14"-4". 
• Rated as next-to-skin for some. 
• Beginner friendly. 

Falkland Merino 
Falkland-raised Merino has all the benefits of traditional Falkland wool paired with the luxury and softness of Merino. The upside of the harsh climate is that insects and disease associated with them are not a problem. The wool is almost guaranteed to be chemical free. Since there are no known sheep diseases in the Falkland Islands, the sheep are never dipped and never go through mulesing. 
• 20-22 micron wool with a staple length of 3.14"-4". 
• Rated as next-to-skin. 

21 micron Merino  
The classic! If you were someone who thought wool was only ever itchy, only to stumble across 'soft' wool, chances are it was Merino. The Merino breed was developed by Spanish Royalty from breeding the finest of Spain’s sheep with the sheep from North Africa. The result was the finest wool ever produced. To this day, Merino is foundation stock for many other fine wools and Merino types. 
• 21 micron wool with a staple length of 3"-3.14". 
•Rated as next-to-skin. 

18.5 micron Merino 
The luxury option; while sources disagree on exactly where the distinction between 'fine' and 'superfine' wools lands, the lower the micron count, the finer the wool & this fiber is soft-as-a-baby's-bottom (isn't that the oddest saying?) and totally delicious. 
• With a 18.5 micron count & a staple length of 3"-3.14" it's worth treating yourself with. 
• Rated as next-to-skin. 

Organic Merino 
I'll get people asking what's so amazing about Organic Merino & why that distinction matters. Well, first off, our Organic Merino is certified using the GOTS standard & while that doesn't immediately mean much to the ordinary shopper, what that translates to in real life is that because it's grown using organic methods and that extends to feed, pest control & processing, even though it register a micron count of 23, it's softer to the touch than conventionally grown 21m Merino. 
• 23 micron with a staple length of 3"-3.14" it's a personal favorite. 
• Rated as next-to-skin. 

Organic Polwarth 
Our organic Polwarth is grown in the Falklands. The wool was selected from two family farms on the islands. The fleeces are then processed in the UK. Sheep that are raised organically are not subject to mulesing, and they are not dipped for pesticides. In addition, the number of sheep allowed to graze in any given pasture area is limited to the natural carrying capacity of the land. And as with most wool that comes from the Falklands, it is very white. 
• Registering at 22 microns with a staple length of 5"-7" it's an easy-to-spin & soft addition to your stash. 
• Rated as next-to-skin. 

Polwarth 
Polwarth sheep were bred in Australia in 1880. The foundation stock, 75% Merino/25% Lincoln, came about by breeding Merino rams to Lincoln/Merino ewes. This breeding was meant to develop a hardy sheep with finer wool that could withstand areas of higher rainfall and colder temperatures, for a truly dual-purpose sheep. This breed is now found in Australia, New Zealand and Falkland Islands, with our Polwarth sourced from the Falkland Islands. This wool has good bulk, and is very soft and silky. 
• The wool is 21-24 Micron and an average staple length of 3.14". 
• Rated as next-to-skin. 
• Beginner friendly. 

Rambouillet 
This is a very old breed, originating in the village of Rambouillet, France in 1786. It is also know as French Merino. 
• The wool averages 20-23 Microns, with a good crimp (that means it's bouncy & has opinions). It also has a good staple length around 4". 
• Rated as next-to-skin. 

Shetland 
Shetland wool is in demand for handmade textiles because of its variety of colours and adaptable quality. The wool is fine, soft and silky to the touch with a good, bulky down characteristic. Perfect for beginner spinners for both price point and staple length. 
• With a micron count of 29-31 I'd recommend it for outerwear more than next-to-skin; staple length of 3.5". 
• Rated as next-to-skin for some. 
• Beginner friendly. 

Targhee 
Targhee is a domestically grown wool that is processed in the United States. The Targhee breed was developed at the Experimental Sheep Station in Dubois, Idaho in the mid 1900’s. The foundation stock were ewes of Rambouillet, Corriedale, and Lincoln bloodlines bred back to Rambouillet rams. It's similar in bounce to Rambouillet but I'd say it's a little less finicky - you can boss it around a little more & it's definitely a customer favorite.
• Micron count for our Targhee comes in at 23 with a staple length of 3"-5". 
• Rated as next-to-skin. 
• Beginner friendly.