Colour is so amazing and wonderful. Whether you go for solids, fun-and-streaky, soft pastels, dark and sombre or bright and in-your-face, we hope there is something intriguing here for your crafting needs. One thing we have learned at the shop is that every customer has their own favourites, and that there just IS no right or wrong when it comes to colour choices. Be cautious, or be brave… that is entirely your decision. We are, of course, always happy to provide suggestions for interesting pairings.

Fibre comes in various preparations.

TOP: fibre that has been washed and then combed, which removes a good degree of vegetation and gives a preparation with fibres of a similar length and in a parallel arrangement. Top is used to produce smooth and strong true worsted as well as semi-worsted yarns. The vast majority of what people refer to as “roving” is actually combed top.

ROVING: fibre that has been washed, picked and then carded, usually on a giant carding machine at a commercial mill. The fibres may be of varying lengths, in a somewhat jumbled arrangement rather than parallel. Roving is best suited to woolen and semi-woolen style spinning, which is lighter and airier than worsted. Roving also sometimes contains more vegetation than combed top, but not always. It depends on how dirty the fibre was to begin with, how it was skirted and picked, and on the milling equipment being used.

RUSTIC ROVING is a term we invented. It describes the thick and chunky rovings that come from a couple of our suppliers. If you’re used to working with neat and tidy combed top, Rustic Roving may come as a shock to your eyes and fingers. It can be two inches or more in diameter and usually chunky and rough in appearance compared to some of the lighter and airier rovings we carry. Most of our Rustic Rovings are found in our Canadian natural wool line.

SLIVER is a hazier term in the trade, in our experience. Most often it seems to be roving that is drawn into a thinner preparation than regular thicker roving. Sometimes it’s just another word for combed top, particularly in New Zealand. We always try and qualify which it is, when we know.

Alpaca/Merino – Frost
Alpaca/Merino – Frost
30% baby Alpaca (21.5-micron) / 70% Merino wool (22-micron), by Ashford of New Zealand. Lovely and clean combed top/sliver. A fairly thourough blend of both creamy-white Merino with Alpaca, not especially streaky but lovely and soft to the touch. Would be great for dyeing, if you wish. Suitable for both spinning and felting: Alpaca felts beautifully, particularly when blended with Merino. PRODUCT of NEW ZEALAND
$10.50$42.90 Select options
Alpaca/Merino – Granite
Alpaca/Merino – Granite
30% baby Alpaca (21.5-micron) / 70% Merino wool (22-micron), by Ashford of New Zealand. Lovely and clean combed top/sliver. Almost like black marble, this is streaked with shades from black through charcoal, grey and white. Suitable for both spinning and felting: Alpaca felts beautifully, particularly when blended with Merino. PRODUCT of NEW ZEALAND
$10.50$42.90 Select options
Alpaca/Merino – Moss
Alpaca/Merino – Moss
30% baby Alpaca (21.5-micron) / 70% Merino wool (22-micron), by Ashford of New Zealand. Lovely and clean combed top/sliver. Streaks of dusky moss green, white and a touch of brown/olive green. Suitable for both spinning and felting: Alpaca felts beautifully, particularly when blended with Merino. PRODUCT of NEW ZEALAND
$10.50$42.90 Select options
Alpaca/Merino – Primrose
Alpaca/Merino – Primrose
30% baby Alpaca (21.5-micron) / 70% Merino wool (22-micron), by Ashford of New Zealand. Lovely and clean combed top/sliver. Even yellow-haters love this colourway! It features streaks of soft primrose-yellow to cream and white, with highlights of tan and butterscotch. Suitable for both spinning and felting: Alpaca felts beautifully, particularly when blended with Merino. PRODUCT of NEW ZEALAND
$10.50$42.90 Select options
Alpaca/Merino – Rosehip
Alpaca/Merino – Rosehip
30% baby Alpaca (21.5-micron) / 70% Merino wool (22-micron), by Ashford of New Zealand. Lovely and clean combed top/sliver. Tones of cherry, plum and silvery-white are featured, with the subtlest touch of plum and black here and there. Suitable for both spinning and felting: Alpaca felts beautifully, particularly when blended with Merino. PRODUCT of NEW ZEALAND
$10.50$42.90 Select options
Alpaca/Merino – Rowan Berry
Alpaca/Merino – Rowan Berry
30% baby Alpaca (21.5-micron) / 70% Merino wool (22-micron), by Ashford of New Zealand. Lovely and clean combed top/sliver. In New Zealand this is what they call our Mountain Ash tree, and the colours are vibrant just like the berries. This has streaks of burnt orange, silvery-white, caramel and a wee touch of crimson. Suitable for both spinning and felting: Alpaca felts beautifully, particularly when blended with Merino. PRODUCT of NEW ZEALAND
$10.50$42.90 Select options
Alpaca/Merino – Seamist
Alpaca/Merino – Seamist
30% baby Alpaca (21.5-micron) / 70% Merino wool (22-micron), by Ashford of New Zealand. Lovely and clean combed top/sliver. Streaks of denim-blue in all shades, as well as white and just the slightest touch of fawn. Like the best jeans you spent years breaking in! Suitable for both spinning and felting: Alpaca felts beautifully, particularly when blended with Merino. PRODUCT of NEW ZEALAND
$10.50$42.90 Select options
Alpaca/Merino – Thistle
Alpaca/Merino – Thistle
30% baby Alpaca (21.5-micron) / 70% Merino wool (22-micron), by Ashford of New Zealand. Lovely and clean combed top/sliver. Streaked with tones of purple, plum and silvery-white with just the slightest hints of electic violet. Suitable for both spinning and felting: Alpaca felts beautifully, particularly when blended with Merino. PRODUCT of NEW ZEALAND
$10.50$42.90 Select options
Corriedale Amethyst
Corriedale Amethyst
This is a rich, somewhat muted dark plum-purple. Dyed 30 micron Corriedale wool top from Ashford of New Zealand.
$6.50$50.17 Select options
Corriedale Aubergine
Corriedale Aubergine
Ashford calls this Aubergine (French for Eggplant) but we find it's much more of a beet purply-red or burgundy-wine tone. Anyhow, it's great and a nice tone to add to the lineup. Dyed 30 micron Corriedale wool top from Ashford of New Zealand.
$6.50$50.17 Select options
Corriedale Beansprout
Corriedale Beansprout
Sort of an avocado green and our best-selling colour in this line. Go figure! Dyed 30 micron Corriedale wool top from Ashford of New Zealand.
$6.50$50.17 Select options
Corriedale Blue
Corriedale Blue
Rich sapphire or ultramarine blue. Dyed 30 micron Corriedale wool top from Ashford of New Zealand.
$6.50$50.17 Select options
Corriedale Blueberry Pie
Corriedale Blueberry Pie
A medium blue that leans towards violet. Our most popular blue in this line. Dyed 30 micron Corriedale wool top from Ashford of New Zealand.
$6.50$50.17 Select options
Corriedale Blush
Corriedale Blush
Ashford renamed this in 2018, formerly known as "Skin". A very useful tone of very soft ivory pink. Dyed 30 micron Corriedale wool top from Ashford of New Zealand.
$6.50$50.17 Select options
Corriedale Butterscotch
Corriedale Butterscotch
Warm golden brown. Looks smashing with Toffee or Nutmeg. Dyed 30 micron Corriedale wool top from Ashford of New Zealand.
$6.50$50.17 Select options
Corriedale Candy Floss
Corriedale Candy Floss
Soft but not whussy pink, a rose pink rather than baby pink. Dyed 30 micron Corriedale wool top from Ashford of New Zealand.
$6.50$50.17 Select options
Corriedale Cheesecake
Corriedale Cheesecake
Medium-soft and pleasing golden orange, a bit like mild cheddar cheese. Dyed 30 micron Corriedale wool top from Ashford of New Zealand.
$6.50$50.17 Select options
Corriedale Cherry Red
Corriedale Cherry Red
Not a pinkish cherry, but rather a medium-dark red - the best red in the lineup we think. Dyed 30 micron Corriedale wool top from Ashford of New Zealand.
$6.50$50.17 Select options