London City Farm Yarn Project

From City Farms to Cozy Knits

The majority of London City Farms keep sheep as part of their educational programmes, teaching children and adults about the production of meat, cheese and wool. Each year more than half a million Londoners will visit a city farm.

Sheep must be sheared for their wellbeing, but the amount of wool from each farm is too small to process commercially. This pilot project unites 10 London farms, combining their wool to a sizable amount (1 ton) for commercial processing. The finished yarn and products are offered back to the farms at cost, generating vital funds to support their running costs.

The Journey of Our Wool

From the fields of London to the mills of Yorkshire, every step is handled with care.

1. Shearing & Collection

All city farm sheep are sheared each spring. The fleece is then collected from 596 sheep across 10 farms.

2. Grading

The collected fleece is taken to be graded by the WB in Ashford, Kent, ensuring quality.

3. Scouring & Carding

In Yorkshire, the wool is scoured to clean it. The fibres are then brushed by huge wire rollers, a process known as carding, producing rolls of wool with all the strands facing the same direction.

4. Spinning

Soft rolls of wool, called rovings, are spun into a fine thread, then twisted into 2 or more ply for strength.

5. The Product

The London City Farm Yarn is ready to be sold as hanks for knitters or cones for designers.

6. Supporting Farms

Profits from sales generate funds to go towards the running costs of our cherished city farms.

Our Ethical Products

Products using London wool will be available in most London City farm shops and on the Ossian knitwear website. London Wool' is ready to be sold as hanks and cones, as well as original designed products such as blankets, socks, gloves, garments & hats.