Merino Wool
Updated: Sep 24
How environment influenced the performance of Merino Wool
Originating in Spain during the Middle Ages, Merino sheep were selectively bred for their exceptionally fine fleece, which was once highly valued. To endure harsh climates, these sheep developed a specialized coat with a unique double-layered fleece: a soft, crimped undercoat that traps air and a breathable outer layer that manages moisture. This design makes Merino wool a natural thermoregulator, providing lightweight warmth in cold conditions and remaining cool, soft, and breathable in warmth. Additionally, the fiber is naturally odor-resistant due to lanolin, wicks moisture without feeling damp, and offers superior elasticity and strength, making it ideal for high-performance garments.
Blacker Swan from Blacker Yarn
(Below information provided by Blacker Yarn)
Yarn Spec
Fibre | 100% wool |
Breed | Falkland Island Merino |
Weight | 50g |
Length | c.110m (c.119yds) |
Needle | UK 8/US 6 |
Hook | 4mm |
Tension | 20 sts / 28 rows |
Finish | Worsted |
Handle | fine |
A farm to yarn story
Blacker Swan’s super soft merino fibre was originally sourced from Andrez and Ali Short of Swan Inlet Farm in the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic. Following the Short’s retirement the flock of specialist Dohne Merino sheep passed to Mike and Donna Evans at Spring Point Farm, also of the Falkland Islands. The fine white merino wool has been shorn, sorted, graded and shipped to the UK and delivered to the Launceston mill for transforming into luxurious, worsted-spun single-flock yarns.
Who made your knitting yarn?
James McQueen (image provided) is NFC’s Carding Engineer and longest serving member of the team, having joined in 2006. James began his apprenticeship and career in textiles in Scotland and Yorkshire and now oversees all operations in the mill’s production processes including managing the two heritage carding machines (dating from 1946 and 1958). He has vast experience and knowledge of handling and processing everything from rare-breed sheep fleeces to more unusual fibres. He was featured as a UKFT Manufacturing Hero in 2021 and interviewed by Made in Britain in 2022, there is a video of James on YouTube, link provided here: https://youtu.be/rLtbW_vYZBo?si=b3fk4ftUpYlyCsxh
At Palette Purl, we pair this incredible natural softness with our upcoming September 2026 Hero Piece: the Malibu Cardigan, designed by Abbie Knits. Knit in a squishy DK weight yarn, this top-down, seamless project is engineered for breezy, effortless style—making it the ultimate layer to throw on for chilly autumn evening walks. Designed to be worn open, optional buttons allow you to tailor the finish to your liking, while the straightforward pattern construction makes for a relaxing, high-reward knit. The signature stripe sequence plays with dynamic, autumnal colourways—blending deep blue lavender, golden yellow, crisp cream, and baby blue. The low-scale, micro-fine architecture of the Merino fibre provides exceptional elasticity and crimp, creating a butter-soft, highly defined strand that lets each vibrant stripe pop with plush texture and beautiful, cozy drape.
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