Marie Wallin
British Breeds Aran - Marie Wallin
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Marie Wallin British Breeds Aran is a 100% British wool Aran weight yarn, blended from four different British sheep breeds and available in 12 colours in 50g balls. Each breed contributes something distinct to the yarn: Bluefaced Leicester adds beautiful softness; Exmoor Horn adds softness and a clean white fleece that makes for more successful dyeing; Romney adds strength and a slight lustre; and Zwartbles adds bounce, springiness, and that characteristic warm, sheepy smell.
British Breeds Aran is the Aran weight addition to the British Breeds family. It has the same four-breed composition as the original British Breeds yarn and is exactly twice as thick, making it perfect for stitchwork, cable knitting, and Fair Isle knitting. The beautiful mélange effect of the colours produces the rich, characterful Fairisle patterns that Marie Wallin designs are known and loved for.
The Marie Wallin Aran version of British Breeds was inspired by the designs of Grasmoor in Cumbria and Helvellyn in Westmorland, back in 2021. When Marie decided to include menswear in these two collections, she wanted to create solid-colour cable designs in a heavier-weight fabric. Knitting swatches using two ends of British Breeds together produced a lovely thick fabric with great stitch definition, but resulted in a heavier garment. Marie worked with Helena and Sonia at the John Arbon mill to develop a dedicated Aran version, and the beautiful result was British Breeds Aran.
To produce the yarn, the Bluefaced Leicester, Exmoor Horn, and Romney wool fibres are first blended and then dyed using a carefully developed recipe to create each of the 12 base colours. Each colour base is then blended with undyed Zwartbles fibre to create the signature mélange effect. Once spun, the yarn is sent to Edward Hill's Ltd in Bradford to be steam relaxed and wound into 50g donut balls. The steam finishing opens up the yarn, creating its characteristic fullness, lightness, and beautiful handle.
Yarn Specifications
Yarn Name: British Breeds Aran
Yarn Brand: Marie Wallin
Fibre Content: 100% British wool, blended from Bluefaced Leicester, Exmoor Horn, Romney, and Zwartbles sheep breeds
Yarn Weight: Aran weight
Ball Weight: 50g
Ball Meterage: 85 metres
Ball Yardage: 93 yards
Available Colours: 12 colours
Suitable For: Cable knitting, Fairisle knitting, stitch work, sweaters, jumpers, and garments. Suitable for men's and women's knitting projects.
Recommended Knitting Needles: 4.5mm (US 7)
Gauge (stocking stitch): 18 to 20 stitches x 26 rows over 10cm using 4.5mm (US 7) needles
Gauge (Fairisle): 22 stitches x 22 rows over 10cm using 4.5mm (US 7) needles
Care Instructions
Hand wash carefully using a mild, natural liquid soap in lukewarm water. Once washed, extract as much water as possible by squeezing the garment gently between two towels. Reshape whilst damp and allow to air dry naturally.
It is worth knowing that 100% wool garments require very little washing as wool fibre is naturally self-cleaning. To freshen up your knitwear, hang it outside to air-dry and spot-clean any stains as needed. During summer months, store your knitwear in plastic bags with a natural moth deterrent such as cedar balls or lavender bags.
























