By Karen Cooper
When I was a novice spinner, I once overheard someone say, “I don’t ever need to spin BFL again! It’s so common.”
I became curious. What was BFL, and why did they dislike it? If it was so common, why wasn’t I seeing it everywhere? Months later, I spotted a beautiful bump of creamy white Bluefaced Leicester roving blended with silk at a local yarn shop. My budget was limited, so I passed, assuming I could find some another time soon.
Years later, I finally experienced the pleasure of purchasing and processing a fleece and spinning this wonderful wool. Bluefaced Leicester—usually called BFL by spinners and pronounced “Less-ter”—has since become one of my favorite fibers.
Although it isn’t on the Livestock Conservancy list, I include it in my conservation and heritage-breed stash because it isn’t widely bred in the United States. It’s become one of my go-to fibers.
The first time I spun BFL I was struck by how easily its long, silky fibers found their way into one another. The wool felt soft without being fragile, lustrous without being slippery, and full of quiet energy. I love its beautiful hand and elegant drape, as well as the way it combines the character of a longwool with the softness many people want in a next-to-the-skin yarn. (Of course, sensitivities vary, so sampling is always worthwhile!) The wool is not blue. “Blue” is actually an illusion created by a haze of short white hair over dark bluish skin.
My favorite way to spin BFL is in its natural form, straight from the fleece. I can hardly wait to guide those lustrous locks directly into the orifice with little or no fluffing! Weavers appreciate this yarn, and knitters and crocheters are discovering its possibilities for sweaters, cowls, shawls, hats, and more.
About the Breed
There are many books and articles with interesting facts about this sheep’s history and breeding, as well as here. Of the three current Leicester breeds—the English Leicester Longwool, Border Leicester, and Bluefaced Leicester—BFL offers the finest fiber.
And who wouldn’t love this distinctive breed with its alert, dignified appearance, erect ears, a Roman nose, and characteristically colored face! (photos from BFLsheep.com) For fiber artists, however, the fleece is the main attraction. A good BFL fleece is dense, cleanly parted, and relatively free from excessive hair and kemp. The face, legs, and belly are naturally clean, which means less skirting. BFL wool is fine for a longwool, with a typical fiber diameter of about 24–28 microns and a staple length of roughly 3–6 inches.
Its locks are long, well-defined, and tightly purled, with a soft, semi-lustrous quality. They can be artfully lockspun, yet these characteristics also help produce yarn that is smooth, strong, softly shiny, and beautifully draping. In addition to the familiar creamy white, natural-colored fleeces are also seen including patterned or solid black, brown (moorit), black/silver/pewter. I’m looking forward to spinning the exceptional dark brown fleece I recently purchased from our guild member Rainey Pritchard, of Regal Blue Sheep farm here in Fort Collins!
My Experience Spinning BFL
What I enjoy most about BFL is the way it responds to a spinner’s hands. Its long staple gives the fiber a clear sense of direction, while the fine, purled locks provide softness and spring. When prepared carefully, the fibers move smoothly and consistently, allowing me to settle into a comfortable, meditative rhythm at the wheel.
BFL can be spun from locks, roving, top, batts, or combed preparations. For a smooth, lustrous yarn, I might use a combed or semi-worsted preparation and align the fibers carefully. For a loftier or more textured yarn, I use a more open preparation and allow the natural crimp to show.
The long staple may require some attention, but I find that a relaxed grip and steady drafting are usually enough. I try not to overwork the fiber or draft too little at a time, and I watch that twist doesn’t travel farther into the preparation than intended, leading to ropiness. BFL is strong enough to make a durable yarn, but it doesn’t need an aggressive spinning style.
The yarn regularly has a gentle sheen and smooth surface. It feels substantial without being heavy, with enough elasticity to make spinning, knitting, and crocheting satisfying. BFL also takes dye beautifully and blends well with silk, making its luster even more noticeable in both rich and subtle colors. I’m thrilled to find that BFL has recessive black genetics, and “Natural Colored” lambs can be produced in addition to the creamy white: solid black, dark brown, or mixed black-and-gray wool does occur and less frequently, patterned or dark fleeces.
After washing, I find that the yarn relaxes and blooms slightly while retaining its smoothness and drape. Depending on the preparation and twist, it can be delicate and elegant, firm and durable, or softly textured. It blends well with other fibers when I want to add length, luster, strength, or drape. So versatile! Soon I’ll try it for a sweater. It’s great for shawls, scarves, hats, cowls, and other projects where softness, sheen, warmth, and movement matter.
For me, BFL is a reminder that beautiful yarn begins with mindfulness. The fiber is soft but not weak, lustrous but manageable, and long stapled but approachable. It tells me how it wants to be prepared and how much twist it needs. When I listen, the result is a long-wearing yarn with shine, softness, and graceful drape.
I feel connected to the fiber, the sheep and its shepherds, and the land it lives on. Spinning Bluefaced Leicester feels like a partnership between the fiber and the spinner. That exchange is why I love BFL: each time I work with it, I’m reminded that handspinning is not only about making yarn, but also about discovering and honoring the character already present in the wool.
