Middle Campscott Organic Yarns

When Lawrence and Karen Wright took what they thought was beautiful, subtly-coloured Shetland wool to the British Wool Marketing Board in 1993, they were not happy to find it was regarded as having almost no value. It would have been easy to give up because the main farming interest of this North Devon couple was, and remains, sheep dairying. That is milking their British Friesland and Polled Dorset ewes, turning the milk into four different kinds of organic farmhouse cheese and selling it at local markets.

But instead of taking the easy option and giving up, after shearing the following year the Wrights sent their Shetland fleece to the Natural Fibre Company which was then operating in Mid Wales. To their joy they got back neat balls of pearl grey knitting wool.

It amounted to an encouraging new beginning and they continued on a regular basis, enjoying the subtly-different shades that resulted each year from the variations in the colours of the sheep in their flock. This encouraged them to add to their range: white wool from Friesland/Dorsets and Llanwenogs, and more recently dark grey from Zwartbles. Over the years their flock has produced a full range of tones, from a marbled white to dark brown.

Today, the Campscott fleece is processed to Global Organic Textile Standard by the Natural Fibre Company, now a considerably shorter journey away in Cornwall. As well as selling the yarn in 50-gram banded balls, mostly in double knitting weight, they make pullovers, cardigans, hats and baby’s bootees. The Wrights have also gone into weaving and produced blankets, throws and baby blankets as well as fabric which Karen uses to make individually-designed cushion covers with textured patterns. She also accepts orders for jumpers to be knitted from Campscott wool.