London City Farm Yarn
About the project
London has 14 registered city farms and most own sheep, each year these sheep are sheared, producing over a ton of fleece much of it being of top quality. Unfortunately, most of this ends up as waste since these farms are too small to make it commercially viable to deliver into the Wool Board. Wool is a wonder fibre which has been used for thousands of years to keep us warm, it is 100% biodegradable and has the possibility to replace synthetic fibres that take 500 years to bio-degrade as well as produce 10’s of thousands of micro fibres.
The main aim of this project is to collect all the fleece from London and Greater London city farms to amount to a big enough quantity to make a commercial run of yarn, by doing so the yarn will be a fraction of the price that it would otherwise be. This will be made into a knitting yarn, graded by the wool board, washed and spun in Yorkshire, using the oldest and the most experienced factories or wool processing and spinning.
The farms in return for their fleece will I receive knitting/crochet packs, including a skein of super soft wool with a pattern to sell, to raise much needed funds for their charitable organisations. The project will be documented, and the farms can use this for educational purposes, showing the process of farm to fashion.
At present I am funding this project, but I will hopefully receive additional finance via grants or crowd funding to enable the city farms to receive back free yarn so all the profits raised can go into their charitable trusts, If not, the only charge will the cost price of the wool. The remaining wool, I will use to make products to sell commercially to replay some of my initial layout. This is a pilot program, if it is successful it could grow into an annual event for all the London City farms to be involved with and maybe even a London City Farm brand.
Are you tired of the environmental toll the fashion industry takes?
So was I.
With over 25 years of experience designing knitwear for renowned brands like Ballantyne Cashmere, Jaeger, and Laura Ashley, I witnessed firsthand the damage caused by conventional fashion practices. That’s why I founded Ossian Knitwear in 2021, driven by a vision for a more sustainable future.
After completing a master’s degree at UAL – Chelsea, specialising in sustainable textiles, I embarked on a journey to redefine fashion’s impact. My focus? Wool – the UK’s most local and renewable fibre resource.
Exploring the richness of British wool, I discovered a treasure trove of natural colours and textures among the country’s pure breeds of sheep. Surprisingly, many of these breeds boasted a softness and quality previously overlooked in the industry.
But there was a challenge: traditional wool processing offered limited options. Either opt for mass-produced, affordable yarn that sacrificed quality, or invest in small-batch production with soaring costs.
That's when inspiration struck!
While collecting wool from Toms farm in Wandsworth, I encountered Border Leicester sheep—a rare breed with exceptional fleece quality. Handwashing and spinning the wool, I witnessed its transformation into a truly exquisite yarn.
And thus, the concept of City Farm Yarn was born.
Imagine yarn crafted from the heart of urban landscapes, sourced from local city farms. Each skein tells a story of sustainability, heritage, and unparalleled quality.
Join us in shaping a brighter, more sustainable future—one stitch at a time.
London City Farms
City Farms
The majority of London City Farms keep sheep as part of their educational programme, teaching children and adults about the production of meat, cheese and wool, many farms hold demonstrations of wool processes, spinning and knitting.
Spitalfields City Farm – A city farm in Tower Hamlets, E1
Mudchute Park and Farm – A city farm and park in Tower Hamlets, E14
Woodlands Farm – A working farm in Greenwich, DA16
Nightingale Academy, Tom’s Farm – Boys educational academy, SW17
Shearing time
Wellgate Farm – A Community Farm in Romford RM5
