the genial sheep
From my Essex home, I make award-winning rugs, throws, cushion covers and other items from fleeces taken from my flock of native and rare breeds of sheep. These are not sheepskins, but fleeces shorn from breeding sheep, annually, for their wellbeing. Our flock are not harmed in the making process, but instead, enjoy their time grazing in the fields.
Sadly, wool in its raw state, is under-utilised in the UK, despite it being a beautiful, natural and sustainable product. Fleeces, if used, may be processed into yarn for weaving and knitting products, however, large quantities are very often simply destroyed.
At The Genial Sheep, I aim to make beautiful but practical items that use the fleeces, just as they were worn by our sheep, showing off their natural textures and colours.
We use the traditional process of wet felting in order to hold our fleece products together. Layers of pure wool are added to the back of the fleece, then bound together with heat, water and rolling. The results are not only attractive, but hard wearing and can be machine washed at home.
The Genial Sheep also create beautiful items using recycled knitwear. The original garments are taken apart, washed, felted and then joined using patchwork designs, inspired by crafting traditions from around the world. Layers are joined using hand embroidery. The finished pieces can be washed in a washing machine on a wool setting and to ensure no wool is wasted, even the tiniest scraps are used to create small felted ornaments and decorations.
sustainability and our flock
Conservation and sustainability are at the heart of everything we do at The Genial Sheep. Our hardy and native rare breed sheep thrive on natural herbage and receive no processed food. The flock are mostly Hebridean sheep, characterised by their beautifully textured wool that ranges in colour from black to brown through grey and even white, as well as their unique horns, where two or more pairs are possible.
Solar panels provide the power to heat the water used in our felting process. No dyes are used and all of our finished rugs are washed in a natural scour.
