We get asked this question a lot.
If you've spent any time looking at eco-friendly yarn, you'll have noticed that "upcycled wool" and "recycled wool" appear on labels with increasing frequency, often without much explanation of what those words actually mean. Is it actually the same as ordinary wool? Where does it come from? And — the unspoken concern underneath the question — is it somehow lesser? A compromise? A way of making something second-rate sound virtuous?
The short answer is no. But the longer answer is more interesting, and worth knowing before you buy.
Our upcycled Aran wool is made from the spool ends and waste generated by spinning mills during the production of new yarn. When a mill runs a batch of wool through the spinning process, not everything makes it onto the final bobbins in usable form. There are ends, offcuts, remnants — material that's been processed but can't be used for the primary purpose. In conventional manufacturing, a lot of this goes to waste. Our yarn gives it a second life instead.
Our Upcycled Chunky WoolThis is distinct from post-consumer recycled wool — the kind made by shredding old garments back into fibre, a process with a surprisingly long history. Recycled wool has been produced in Yorkshire since 1813, when a man called Benjamin Law in Batley discovered he could break down old clothes into reusable fibre and blend it back into new yarn. The industry that grew up around his discovery — known as "shoddy" — dominated the Heavy Woollen District of West Yorkshire for over a century and supplied affordable wool cloth to the world.
Our upcycled wool sits closer to the mill-waste end of the spectrum than the shredded-garment end. The principle is the same: fibre that already exists, already processed, already uses its share of the world's resources, getting used rather than discarded.
Producing virgin wool has a significant environmental footprint. The sheep need land, water, and feed. The fleece needs to be shorn, sorted, scoured — washed to remove lanolin, dirt, and vegetable matter, a process that uses a lot of water and, in some operations, chemicals. It's then carded, combed, spun. By the time it reaches you as a ball of yarn, a considerable number of resources have gone into it.
Upcycled wool skips the early stages of that process entirely. The fibre is already there, already clean, already partially processed. The energy and water that went into producing it have already been spent. Using it again doesn't cost the earth a second time.
This isn't a minor efficiency. The textile industry is one of the largest consumers of water globally. Every ball of upcycled wool represents fibre that didn't need to go through that process again.
For most knitting and crochet projects: yes, absolutely. Our upcycled wool is 100% wool, Aran weight, and behaves like wool. It's warm. It has the natural elasticity that makes wool pleasant to knit with — the slight give that synthetic fibres can't replicate. It takes blocking well. It's considerably more forgiving than plant fibres if you drop a stitch or need to unpick a section.
Each 100g ball gives approximately 190m of yarn, which is generous for an Aran weight. A 6mm needle or hook suits it well. For the kinds of projects Aran weight wool is typically used for — jumpers, cardigans, hats, scarves, cushion covers, blankets — it performs exactly as you'd want it to.
There is one caveat, to be honest. Because the wool comes from mill waste rather than a single, carefully controlled fleece, the fibre length can be slightly shorter and more variable than in a premium virgin wool. Shorter fibre length can mean slightly more pilling over time — that gentle fuzziness on the surface of a well-worn jumper. It's not a flaw so much as a characteristic, and one that most crafters take in their stride. A garment made from upcycled wool and worn with reasonable care will last for years. It is not a delicate material. And of course, there are anti-pilling devices that can rectify this minor issue.
The other thing worth knowing is the colour. Our upcycled wool comes in a range of attractive shades — and because those shades come from the original spinning process rather than a bespoke dye recipe, there can be slight variation between batches. The practical advice is the same as for all our recycled materials: buy enough in one order to complete your project.
Aran weight wool is one of the most versatile yarn weights there is — heavy enough for warmth and structure, light enough for garments you'll actually wear rather than just admire.
Jumpers and cardigans. The warmth and elasticity of wool make it excellent for outerwear. Upcycled wool jumpers knit up beautifully and, if made in a classic shape, will last for years and look better for wear.
Hats, scarves and mittens. Fast, satisfying, and exactly the kind of project where you want a yarn with good stitch definition and warmth. Aran weight accessories are some of the most achievable makes for beginners, and wool is forgiving of imperfect tension.
Cushion covers. Wool's natural resilience means it bounces back from compression rather than going flat. A wool cushion cover takes considerably more daily use than an equivalent in cotton or acrylic.
Blankets. Aran weight works up quickly enough that a blanket doesn't feel like a life's work, and a proper wool blanket is one of those objects that earns its place in a home and keeps going for decades.
Children's garments. A note here: wool is naturally fire-resistant, which is one of the reasons it's recommended for children's nightwear in some countries, and naturally antibacterial. The upcycled origin doesn't change these properties — they come from the fibre itself.
We stock a range of colours, each named after a place in Devon — the origin of the business before it found its natural home here in Cumbria. Current shades include:
The full current range — including any new shades added since this post was written — is in our upcycled wool collection. Stock changes as new mill batches come in, so colours appear and disappear. If you see one you like, it's worth not leaving it too long.
We also stock a range of Aran weight wools in virgin British wool. You'd be surprised by how much of our wool comes from overseas. I was startled to learn that China not only imports a lot of wool to process, but about 15% of ALL THE SHEEP IN THE WORLD live in China. Since we are based in the Land of Sheep, and reducing transport miles is part of our sustainability mission, we make sure we source our virgin wool from UK sheep.
For most projects, yes. For the most demanding fine-gauge garments where fibre consistency is critical, a premium virgin wool might suit better — but that's a specialist consideration, not an everyday one. For Aran weight knitting and crochet — which covers the vast majority of what most people actually make — upcycled wool is not a compromise. It's a considered choice that makes excellent use of fibre that already exists, produces a warm, workable, properly woolly yarn, and costs the planet considerably less in the process.
Yorkshire knew this in 1813. We're just catching up.
Browse our upcycled wool range →
If you're exploring our other sustainable yarns, you might also enjoy our guides to T-shirt yarn, eucalyptus yarn, and recycled plastic bottle yarn.
