Olivia BFL - Willow

Olivia BFL is a gorgeous base from Olivia & Oliver that is spun from Blue Faced Leicester wool - a breed worth knowing if you don't already. The longer staple length of BFL fleece produces a yarn with a distinctive combination of qualities that's hard to find elsewhere: it's genuinely soft against the skin, with a smooth, almost silky handle, but also remarkably strong and naturally resistant to pilling, making it a more hardwearing choice than many other wool bases without any sacrifice to comfort. It's a fibre that rewards close inspection, and one that knitters tend to come back to again and again once they've discovered it. Each skein is then hand dyed right here in the Netherlands using Olivia and Oliver's beautiful, considered colour palette, resulting in finished skeins that are as lovely to look at as they are to work with. And as an added reason to love it - this base is exclusive to Stephen & Penelope, so you won't find it anywhere else.

Hand dyed yarn is extra special because every skein is one of a kind. There are no batches and no perfectly matched skeins. This is where you can see the artistic point of view of each dye house we work with. Some dyers are quite exact in their repeatable colours while others are quite artistic and splashy, valuing the creation of each skein rather than the closeness of the colourway.

We take great care to photograph our products accurately, and still the unique skeins in your order may look different to the photograph, and they may even look different to each other. If you are using hand dyed yarns and are concerned with dramatic colour changes, when changing from one skein to the next, alternate rows to blend in the new skein.

• Items made from this superwash wool blend should be washed by hand in cold or lukewarm water with a gentle rinse-free detergent. Wash gently but never wring or twist when washing.
• Gently squeeze as much water as possible, roll in a towel and press moisture out. Then lay your finished piece flat to dry, blocking to shape.

We recommend washing even superwash wool by hand, as it will extend the life of your precious hand made items!

BFL has a natural luster giving finished projects a lovely shine and drape rather than a fluffier, matte look, all whilst being soft against the skin.

You'll get excellent stitch definition, great for cables and lace work and making your colour work look crisp is the best way possible!