# BFL ?



## OdileC (Jan 20, 2014)

Excuse me if I ask a stupid question but what BFL means. It's used before any sort of fibers for sale ; B could be for bulk? F probably stands for fiber but what about L?
Thanks for reducing my ignorance!


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## Nanknit (Mar 2, 2013)

BFL is Blue Faced Leicester....a breed of sheep. It’s not a stupid question at all. The only stupid question is the one that you don’t ask. Jen


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## OdileC (Jan 20, 2014)

Thanks Jen!


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## Nanknit (Mar 2, 2013)

OdileC said:


> Thanks Jen!


???? You are more than welcome. Jen.


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## BirchPoint (Feb 12, 2016)

By the way, BFL is a lovely fiber - long staple, buttery soft, nice sheen. One of my favorites, which is why someone would specify that a certain wool is BFL. Makes it more desirable than if you just said wool....


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## spins2knit (Jul 29, 2013)

Ah, Blue Faced Leicester is one of the loveliest breeds to spin, and dye, and knit with. Try it.


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## OdileC (Jan 20, 2014)

From my 'dummy' question results so many good tips from you PKs for wich I am so thankful!
When I started spinning 10 years ago I was given a raw fleece and told it was from a Leicester breed. Did the whole process, dyied and knitted it. I found no big difference with the Shetland fleece I processed. So I suppose there are different categories in the Leicester breed. I will definitely search for a BFL fleece. Have a good day! Odile


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## shepherd (Feb 25, 2012)

OMG I am always amazed that people are not aware of the differences in breeds and their wool! There are wonderful books with color photos and descriptions of fleece properties!. I can't count the number of people ask me about "wool" they bought without knowing the breed, because there is a world of difference. Even if you must drive a long distance, get thee to a Sheep and Wool Fair and see the actual animals and talk to breeders. You will come alway wiser and happier, I promise.


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## spinninggill (Apr 9, 2011)

spins2knit said:


> Ah, Blue Faced Leicester is one of the loveliest breeds to spin, and dye, and knit with. Try it.


 :sm24: :sm24: :sm24:


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## spinninggill (Apr 9, 2011)

OdileC said:


> From my 'dummy' question results so many good tips from you PKs for wich I am so thankful!
> When I started spinning 10 years ago I was given a raw fleece and told it was from a Leicester breed. Did the whole process, dyied and knitted it. I found no big difference with the Shetland fleece I processed. So I suppose there are different categories in the Leicester breed. I will definitely search for a BFL fleece. Have a good day! Odile


There is Border Leicester, Blue faced Leicester, Leicester Longwool, not to mention all the crosses from Leicesters.
Border Leicester is coarser than BFL, but also long staple; Leicester longwool is a rare breed now and has a long staple and takes dye well


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## Cookie61868 (Sep 19, 2011)

BFL is my favorite wool breed, it dyes beautifully also!!!


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## IndigoSpinner (Jul 9, 2011)

Spinners often confuse people who are not into fiber arts.

A regular person admires a sweater, scarf or other knitted or crochet item and innocently asks if it's wool. They expect a yes or no answer.

Then, what they get is the breed of the sheep the wool was spun from (and bear in mind that most people are really unaware that there even _are_ different breeds of sheep), and sometimes the name of the specific sheep that grew the wool! And sometimes even more information. I went to my first Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival with a friend who had contracted the year before to buy next year's fleece of a specific sheep. It was a fine, crimpy charcoal grey fleece from a sheep named Flapjack because his mom's name was Pancake.

Usually, when I mention a breed of sheep, I supply a short description of the breed along with it.

I currently have a Spelsau fleece from a sheep named Daisy waiting to spin, if I can ever find it in the stuff I'm still unpacking from my move to Michigan.


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## Cdambro (Dec 30, 2013)

IndigoSpinner said:


> Spinners often confuse people who are not into fiber arts.
> 
> A regular person admires a sweater, scarf or other knitted or crochet item and innocently asks if it's wool. They expect a yes or no answer.
> 
> ...


I was in the group you describe of knowing nothing about fiber or sheep. I also would ask...is it wool...having no clue of any differences. A wool sweater was a wool sweater. I thought a sheep was a sheep. What a huge education I have gotten and still feel uneducated about so much. For everything I learn, there are 10 more things I don't know. Spinning has opened a huge door to me but sometimes, I still feel overwhelmed by what I don't know. Little by little.


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## IndigoSpinner (Jul 9, 2011)

Cdambro said:


> I was in the group you describe of knowing nothing about fiber or sheep. I also would ask...is it wool...having no clue of any differences. A wool sweater was a wool sweater. I thought a sheep was a sheep. What a huge education I have gotten and still feel uneducated about so much. For everything I learn, there are 10 more things I don't know. Spinning has opened a huge door to me but sometimes, I still feel overwhelmed by what I don't know. Little by little.


For a newbie, I usually recommend Ashford's Corriedale sliver. It's nicely crimpy, easy to spin, reasonably priced, and available in a lot of colors, and if it doesn't have the colors you want, you can card them together, or just hold them next to each other and draw wool back and forth across the different colors to get some nice tonal or variegated yarn. It's available in a lot of different places, so look around.

https://woolery.com/ashc-color-card-photo-copy-dyed-corriedale.html


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## Cdambro (Dec 30, 2013)

IndigoSpinner said:


> For a newbie, I usually recommend Ashford's Corriedale sliver. It's nicely crimpy, easy to spin, reasonably priced, and available in a lot of colors, and if it doesn't have the colors you want, you can card them together, or just hold them next to each other and draw wool back and forth across the different colors to get some nice tonal or variegated yarn. It's available in a lot of different places, so look around.
> 
> https://woolery.com/ashc-color-card-photo-copy-dyed-corriedale.html


Thanks. At this point, I have a nice variety of fiber and am always wondering what is the best way to spin to have the colors the way I want them. I have had both hits and misses which I guess many spinners have.


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## eneira12 (Dec 18, 2013)

thanks for all the info KP'ers


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## OdileC (Jan 20, 2014)

And I double concer with you Eneira! It's amasing how starting with a dump question (mine, of course hihihi) I, we, learned so much from all knowledgeable KP'ers: thank you all! Odile


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## Alpaca Farmer (Jan 19, 2011)

12 year ago, we got alpacas. Until that time, I did not know the differences in "wool" or sheep or alpacas. There is a lot to learn.
And there are no dumb questions. How do we learn if we don't ask.


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## mama879 (Jan 27, 2011)

Alpaca Farmer said:


> 12 year ago, we got alpacas. Until that time, I did not know the differences in "wool" or sheep or alpacas. There is a lot to learn.
> And there are no dumb questions. How do we learn if we don't ask.


I agree No stupid Questions we are all still learning you would be surprised.


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## desireeross (Jun 2, 2013)

I dye a lot of bfl fibre and yarn. It’s great for socks. Very hard wearing


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