URADALE YARNS
Uradale sells organic yarns spun from native Shetland sheep. Farmer Ronnie Eunson tells Penny Batchelor what makes his flock and wool so special
AS FARMS go, Uradale is pretty remote. It’s on the Scottish island of Shetland, just over an hour’s flight north from Aberdeen, and is seven miles from the capital Lerwick, hidden away in a valley over a bumpy track.
The farm looks after only native Shetland sheep, the species having lived on the isles for millennia. With all that woolly history, it could be said that Uradale is merely the custodian of the current generation of the breed. Ronnie Eunson and his son Jakob are the farmers at Uradale. Ronnie explains that folk have to be hardy to live and work here: “Shetland is an unforgiving place in the wintertime, and as such, demands determined souls to work the land!” Indeed, the valley where Uradale lies was once inhabited by fisherfolk crofters who scraped a subsistence living by farming small pieces of land and crewing fishing boats owned by the laird.
Uradale Farm converted to organic production in 2001. Like all other farmers in the UK, however, Ronnie found that prices for sheep fleeces were so low that it was barely worth the effort of selling them. He then had a lightbulb moment. “I decided to try spinning our wool seven years ago … I wanted to find out if there were knitters out there who wanted organic Shetland wool from native Shetland sheep. It was a desperate gamble as I knew the marketplace nd was global and already full. Offering something new to people who were unaware of its existence and without serious financial backing was always going to be a challenge.”
Happily, the gamble paid off and, as provenance became more important to consumers, Uradale Wool found its niche in the market. Says Ronnie: “Just like with most commodity products, people get fed up being offered sameness. Some people now want to experience and understand identifiable products. They are wary of massive marketing hype and budgets. Some people actually want to come to places like Shetland to see for themselves where their wool comes from!”
Natural beauty
Yarn orders can be collected from the farm by locals and more intrepid knitters. Otherwise Uradale will post your order to you. The company offers dyed and undyed yarns, which are scoured, spun and, where applicable, dyed organically. All are sold in 50g balls, and are available in DK and jumper weight (jumper weight being 4ply).
The undyed shades are beautiful tones of browns, greys and cream, rich with the natural beauty of the Shetland sheep’s fleece. The dyed shades, including bright pinks and reds, or more muted shades of blues and greens, are chosen to work well with the natural fleece shades. Ronnie was inspired by the flora and moss in the locality when choosing colours.
The organic principle is strictly adhered to, both for the animals and the yarn business. Ronnie explains what this means in practice: “The farm and livestock are inspected annually - no artificial fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides are used. Sick animals are treated following veterinary diagnosis, and sheep are shorn only after three months of any treatment for external parasites. The fleeces are washed at an organic scouring plant without bleach.
The wool is spun at an organic spinner with only vegetable oils used on machinery.
The yarn is dyed at an organic dyer with dyes avoiding the use of heavy metals. We do not dye or bleach the natural colours. Every link in the chain is inspected and certified.” In 2007 the European Union described Native Shetland Organic wool as being worth of a ‘Protected Designation of Origin’ (PDO) – a scheme to protect and guarantee the authenticity of a product.
In the Uradale shop, the jumper weight wool is the most popular product at the moment. Ronnie has noticed a strong desire among customers wanting to learn and understand about wool, where it came from and the production process. “Yarn is no longer just a fashion medium, it has become the very essence of the garment and a statement of the wearer,” he says.
For the future, Uradale is planning a wider range of natural shades and some new dye shades with its latest clip. Ronnie is also keen to continue collaborating with the designers at Dutch brand Trollenwol – “their fusion of cultures gives a fresh face to an ancient fibre”. What knitters want will also carry on being at the forefront of Uradale’s plans. “They continue to give me encouragement, and I learn from them,” explains Ronnie. “The Uradale saga has three principal characters: the sheep, the place, and the people. Lose any one and you lose the point.”