Uploaded September 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Our Website: jarbon.com
British Wool Marketing Board's Website: britishwool.org.uk
Apologies that the background noise is rather loud at times. It is a working space with rather a lot of machinery. Please turn on the subtitles by pressing the CC button on the bottom right if you are finding it tricky. Thanks for your understanding!
TIME SIGNATURES
00:00 - intro
01:01 - First glimpse inside the building at the bales and bales of wool!
02:29 - We met Brian Boundy the Senior Head Grader of our local depot in South Molton
02:53 - Brian talks through the fibre arriving
05:43 - What the BWMB look for when grading
06:43 - What time of year does the fibre start arriving?
07:58 - How many tons to they grade each year?
08:52 - Brian shows us the grading station
10:24 - The trouble with straw and vegetable matter
12:09 - They also have to watch out for tinted fibre
13:07 - Brian demonstrates grading
15:38 - Need to sort by colour
16:36 - What is the strangest thing you've found in a wool sheet?
18:48 - We find Exmoor Mule (or Exmoor Blueface as we know it)
21:19 - Dark wool grade, Zwartbles
23:07 - Medium length wool
25:15 - Ewes wool can often have a break in it which coincides with lambing
26:40 - Blueface Cross wool
28:18 - The apprenticeship process and how to become a grader.
31:12 - Worst wool grade - full of dag ends
32:06 - Very short wool
32:49 - Pure Bluefaced Leicester
34:10 - After grading the wool gets compressed in a big old machine!
35:31 - Core testing machine
38:05 - Storage area
39:24 - Many many thanks to Brian for taking the time to show us round!
40:13 - Outro
All filming was done at our local BWMB depot in South Molton. Many thanks to Brian and everyone else at the board for allowing us to pop by and film.
KEEP IN TOUCH
Sign Up for our Newsletter: jarbon.com/newsletter
Instagram: instagram.com/jarbontextiles
Facebook: facebook.com/jarbontextiles
Ravelry: ravelry.com/groups/john-arbon-textiles
Pinterest: pinterest.co.uk/jarbontextiles/_saved
Hope you enjoyed this episode! We would love to know what you’ve been up to recently – and what is on your hooks and needles and bobbins, of course!
Our Website: jarbon.com
British Wool Marketing Board's Website: britishwool.org.uk
Apologies that the background noise is rather loud at times. It is a working space with rather a lot of machinery. Please turn on the subtitles by pressing the CC button on the bottom right if you are finding it tricky. Thanks for your understanding!
TIME SIGNATURES
00:00 - intro
01:01 - First glimpse inside the building at the bales and bales of wool!
02:29 - We met Brian Boundy the Senior Head Grader of our local depot in South Molton
02:53 - Brian talks through the fibre arriving
05:43 - What the BWMB look for when grading
06:43 - What time of year does the fibre start arriving?
07:58 - How many tons to they grade each year?
08:52 - Brian shows us the grading station
10:24 - The trouble with straw and vegetable matter
12:09 - They also have to watch out for tinted fibre
13:07 - Brian demonstrates grading
15:38 - Need to sort by colour
16:36 - What is the strangest thing you've found in a wool sheet?
18:48 - We find Exmoor Mule (or Exmoor Blueface as we know it)
21:19 - Dark wool grade, Zwartbles
23:07 - Medium length wool
25:15 - Ewes wool can often have a break in it which coincides with lambing
26:40 - Blueface Cross wool
28:18 - The apprenticeship process and how to become a grader.
31:12 - Worst wool grade - full of dag ends
32:06 - Very short wool
32:49 - Pure Bluefaced Leicester
34:10 - After grading the wool gets compressed in a big old machine!
35:31 - Core testing machine
38:05 - Storage area
39:24 - Many many thanks to Brian for taking the time to show us round!
40:13 - Outro
All filming was done at our local BWMB depot in South Molton. Many thanks to Brian and everyone else at the board for allowing us to pop by and film.
KEEP IN TOUCH
Sign Up for our Newsletter: jarbon.com/newsletter
Instagram: instagram.com/jarbontextiles
Facebook: facebook.com/jarbontextiles
Ravelry: ravelry.com/groups/john-arbon-textiles
Pinterest: pinterest.co.uk/jarbontextiles/_saved
Hope you enjoyed this episode! We would love to know what you’ve been up to recently – and what is on your hooks and needles and bobbins, of course!
