BFL

This breed is a Longwool from the family that also includes Leicester Longwool and Border Leicester. It has the finest fleece of the three, and proponents of the breed claim it to be the softest of any of the Longwools – though we think Wensleydale certainly gives it a run for the money in that category. BFL sheep are distinct, with their long Roman nose, upright ears, and dark or “blue” skin. The breed first arrived in the US in the 1980s.

BFL wool is known for being durable yet soft enough for use next to skin. It is commonly sold by indie dyers in skeins and fiber braids for socks. The breed has a strong breeding association and wool pool – with the majority of fleece heading off to the wool pool to be processed and therefore bypassing the handspinner’s market. We do not see much BFL fleece for sale in our travels around the country.

Typical growth for a BFL is three to six inches per year. It often has tight tips that require opening with a flicker or Lock Pop before carding or combing. BFL typically has a medium to high sheen. The sheep can produce either white or a mottled gray-brown fleece that is simple referred to as naturally colored.

BFL #24192
$145.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

A highly energized, prototypical BFL fleece. The soft, creamy white locks measure around 3″ when relaxed but are in fact around 5 to 6 inches in length overall.
BFL #2428
Price range: $24.00 through $148.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

A prototypical BFL with sproingy 6″ locks sporting a medley of gray and brown hues.
Subscriber Exclusive
BFL #25248
Price range: $25.00 through $80.00
Read more

White BFL with thin, wavy locks measuring around 7 inches long. This fleece has a medium hand and although this breed is typically difficult to process, we have found the locks on this particular fleece to open rather easily.
Subscriber Exclusive
BFL #26026
Price range: $13.00 through $22.00
Read more

Black, Brown, and Charcoal BFL with a medium to soft hand and crimpy 3″ locks. The relatively short length of this fleece lends itself to being processed in a woolen manner.
Subscriber Exclusive
BFL #2631
Price range: $26.00 through $45.00
Read more

A crimpy, 3″ BFL in a white to tan color that might be best described as a dirty blonde. This fleece has a medium to soft hand; its relatively short length lends it to beind processed and spun in a woolen manner.
Sale!
BFL Lamb #24191
Original price was: $24.00.Current price is: $21.00.
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

A deliciously soft, highly energized, creamy white BFL lamb fleece. These locks have a textbook crimp, measure around 5″ in length, and end in tell-tale curlicue lamb tips.
Sale!
BFL x Clun Forest #20028
Original price was: $109.00.Current price is: $85.00.
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

We see a lot of this particular crossbreed, but this fleece is unique in that it looks mostly like a BFL fleece but with tips that are easy to open. The 6″ locks are mostly uniform in structure, and there is some yolk (yellowing) throughout the fleece.
BFL x Clun Forest #22334
Price range: $33.00 through $110.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

An uber-curly crossbreed fleece that measures 5+ inches in length but relaxes to around 4 inches. This fleece has a medium to soft hand and is somewhere between creamy and bright white.
BFL x Clun Forest #22339
Price range: $19.00 through $59.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

A creamy white crossbreed with curly and energized locks. This fleece measures in at 5″ but relaxes to 4″ or shorter. It has a medium to soft hand.
BFL x Clun Forest x Suffolk #20030
Price range: $20.00 through $63.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

A creamy white crossbreed with energized locks that measure five inches and longer. This fleece features distinct locks with a medium to soft hand that open up easily for processing.
BFL x Clun Forest x Texel #22341
Price range: $33.00 through $58.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

Thin and squiggly locks abound in this highly energized crossbreed. It is bright white and measures 5″ in length when stretched but is closer to 4″ when relaxed. It has a medium to soft handle and will be next to skin soft for most people.
BFL x CVM #22253
Price range: $20.00 through $117.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

Thin and squiggly locks abound in this highly energized crossbreed. It is bright white and measures 5″ in length when stretched but is closer to 4″ when relaxed. It has a medium to soft handle and will be next to skin soft for most people.
BFL x CVM #25360
Price range: $41.00 through $136.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

A highly energized crossbreed whose lineage is 3/4 BFL and 1/4 CVM – and it shows. This fleece looks and acts like a BFL, albeit with a softer hand than usual and without those tight tips that are tough to process. It is bright white, with sproingy locks measuring around 5 inches but that will stretch out as long as 7 inches.
Subscriber Exclusive
BFL x CVM #622250
$174.00
Read more

A springy white crossbreed with lots of energy and a medium to soft hand. The distinct, curly locks measure five to six inches in length. Sold as a half pound weighing 1.7 pounds.
BFL x Teeswater #232
Price range: $57.00 through $107.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

A longwool crossbreed that has a medium hand and wavy six inch locks. While neither of these breeds is known for being particularly easy to process, we’ve found the tips on this fleece to pop open quite easily.
BFL x Teeswater x Coopworth #23302
Price range: $19.00 through $113.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

A fun longwool crossbreed with a medium to soft hand and 5.5″ locks. The variagated color runs from light to medium gray with shades of brown and tan sprinkled in.
BFL x Teeswater x Coopworth #24251
$42.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

An uber-curly long wool crossbreed that could perhaps be best described as an improved BFL. It’s high-energy locks measure around 5″ in length and display a spectrum of colors from black to gray to brown to blonde. We liked this crossbreed so much, it was featured in our Q1 2025 Bliss club.
BFL x Teeswater x CVM x Wensleydale #24189
Price range: $21.00 through $124.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

Get your shades out for this bright white fleece with lots of luster! It is a four breed cross with a medium to soft hand and distinct, wavy locks measuring six to seven inches in length.
BFL x Teeswater x CVM x Wensleydale #25331
Price range: $43.00 through $142.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

This is a high sheen, bright white, and uber-curly crossbreed. Its locks measure 7″ and longer and have a medium to soft handle. Yummy!
BFL x Wensleydale x CVM #23180
$44.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

A 7″ long, bright white crossbreed featuring lustrous locks with open tips. This fleece has a medium to soft hand and will be a joy to spin in your next worsted project.
Subscriber Exclusive
Border Leicester x BFL #22248
Price range: $37.00 through $123.00
Read more

An energized long wool crossbreed with crimpy 6″ locks. This stunning, cream white fleece has thin locks that are easy to process and a medium to soft hand.
Subscriber Exclusive
Imperfect BFL Lamb #725332
$95.00
Read more

A springy white BFL lamb with lots of energy and curlicue lamb tips. This crimpy fleece measures five to six inches long and is lusciously soft. It is in our Imperfect category because this naughty lamb shook off its coat and has there is a fair amount of vegetable matter in this fleece; the lamb tips also break off during processing, as one would expect. Sold as a half fleece weighing just 1.1 pounds.
Subscriber Exclusive
Imperfect BFL x CVM Lamb #424175A
$98.00
Read more

Cream white, highly energized crossbreed with a luxuriously soft hand. The crimpy white locks have high sheen, measure four to five inches in length, and end in telltale curlicue lamb tips. This naughty lamb shook off its coat, and this fleece will require a little extra work to clean the vegetable matter out, which is why it is in our Imperfect category. Sold as a half fleece weighing 1.4 pounds.
Imperfect Corriedale x Shetland x BFL
$104.00
Add to cart

An intriguing crossbreed sporting hues of tan and blonde, with tapered locks and a medium hand. The tips are tender on this fleece, but pull off easily with a Lock Pop or flicker, resulting in about a four inch lock of good fiber. Sold as a whole fleece weighing 2.5 pounds.
Wensleydale x BFL #23167
Price range: $24.00 through $145.00
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

Thick, luscious, six inch long locks are what you will find in this bright white fleece from the sheep appropriately named “Lil’ Curly.” This fleece exhibits the easy to open tips, sheen and relatively soft hand of a Wensleydale, but with some added energy from the influence of the BFL.