Every fall, we watch the tree line turn gold, copper, and red. The trees grow at different heights, and each one changes color in its own time. Together, they make a carpet of color we could stand and look at for hours.
We see a little of that in our garden, too. Some tomatoes come off the vine round and smooth. Others grow lopsided or have a little split near the stem. When they’re ripe, Natalia brings them into the kitchen and makes her creamy tomato-basil soup. A lopsided tomato tastes just as sweet by the spoonful.
Nature has a way of making every sheepskin a little different, too. One has tight curls along the edges. Another has a patch of darker wool that only catches your eye when the light shifts. Lay two pieces side by side and you’ll notice how differently the wool falls, even when the colors look almost identical at first.
At Follkee, we spend a lot of time looking at those details. They remind us why we say Beauty Is Found, Not Created.
How we select and grade our sheepskins
We look at each piece individually. We run our hands through the wool to feel its texture and density, look at the shape and color, and turn it over to check the leather. Every once in a while, we come across a sheepskin with such an even coat and such a lovely shape that we joke we’ve found our “Miss of Sweden.” 😊
Other pieces have what we call perfect imperfections. It might be a small mark on the leather, a patch of shorter wool, or an edge that curves in on one side. We clearly label each imperfect sheepskin listing and describe where the detail sits. A mark on the leather might show if the edge folds over the arm of a chair. Lay the same piece wool-side up by the bed, and the mark sits underneath.
A little Follkee workshop vocabulary
Every craft has its own jargon, and we’ve come up with a few terms of our own. These are the labels we use in our listings to describe wool length, texture, and details you might want to know about before choosing a piece.
| Listing label | Meaning | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| BS | Bald spot | A small bare area on the wool side. The surrounding wool is dense, so you may need to part it with your fingers to find the spot. |
| FL | Felted wool | The wool is short and has already felted. |
| HL | Medium-sized hole | A hole in the leather less than 1 inch across that stays hidden when the piece is laid wool-side up. |
| ICE | Iceland | An Icelandic sheepskin. |
| LOD | Leather imperfection | The suede side feels rougher in places. |
| LOD STN | Leather dye stain | A stain on the leather side from the dyeing process. |
| LW | Long wool | 2.5 inches or longer. |
| MW | Medium wool | 1–2.5 inches long. |
| NP | Near perfect | A piece we grade as close to perfect. |
| Premium | “Miss of Sweden” | A premium sheepskin with an even coat and a well-balanced shape. |
| RUS | Rustic | The sheepskin has a rustic look and a coarser feel. |
| SH | Small hole | A hole in the leather, usually less than ½ inch across. The wool side looks intact. |
| SN | Shaved neck | A small shaved patch in the neck area. |
| SW | Short wool | Up to 1 inch long. |
| TH | Thin | The sheepskin is thinner overall than some of our premium pieces. |
| TS | Thin spot | One or more areas are thinner than the surrounding material. |
| US | Ultra-soft | The wool feels especially soft to the touch. |
How we measure each sheepskin
Each piece has its own measurements in the listing. We give the diagonal length and the maximum width across the belly. The photo below shows where we place the tape for both measurements.
Finding where each piece fits
Finding a home for these pieces is something we do together with you. You know the chair, bench, or bedside spot you have in mind. We know how each piece feels and drapes. An uneven edge might follow the curve of your favorite chair beautifully, or those darker curls might catch the afternoon light just the way they did in our workshop.
We price these pieces to reflect their small imperfections, so you can often bring home a beautiful, high-quality sheepskin for less.
See the numbered pieces, photos, and prices in our Perfect Imperfections Batch.
If you’re unsure about a piece or a label in the listing, just ask. Send us a photo of the spot you have in mind if you’d like. We’re happy to be your wool texture mentors and help you find the piece that makes you smile.
Natalia & Bart at Follkee