The latest recruit to The Wool Clip co-operative is Paula Topping. Paula and her husband have a smallholding up in the North Pennines at Alston where they have a flock of Teeswater sheep, a breed known for its soft and curly fleece.

"I'm an engineer by training," says Paula, "and I've always had a passion for the outdoors, even while working in industry down south. My secondary school in the north east even offered Rural Science O-level and I loved it. We bought Low Park in January 2019 with the aim of creating a sustainable home and small business. The Felted Fleece is the result of my love of Teeswater wool (and sheep) and my determination to use this gorgeous "waste" fleece to create something saleable and special with minimum environmental and animal impacts."

Felting a clipped fleece creates a woollen felt backing that shapes and shows off the fleece's natural properties. "If a fleece is clipped and already a bit felted at the back, it's not good for other uses," explains Paula, "and is very much seen as waste by most farmers. But those are the fleeces that are ideal for me. I can make best use of them as I'm then simply reinforcing that existing felt with additional crisscrossed woollen tops, a bit of stitching and a lot of elbow grease to do the wet felting, rolling the material in hot and soapy water."

The results of Paula's work now adorn the Caldbeck shop and she felts fleeces from other farmers and native breeds as well as her own Teeswaters. "I felt about 30-40 fleeces each year," she says, "and about half of those are from my own flock. I tried spinning Teeswater wool at first but it seemed such a shame to lose the distinctive curl – creating a felted fleece seems to make the most of the wool itself."

Although described as rugs, Paula's fleeces are almost too good for the floor. "They're great for outdoor seating or as throws over sofas," she says. "I must admit that our cat is rather partial to lying on one but I discourage it."

As well as whole felted fleeces, Paula is also creating woollen wreaths in time for Christmas and exploring other uses of her fleece, perhaps working with other members of The Wool Clip co-operative.