A typical ball of yarn has this journey; from sheep in large "industrial farms" in Australia, the wool is shipped to China, where it is spindled, coloured in Italy, before being rewinded for sale in Norway and can finally be shipped to your nearest store. At best. All to save a few cents extra. Why is this not good?
- The industrial production of sheep in Australia is hostile to climate change, both in terms of local plants and emissions to air.
- Long transport stages lead to polluting emissions
- More of the stops are made in factories that have completely different conditions for employees than we would accept. May mention; chemical use, HSE, working hours, wages, rights, etc.
- Insensitive mass production can never achieve the same quality as handcrafts and small production.
That's why I want to focus on local fibres, from sheep that contribute positively to the landscape, and where we can provide proper working conditions for everyone involved. Both with us and the contributing farmers. It is also good in itself that Norwegian resources (woolfibers) are used locally.
In Norway, between 70 – 80% of our raw wool is shipped abroad. This is, as for drainage systems for oil spills. In my opinion, this is frustrating - here we waste a wonderful raw material!
What characterizes Norwegian wool is first and foremost:
- Resilient → Gives clothes that keep shape & tips less
- Durable → Clothes don't break
- Glossy → The colours are better shown
- Improved thermal properties, both in terms of retaining heat and transporting moisture
- Environmentally friendly
- But due to the stronger fibers, it is also itchier. That’s why we have made such an effort to collect the finest types, and do a lot of extra treatment to the yarn in order to get it soft enough.
