April 02, 2018

Journal Entries

The transformation that takes place during the hand-processing of wool is quite amazing. As most of us already know, wool originates most commonly from sheep, or goats. The wool is harvested from the animal by sheering, and often has small sticks and leaves mixed within it. Our wool comes from sheep living in the Himalayas.

Raw unprocessed Himalayan sheep wool

The wool is then combed using two carder brushes to remove any debris, this process is called hand-carding. Carding is done by a person holding a brush in each hand and brushing the wool in opposite directions. These brushes may look similar to a dog grooming brush.

Carding brushes

Carding of Himalayan sheep wool

Our wool is washed with a natural mixture and there are no harmful chemicals. Hand-carding the wool prepares the fibres to be ready for spinning. Spinning entails strands of two, three or four being spun together to create one solid strand of yarn. After the yarn has been spun it is then wrapped around bobbins or a cone.

Wool spinning and organizing

The hand-processes of wool, allows for the fibre to maintain a lot of it’s natural lanolin. Lanolin is a natural waxy substance that is produced by the sheep and coats their fibres. This acts as a moisture repellent and when left in tact in the fibre after being processed, creates a wool that naturally aids the removal of stains and increases the longevity of the product.

Ball of finely spun Himalayan sheep Wool

It is important in our production processes that each step is carried out with care and to utilize natural materials in the most environmentally responsible way. There is no need for using strong chemicals, as there are natural components that preform the same effect, if not better.