About our yarns

We work with our mills to make sure that we purchase fibres where the best farming practices are used for our undyed yarns, and we aim to source our fibres from the ones that fit our own standards and our customers standards. Where our fibres are sourced from is very important for us, this is a constant work in progress because fibre sources are not fixed, sometimes some countries have fluctuations in yeilds or quality and so the fibres are sourced from the best place at the time, any changes will be reflected in the information below. We prioritize our ethics above the cost of the fibre, and we will not compromise on this.

WHERE ARE OUR FIBRES SOURCED?

Bluefaced Leicester

Our Bluefaced Leicester is British, this comes from small farms all over the UK but particularly Wales, and is purchased through the British Wool Marketing board on our behalf. The fibres are then scoured and Superwash Treated in the UK to the highest environmental standards possible.

Merino

Our Merino comes from South America and is superwash treated in Europe to the highest Oeko-Tex standard, please see the section on superwash below for more information. As a standard we use 21.5 Micron.

N-SUPERWASH MERINO

This is Peruvian merino, it comes from small herders in the mountains where sheep are their livelihoods and it is in their interest to look after their livestock in order to receive the highest price possible for their fleece and guarantee themselves an income. Our Peruvian mill also provide education programmes to help herders get the best out of their animals.

Peruvian Highland

Our Peruvian Highland merino Non-Superwash wool sourced from small farms in the Peruvian mountains. It comes from a crossbreed of sheep that lives in the Peruvian highlands at over 2,000m above sea level. These crossbreed animals derive from Corriedale and Merinos, and the environment in which they live allows them to produce a wool that is dry, crimpy and durable.

Mohair

Our Mohair is sourced from South Africa, and we are really excited to be finally offering RMS Certified mohair fiber for all of our mohair based yarns.

Alpaca

Our Alpaca comes from the Peruvian Andes, again sourced from smaller farmers whose way of life is their animals, the mill work closely with the alpaca farmers to improve breeding programs and help them to produce the best alpaca in the world. The sorting of this Alpaca is quite extraordinary, the fibres are sorted by micron and by colour by highly skilled women, it’s really fascinating to watch.

Camel

Our Camel comes from Asia and generally from one year old Camels.

Pima cotton

This is grown and processed in Peru, Pima cotton differs from other types as it has a longer staple length and uses less water for growing.

Linen

This is grown and processed in Europe.

Cashmere

Our Cashmere comes from Mongolia and China

Yak

Our Yak comes from Tibet & Mongolia

Silk

Our Silk comes primarily from China

Tencel

Our Tencel is produced by Lenzing, and is certified as such.

Cupro

Our Cupro comes from Japan. Cupro is made from waste cotton stalks which are a source of cellulose . Cupro is described as a vegan silk alternative as it has similar properties – long staple length, silky smooth and very lightweight. Cupro is made in a closed-loop system. It is energy intense, like bamboo and Tencel, but the components of the processing are used again and again.

Abaca

Our Abaca Paper is grown in The Philippines and processed in Taiwan. Abaca is a cellulose fibre from the Musa plant,which is pulped and turned into paper. It is made into sheets which are then shredded and spun or plied with other fibres to create yarn. Abaca is considered a very sustainable and environmentally friendly fibre. 

What does superwash mean?

Superwash is a treatment applied to wool fibres that makes them more resistant to shrinking and changes the dye absorbability. In the 80’s superwash treatment got a bad rap because in some countries the effluent was not recycled. This has, however, changed dramatically as the EU enforced very strict laws and any by-products must be removed from the water before it is discharged into the water systems. 

The mill where we get our merino processed is accredited with the EU Flower and OEKO-TEX 100 and runs a state-of-the-art effluent treatment plant. This now means that the water is recycled and when it is discharged it is better than the drinking water you get from the tap. We can only speak for our fibres, this does not mean that other superwash treatments follow these procedures. We are very particular about where our wool is superwash-treated. Jeni has personally been to visit our Superwash treatment plant in the UK that processes our Bluefaced Leicester, and this was a really interesting visit, the owner has PhD in this area and employs the most up-to-date superwash techniques and is always trailing new ideas. Jeni is also constantly reviewing the biodegradability studies of superwash yarns, and there is some great research being published on that front. 

So... what does the process involve? Again please note this is only relevant for our yarns, it may not apply to other superwash fibres. Firstly the wool is treated in chlorine to dull the edges of the scales of the wool, this reduces the ability of the scales to stick to each other and therefore reduces felting. 

Secondly, a resin is applied and creates a microscopic web-like structure permanently bonded to the wool, this smooths the scales, improving the handle and preventing felting whilst maintaining the dyeability. Recent studies have shown that the type of superwash wool we use, biodegrades very quickly in composting and marine environments, the good thing about the resin used on our wools is that it is a fairly weak structure, (unlike other resins that are applied to other types of shrink resistant treatments and may resist breaking down) which means it is a great option because it has shown in studies to break down very quickly leaving no residues. The other shrink-resistant treatments also inhibit the dyeability of the wool which is why they are not suitable for our yarns. 

On balance we like superwash yarns because they improve the longevity of the yarns and make them more accessible to people where hand washing would not be feasible regularly.