RWS – Responsible Wool Standard

The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) is a voluntary, global standard, which ensures the welfare of sheep and sustainable use of the land used for grazing. Introduced in 2016, by the non-profit organisation Textile Exchange, it aims to promote ethical and environmental practices in the wool industry.

Core principles of the RWS:

• Animal welfare: ensuring that sheep are kept in a manner correct for the breed. Amongst other things, this includes guaranteeing access to clean drinking water at all times and enough feed, appropriate for the age of the animals. Interventions such as mulesing and branding are strictly forbidden.
• Land management: Encouraging sustainable farming methods, to prevent the degradation of the land due to overgrazing and protect biodiversity. The use of pesticides is reduced to the absolute minimum.
• Fair working conditions: All companies along the production chain guarantee fair working conditions and appropriate pay. Exploitation and child labour are prohibited.

LAMBSWOOL

Our yarn LAMBSWOOL embodies these principles in every fibre – the entire production chain is RWS certified.

The wool originates from merino sheep at Congi Farm in Eastern Australia, which has belonged to the Field family for over a century. An exceptionally high quality of fibre is assured by employing the latest technology along with sustainable, certified management of the flock.

Processing is then carried out in Italy, by our partner for many years Botto Giuseppe, who have been producing high quality yarns and fabrics since 1876. What stands out as a true rarity: all production phases, from washing to combing, spinning and dyeing to finishing, take place exclusively in their own factories.

All stages in the finishing, including the dyeing process, are also certified Cradle to Cradle, which means that at the end of its life the yarn is completely biodegradable, under the right conditions, leaving no harmful substances.

With LAMBSWOOL, we offer you a yarn that is appealing for its superfine quality, and all the more so for meeting the highest ethical and ecological standards. So you can realise your knitting projects with a clear conscience, in the knowledge that you are acting positively to protect animals and the environment.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Textile Exchange – Responsible Wool Standard

Cradle to Cradle Certified™

RMS – Responsible Mohair Standard

At a time when sustainability and ethical production practices are increasingly important, the Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS) is a valuable guide for eco-conscious consumers, laying emphasis on transparency and quality.

What is the Responsible Mohair Standard?

The Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS) is an independent and voluntary standard, developed in order to promote responsible mohair production. It ensures that mohair only comes from animals that are kept responsibly, in an appropriate way, thereby setting new standards in the spheres of animal welfare, soil management and social welfare. In addition, the RMS makes sure that the supply chain is transparent and reliable, it has created a benchmark across the sector for ethical and sustainable mohair production.

Main areas of interest for the RMS

The RMS covers six main areas:

1. Animals: species-appropriate care and shearing of goats.
2. Environment: sustainable land management.
3. People: fair and safe working conditions for workers.
4. Credibility: professional and independent certification.
5. Supply chain: traceability from the farm to the end product.
6. Stakeholder engagement: developed in collaboration with farmers, animal welfare experts, conservation specialists, brands and retailers.

You will find more information on the Textile Exchange website: Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS) - Textile Exchange

MOHAIR 21

The entire production chain for MOHAIR 21 is RMS certified and 100 % transparent: all balls of MOHAIR 21 have their own QR-Code, which enables you to follow the individual ball back through all stages of production. Read more about "trace your yarn" here.

The name of the yarn comes, on the one hand, from the fibre content – it is composed of 58 % mohair and 42 % silk – and on the other hand from the extremely luxurious quality of the mohair used. The mohair fibres used for MOHAIR 21 have a diameter of 21 microns and are therefore amongst the softest and rarest fibres on the market, such fibres are otherwise used exclusively in the luxury sector. By way of comparison, the mohair fibres used for hand-knitting yarns usually have a diameter of 25–30 microns.

FARMING AND PRODUCTION OF MOHAIR 21

The mohair fibres for MOHAIR 21 all come from two farms, Rivervale and Glentara owned by Werner and GT Ferreria. These farms are situated in New South Wales, in southeast Australia, and have specialised in the production of high quality and eco-friendly merino and mohair fibres, which can be traced back to the specific flock and shear.

After shearing in southeast Australia, the fibres are brought to Italy, where the wool is combed. The entire production is carried out in Italy by our long-standing partner Lineapiù – from carding to dyeing, spinning, brushing and balling. The rich history of the industry in Italy, the special working methods, creativity and finishing skills make for innovative, high quality yarns.

The tweed yarn DONEGAL TWEED + takes its name from its birthplace. In the Donegal region of Ireland, we have developed the authentic tweed yarn in co-operation with the spinning mill ‘Donegal Yarns’. Thousands of years ago, the knowledge and tradition of hand-spinning and weaving was established in the green hills of the wild Atlantic coast, in the northernmost western part of the island. In an article from ’The Knitter’ issue 72/24, the editor Janne Graf writes about the history of tweed yarns from Donegal:

At the end of the 19th century the knitwear industry in Donegal transitioned from home-working to factory production, thanks to government support and increasing demand worldwide. With a carpet factory and the first spinning mill in Kilcar, 1899 marked the beginnings of the hand-knitting yarn production that we see in the region today. During the course of the 20th century, the state-subsidised industry continued to flourish and the spinning mills were taken over by private investors in 2007. Chris Weiniger, the current managing director of ‘Donegal Yarns’ spinning mill in Kilcarra, explains:

Authentic Donegal Tweed is recognisable for its bright tweed neps and a rustic, lively surface. The neps are also known as «burrs» in English, and are incorporated into a robust yarn. The impressive quality of the tweed yarns from Donegal has made «genuine Donegal Tweed» renowned throughout the world. To this day, the ‘Donegal Yarns‘ wool spinning mill is able to carry out the entire production process for traditional Donegal Tweed yarns in the small village of Kilcar, in south-west Donegal. In an interview with ‘The Knitter‘, Chris Weiniger tells us:

DONEGAL & DONEGAL TWEED +

Following on from DONEGAL, DONEGAL TWEED + is the second tweed yarn in our collection to be produced in Irland. DONEGAL TWEED + is a classic double-twist, spun from a loose roving. The roving is made with a pre-dyed wool fibre blend produced using 100% mulesing-free virgin wool. To ensure the high quality of the yarn, we have developed our own wool fibre blend comprising 56% Australian merino wool, 30% New Zealand Corriedale wool and 14% carbonised merino wool from all over the world.

Metreage: ∼105 m / 50 g | Needle size: Ø 4½ - 5 mm | Knitting gauge [10 x 10 cm] : 25 stitches x 17 rows.

The characteristic colours of the yarn result from the process of carding 8 dyed wool fibre mixtures, which are combined to produce a homogenous top. The 14% merino wool fibre for the tweed neps is cleaned using a chemical process to remove any plant residues and then dyed to create the contrasting colours for each base shade. These are then also incorporated into the top in the carding process.

The colours of DONEGAL and DONEGAL TWEED + reflect their origin, they are inspired by the green valleys and hills of the Donegal region, sprinkled with grey and white stones. The yarn takes on the violet, pink and blue hues of heather in summer and expresses the golden shades of autumn, the red berries of the rowan tree in winter and the yellow gorse flowers in spring.

The charming character and colours of the Donegal yarns are shown off to great advantage in classic and traditional knits. They convey a timeless look and can become heirloom pieces. The sweaters, cardigans and accessories made with DONEGAL and DONEGAL TWEED + have a rough appearance. But the yarns feel soft and lofty, especially after they have been washed. Residues of spinning oil in the yarn dissolve in the wash, bringing about a remarkable transformation. For some inspiration, browse through the new PUNTO 77 DONEGAL TWEED + which is full of cabled sweaters and cardigans in stocking stitch to knit with DONEGAL TWEED +.

You can also knit the thinner variant of DONEGAL double, if you select two different colours you can create an interesting mélange effect which enhances both shades. Take inspiration from the designs for DONEGAL and feel the authenticity of the traditional production process, where occasional irregularities are a feature of the quality of this genuine wool tweed.

Sources

DONEGAL YARNS – The Genuine Donegal, https://donegalyarns.com/.

The Knitter (German Edition), issue 72/24, www.craftery.link/knitter.

Did you know that alpacas are divided into two breeds, the Huacaya and the Suri? Or why alpaca yarns offer so many advantages in terms of sustainability?

Visit the world of alpacas with us, those fluffy animals with the skinny legs and long necks. A mix of inspiration, information and interest awaits you in Punto 76 - ALPACA TRAILS.

The contents of the alpaca knitting publication

You will find five of our alpaca yarns represented in this publication, along with 13 patterns. There are facts worth knowing about the properties of alpaca fibre, its origin, how alpacas are kept, the shearing of the animals and also the unique Easywash treatment.

Amongst others, you can learn about our alpaca blends ALPACA SOXX 4-ply and 6-ply, as well as ALPACA SOXX HANDDYED. The latter is dyed by hand in Peru, making each skein individual with a colour combination inspired by the traditions and nature of Peru.

Combining the exquisite alpaca fibre with a small amount of nylon makes the yarn particularly robust and long-lasting.

Alpaca yarn – and especially BABY ALPACA – is counted amongst the noble fibres of the textile industry due to its good thermoregulation, softness, warmth and flowing drape. It is precisely because of the last characteristic that we recommend you allow for a little stretch when planning a new knitting or crochet project. You can imitate this by making a generous sample and minimise it's effects by incorporating different elements like ribbing and structural patterns or seams.

The behaviour of fluffy SURI ALPACA is quite different, due to its lightness and construction it should be worked with large needles, giving the yarn space to attain its full volume.

Also, our alpaca yarns are now given an environmentally friendly, anti-felting treatment called Easywash, enabling them to be put in the washing machine without any problems.

You can find out more about alpaca yarn here: The properties of alpaca wool

What is TRACE YOUR YARN?

“Where does my yarn come from?“ Perhaps you have asked yourself this before? 
The story of the origin of a ball of wool is a very long one, so much has to be done before you can hold it in your hand. With TRACE YOUR YARN, we offer you the opportunity to follow selected yarns right back to the farm and herd of origin. Learn more about the history of the fibres, and something of the different processes that the yarns pass through.

How does TRACE YOUR YARN work?

On the label of some of our balls of wool you will find the TRACE YOUR YARN logo, together with a QR-Code. If you scan the code with your mobile phone, you will be taken to our TRACE YOUR YARN website. There you can enter the product number and name, and the lot number of your wool in the fields provided. Click on the search icon and select your item. Now you will be shown information about the farm of origin, the animals, the shearing and processes required to finish the yarn.

Which yarns are TRACEABLE?

Some of our finest yarns belong to our TRACE YOUR YARN programme, such as MOHAIR 21, LAMBSWOOL and the NOBLE YARNS. 
You can also trace some of our sock qualities back to their origin. Try scanning the label of your SUPER SOXX or TWIN SOXX yarn. 
If you explore the tracing process for ATLANTIS, POSEIDON, RAW #13 and RAW #14 you can learn about the shearing of Corriedale sheep in Patagonia. 

Wool is warm, soft and extremely comfortable to wear. Wool is very hygroscopic, can store a lot of moisture and thus has a heat-balancing effect (no sweating).

Wool feels dry up to a moisture content of approx. 35 %. In the scaly structure of the fibre as well as between the strongly crimped fibres, this "water" is stored in finest particles. Hand-knitting wool in Central Europe assumes a relative humidity of about 14% in normal climatic conditions, in heated rooms this humidity drops to 8-10 %, in fog the value increases to over 20 %.

The wool industry originated in England and in a maritime climate wool has a relative humidity of about 18.25 %. This value is the norm for international trade. This means that a ball of wool at 18.25 % humidity must weigh 50 g. In practice, however, the ball of wool loses some of its moisture. At about 14 %, this ball of wool weighs only about 47-48 g.

In production, the balls are not wound according to weight, but according to length. This length is calculated according to the target weight (25 g at 18.25 % relative humidity). This gives the consumer the correct length, regardless of the moisture.

In knitting, the length of the yarn is decisive and not the effective momentary weight. Thus, in practice, the legal requirements are met and moisture differences cannot become reduced values.

The company quality controls monitor these values very strictly and are also monitored by state control bodies. Normally, unit packs of 0.25, 0.5 kg or 1 kg are checked. Small deviations between individual balls are tolerated for manufacturing reasons.

Another peculiarity of the industry is that when dyeing, the darker yarns become slightly heavier, the lighter ones slightly lighter. With a given weight and the right moisture, the darker yarn will have a minimally shorter metrage, the lighter yarn a slightly longer metrage. In practice, however, this can be neglected.

In summary: The wool balls in our heated living rooms (especially in winter) are always a little "dried out" and thus a little too light. However, at the standardised moisture content, the run length corresponds to the legally specified target weight. In the laundry room or outdoors, the ball of wool will quickly recover to the standard weight without feeling damp. Wool, as the hair of the animal, is a naturally wonderful raw material. Let's enjoy the pleasant wearing properties and rejoice in the daily surprises!

PS. Each fibre has different moisture standards. Cotton e.g. 8.5 %, synthetic fibre approx. 2 %, etc.