Superwash Wool

In terms of sustainability, nothing beats untreated (non-superwash) wool.

Unfortunately, untreated wool can be difficult to dye, and even more difficult to care for. It must be hand washed in cold water, laid flat to dry, and handed with extreme care. It's prone to felting, takes significantly more water to dye and rinse, and doesn't take color as vibrantly as treated wool. It has microscopic barbs on it that interlock when rubbed together, which is what causes the shrinkage that wool is notorious for. For some people (I'm one of them), those microscopic barbs also cause skin irritation, which can lead many people to incorrectly believe they are allergic to wool. It's just not practical for most people to use untreated wool, so textile scientists created an alternative option, called "superwash" wool. This is the only type of wool that I dye, and even though it's not as sustainable a untreated wool, it's still a fantastic option that's better for the earth than synthetic fibers, like acrylic yarn.

This page explains the common industrial and research methods used to make wool “superwash” (machine-washable, non-felting) and weighs the environmental pros and cons of each. It also addresses a frequent claim — that superwash wool is “just plastic” — and shows why, when you examine supply chains and treatment methods, wool frequently retains lifecycle advantages over acrylic and many other synthetic alternatives. This page does a deep dive into the scientific processes used, so you can skip all of that and just read the summary if you don't want to go into too much detail. 

Short summary: Superwash wool, even when treated with the traditional chlorine–Hercosett process, is far more eco-friendly than acrylic because it starts as a natural, renewable, and biodegradable fiber. While the treatment smooths the wool’s surface to make it machine washable, it doesn’t turn it into plastic — the underlying fiber still breaks down in soil and water over time, unlike acrylic, which is 100% synthetic and sheds persistent microplastics with every wash. Newer, lower-impact superwash methods (like enzyme, ozone, or plasma treatments) are further reducing chemical waste, making treated wool a far cleaner and more sustainable choice for both people and the planet. As these newer methods become more readily available, we will eventually be switching over to them whenever possible for our yarn bases. 

Why wool felts — and what “superwash” must change

Wool fibers have overlapping surface cuticle scales. Heat, moisture and mechanical agitation make those scales interlock — that’s felting and shrinkage. Superwash methods either (A) blunt or remove those scales, or (B) coat the fiber with a smooth film so the scales can’t catch. High-magnification SEM images are the clearest way to show this.

Main superwash methods — how they work, pros & cons

A. Chlorine oxidation + polymer resin (classic “Chlorine–Hercosett”)

How it works: Controlled oxidation with chlorine (hypochlorite or gaseous chlorine) partially etches or loosens cuticle scales; a cationic polyamide-epichlorohydrin resin such as Hercosett 125 is applied and fixed to form a smooth protective film on the fiber. This combination produces exceptionally durable machine-washability. 

Pros: 

Highly effective, inexpensive at industrial scale, durable through many washes.

Cons: 

Chlorination can produce AOX (adsorbable organic halogens) in effluent; epichlorohydrin chemistry and the final PAE resin are petrochemical and largely non-biodegradable. AOX formation and regulatory wastewater limits are the primary environmental concerns for this route. 

B. Chlorine variants & AOX-reduction engineering

Some mills use improved chlorine reactors, scrubbing and effluent treatment to reduce uncontrolled AOX. These reduce risk but do not remove the fundamental dependence on chlorine chemistry and resin finishes. 

C. AOX-free oxidative methods (ozone, peroxide) + alternative binders

Using ozone or hydrogen peroxide instead of chlorine can avoid AOX formation; pairing these oxidants with non-halogenated binders yields AOX-free superwash processes in pilot and industrial trials. Performance often approaches the classic route when the binder is optimized. 

D. Enzyme (protease) based anti-felting finishing

Proteases selectively digest or soften the cuticle layer, reducing felting tendency. Enzymes are biodegradable and lower-toxicity chemistry; modern enzyme protocols are improving durability and reducing fiber damage when carefully controlled. However, enzymes alone often require additional fixation or mild binders for long-term durability.

E. Plasma / low-pressure & atmospheric plasma surface modification

Plasma treatments physically oxidize and modify the fiber surface (removing lipids, creating hydrophilic groups, changing topology). Plasma can act as an AOX-free pre-treatment and deliver durable anti-felting when combined with appropriate binders. The EU LIFE SUPERWOOL project developed plasma-based approaches explicitly to replace chlorine/Hercosett. 

F. Alternative polymer coatings (silicones, polyacrylates, graft polymers)

Mills sometimes use silicone emulsions or acrylic/methacrylate-based films instead of PAE resins; these can avoid halogen chemistry but are still synthetic polymers (raising biodegradability and microplastic concerns). 

Environmental evidence: key facts to weigh

AOX risk from chlorine + resin is well documented. 

This is the single most-cited environmental issue with the classic process — regulatory limits and wastewater controls focus on AOX measurement. 

Hercosett-type resins are polyamide-epichlorohydrin (PAE) polymers. 

They form a crosslinked, cationic film; epichlorohydrin is reactive and its use and residues are regulated for health/safety reasons. 

Acrylic (polyacrylonitrile) is fossil-derived and not biodegradable. 

Acrylic fiber manufacture is petrochemical- and energy-intensive; acrylic garments are a known source of synthetic microfibers when laundered. 

Enzyme and plasma routes materially reduce hazardous chemistry. 

Enzyme and plasma pre-treatment options remove AOX formation risk and are increasingly shown to produce durable anti-felting when combined with non-halogenated binders. 

There is no single universal LCA that settles wool vs acrylic for every scenario. 

Lifecycle results are highly sensitive to boundaries (cradle-to-gate vs cradle-to-grave), local energy mix, wastewater treatment, and product lifetime. Because wool is renewable and often longer-lasting, it frequently performs better — but uncontrolled chlorine effluent can make some impact categories worse. 

Why responsibly-finished superwash wool is still better than acrylic:

Renewable & biodegradable base material:

Wool is a natural, renewable fiber that biodegrades in appropriate conditions — acrylic does not. This is a foundational material advantage. 

Longer usable life: 

Wool garments often last longer (thermal performance, pilling/wear characteristics), and a longer lifetime reduces environmental footprint per use. LCAs that include lifetime frequently favor wool. 

Microfiber context: 

Acrylic is a well-documented source of synthetic microfibers. Polymer coatings on wool could theoretically release fragments if they degrade, but the data on resin-film shedding are limited; acrylic’s laundering microfiber problem is a proven impact.

We can eventually eliminate the worst chemical problems: 

AOX risk from chlorine can be removed by selecting AOX-free processes (plasma, enzyme, ozone + non-halogenated binders) as they become more readily available, or by sourcing mills with strict effluent controls. When those are used, wool keeps its material advantage and avoids the main chemical downside.

 

Superwash Wool FAQ

What does “superwash” mean?

Superwash wool is natural wool that’s been treated so it can be safely machine washed without shrinking or felting. The process smooths the outer scales of the fiber, making it soft, durable, and easy to care for.

Is superwash wool still real wool?

Absolutely. Superwash treatment doesn’t change the fiber’s core — it’s still 100% natural wool, with all the warmth, breathability, and moisture-wicking properties you expect. The treatment simply prevents felting in the wash.

How is superwash wool treated?

There are several methods. The most common is the chlorine–Hercosett process, which gently removes the fiber’s outer scales and coats them with a thin polymer for protection. Newer AOX-free methods use enzymes, ozone, or plasma to achieve similar results with fewer chemicals.

Is the chlorine process bad for the environment?

Traditional superwash systems that use chlorine can create AOX (adsorbable organic halides) if not properly managed — but most modern mills now capture and neutralize these byproducts before they enter wastewater. Many producers are also switching to AOX-free or plasma-based treatments that avoid chlorine altogether.

How does superwash wool compare to acrylic yarn?

Acrylic yarn is 100% synthetic plastic made from fossil fuels and sheds non-biodegradable microplastics with every wash. Superwash wool, by contrast, is a renewable, biodegradable natural fiber — even with its polymer coating, it breaks down far faster and has a much smaller environmental footprint.

Is superwash wool biodegradable?

Yes. Studies show that superwash-treated wool still biodegrades in soil and water — the natural protein core breaks down completely. The thin polymer coating may take longer, but overall decomposition is much faster and cleaner than any synthetic fiber.

What are AOX-free or enzyme-based superwash methods?

AOX-free systems use oxidative enzymes, ozone gas, or low-pressure plasma to modify the wool’s surface without chlorine. These processes greatly reduce chemical waste and make wool finishing safer for the environment while keeping the fiber machine-washable.

What’s the best choice for eco-conscious knitters?

If you want low maintenance and real sustainability, superwash wool from a responsible mill is an excellent choice. It’s natural, renewable, biodegradable, and made with increasingly cleaner technology — far better for the planet than acrylic or conventional cotton. We care about the environment and only source our yarn from ethical and conscientious mills, so you can rest easy whenever you buy your yarn from us.

Sources:

Hassan MM & Carr CM, “A review of the sustainable methods in imparting shrink resistance to wool fabrics”, Journal of Advanced Research (2019). 

EU LIFE project “Sustainable AOX-free Superwash Finishing of Wool Tops” (LIFE05-ENV-D-000195) — SUPERWOOL project page. 

EP patent & polymer descriptions for polyamide-epichlorohydrin resins (Hercosett 125) — patent document. 

Recent AOX-free plasma & enzyme studies (peer-reviewed, 2023–2025) demonstrating durable AOX-free finishes. 

LCA and industrial assessments for acrylic production and comparisons with natural fibers; acrylic’s microfiber issues. 

Suint Fermentation -the best way to clean raw wool if you want to save water

Suint Fermentation

to clean raw fleeces: some of the science behind it, why it works, and how to do it yourself.

 

Cleaning raw fleeces can be an extremely tiring and grueling process. Depending on the breed and how dirty the individual animal was prior to being sheared, you can often have an extremely daunting mess on your hands.

In addition to it being extremely labor intensive, cleaning raw fleeces from start to finish is also a smelly experience that is not for the faint of heart -- regardless of which method you use to clean it.

That leads us to your cleaning options: There are a lot of different methods that you can use to clean a fleece, and some are better suited to specific fleeces than others. 

If you have a smaller fleece, or one that is rich in lanolin, then it may be best to go ahead and clean it in your sink using a wool wash. My favorite is Beyond Clean, as it works better than

any other wool wash I have tried, and it is very reasonably priced. Even after cleaning a fleece using the Suint Fermentation method, I will still finish up with one soak in a sink with warm water and a squirt of Beyond. This helps finish up the cleaning process and make it look beautiful.

For larger fleeces, or extremely dirty fleeces, I prefer the Suint Fermentation Method of cleaning (also called the FSM, or Fermented Suint Method). When we get our Teeswater fleeces, they come unskirted. They are extremely heavy, and dark brown with dirt (keep in mind that it takes a sheep an entire year to grow their fleeces this long, and sheep don't take true baths besides being rained on). It usually takes 7 or 8 rinses (prior to the actual washing!) to get these fleeces clean enough to use soap on. These fleeces are perfect for this method, and that's what I'm going to talk about today.

As many of you know, I was an Environmental Science major (previously a microbiology major... I love science!) and I really dislike wasting water. In a search for a better way to clean these fleeces without using as much water, I came upon the perfect solution -- The Suint Fermentation method. This method works particularly well for large batches of fleece, which are low in lanolin content. 

The Science Behind Suint Fermentation

*Skip this section if you just want to learn how to actually clean the fleece! 

Throughout their lives, sheep draw potassium chloride into their bodies as they graze. This chemical is commonly referred to as "potash." Sweat on its own is a mix of mostly water, combined with trace amounts of lactic acid, urea, and minerals. Together, a mixture of excess potash combines with their sweat and builds up on their wool. At this point, it becomes a soluble salt, and this compound is collectively referred to as "suint."

Some breeds of sheep have quite a lot of suint built up in their wool (Merino sheep, for example: approximately 1/3 of their wool weight is made up of suint and washes out when the wool is cleaned!). Typically the finer the wool, the more suint will be present in the fleece. In coarser sheep breeds, only about 15% of the weight is made up of this compound.

In addition to the suint in a sheep's fleece, there is also a greasy matter called Lanolin, which combines with lime and other earthy matter to create an insoluble soap.

 

When a fleece is washed in this way, you are pulling out these natural soaps from the suint, as explained above. But instead of rinsing and immediately drying the fleece, it is given extra time in this all natural soap bath, where the bacteria present on the fleece can go to work to help with the cleaning process. Soaks alone are usually not enough to get rid of chunks of poop and dirt, but the bacteria present in this additional step  are able to eat through this solid matter in a very efficient way that could not be achieved by soaking alone.

The bacteria involved in this process are anaerobic, which means that once the fleece is out of the water and in an oxygen rich environment, they die and therefore the smell goes away.

In Anaerobic cellular respiration,  electrons are extracted from a fuel molecule and are passed through an electron transport chain, which drives $\text{ATP}$, T, P synthesis (ATP is what makes everything work - it is the source of energy within cells). Some organisms use sulfate as the final electron acceptor at the end of the transport chain, while others use enthesis, N, O, start subscript, 3, end subscript, start superscript, minus, end superscript, right parenthesissulfur, nitrateeft , or one of a variety of other molecules. Some prokaryotes that live in low-oxygen environments  (such as a tote full of rain water) rely on anaerobic respiration to break down fuels. For example, methanogens are found in soil and in the digestive systems of sheep, and they can use carbon dioxide as a terminal electron acceptor, producing methane as a by-product (with its characteristically bad smell). Likewise, sulfate-reducing bacteria use sulfate as a terminal electron acceptor, producing hydrogen sulfide (the characteristic gas that smells like rotten eggs). 

How to clean your fleece with this method

The first thing that you will want to do is grab a tote (with a matching lid set aside), and set it outside under a spout so it can collect rain water. Any size large enough for your fleece will do - but the standard is about a 20 gallon tote. 

You want to have a nice soft water for this method, which is why rain water is ideal. Some people cheat and use tap or hose water, but I highly recommend doing it the right way and waiting for it to rain. In the absence of rain, you could always use distilled water instead, but rain water really works best.

Corriedale after suint bath

Once you have enough rain water to fill your tote, you are ready to begin. For your very first suint bath, you will want to choose a fleece that is extra rich in suint. For our experiment, we chose a deliciously soft corriedale fleece, which was ultra sticky and rich in suint and lanolin. This is because that wonderful substance works as our all natural soap, so the more of it we have in the initial wash, the better.

Bubbles forming in the bath on day 5

Place your "starter" fleece in the tote full of water, and fully submerge it. Cover it with the lid (it doesn't have to be air tight but you will want to keep bugs out of it if you can). Set it somewhere (outside of the home is recommended) where it won't get too cold. Ideally, you want it to be in a nice warm environment. For our bath, we used our garage the first time, then moved it to the shed by the time we were on our third batch because I didn't want to keep smelling it every time I went out to the garage. We have tested many different temperatures (primarily due to the changing weather), and found that the best results came when it was super hot outside... above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
 
Leave it for about a week.  Lay back and let those microbes do all the work for you!

Day 7 has a nice film over the top .

After a week, it's time to take it out. You can remove the lid and you should notice some bubbles and maybe a film on the top of the water. This is what you want to see, as it is a sign of the little microbes doing their job and producing that lovely gas that will smell quite a lot like rotten eggs. Trust me on this, the smell will be horrible. 

You will want to get another tote and ideally a screen to place over it so you can set your fleece on top of the screen to drain into the new tote (afterwards, you will want to pour that extra water back into the original tote). In our experiment, we forgot (not just once, but several times) to go buy a screen, so we just scooped the fleece out by hand. The screen is not essential, but it does make it easier because you'll want to save the water for your next suint bath. You can re-use it over and over, and the "soap" will only get more concentrated each time. It's not realistic that you'll be able to save all of the water and that's ok. It's fine to re-fill it with additional rain water as needed.  One thing to note is that this process doesn't take out all of the lanolin, and your starter fleece will still be sticky when you take it out.*
 

Something that you don't have to do (but we found helpful) was rinsing the fleece once after taking it out of the wash. To do this, we filled up the new tote with drained fleece from the original tote, then used a hose to rinse it off before we set it out to dry. As soon as you rinse it initially, you should be able to see the difference between your unwashed fleece and your newly washed fleece (very evident in our video). It should lighten up considerably with a rinsing, then lighten up again with your final wash post-dry.

My lovely assistant... LOL

We like to set our wet fleeces out on the deck to dry, but how you dry yours is entirely up to you. Hanging laundry baskets (like what we have in the beginning of our video) also work well, as do screens.  The fleece will smell terribly. Rinsing it will not help with the smell, but can help get some excess dirt out of the fleece initially. Once the fleece is dry, the smell will go away completely, and will not come back -- even when you get it wet again. In the picture above of our rinsed Teeswater, I added some mint leaves from a mint plant out back to help me deal with the smell. It helped considerably.

That's all there is to it. After you are finished with your starter fleece, you will be ready for your next fleece!

You will basically want to do everything that you did last time, but it should only need a couple of days (2-3) instead of a full week for every subsequent fleece that you clean in your tote. Remember that each time you run a fleece through, you are adding to the suint that is already in the bath and making that soap more potent. 

This process will not get rid of VM (vegetable matter), but it does greatly eat away at any clumps of dirt or poop in the fleece. The amount of water that is saves on extra dirty fleeces is very impressive, and it's a great way to wash a lot of fleece at once. 

Some helpful tips 

1. Use disposable gloves when handling the wet fleece after it has been in the suint bath. The smell sticks to the material and will not go away afterwards. 
2. Do not bring the fleece into your house while it is still wet initially. It will fill up your entire house and make it smell to high hell and back. Let it dry first so the microbes die off, then wash it one final time. Using Beyond or Unicorn as a soap works really well for your final wash, and should get the fleece really clean. Tips for how to do that are at the end of my blog.
3. Whenever possible, skirt your fleece before you add it to the bath. It's just always going to give you a better final result than throwing an entire fleece in it. 
4. Do not try this method if you are sensitive to bad smells. 
5. Do try this method if you want to save water, clean fleece in an all natural way, and want to clean a lot of fleece at once with minimal effort.

 

A small sample of locks after they finished drying. 

I hope that this information was helpful. We have posted a video on Youtube of our initial results so you can get a better look at our process. I would love to hear how it works for you! Check out the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCVfRhenksE


Check us out at www.bluebarnfiber.etsy.com or www.bluebarnfiber.com 

We sell our Teeswater locks in bundles and can custom dye any colorway you can dream up!
We also love  Unicorn / Beyond so much that we sell it. It is available in our shop at https://www.etsy.com/listing/462282969/ 

Stay tuned for a custom dyed batch of Corriedale for sale from our very first ever suint bath! 

Thanks for visiting!


*In order to remove the lanolin from your starter fleece (or any subsequent fleece that has a high lanolin content), you'll need to wash it in hot water and ideally a drop or two of soap. Blue Dawn or Beyond / Unicorn Power Scour work wonderfully for this. Fill up a sink full of hot water, add the soap, add the fleece, let it soak (do not agitate it at all), then drain it after a few minutes while the water is still hot. Fill it up again to rinse it, then drain it again. Set it out to dry, and you're done. The hot water sort of melts the lanolin, so letting the water get cool will cause it to re-solidify on the wool. Or, you can choose to keep the lanolin on the fleece and use it as-is. A lot of people love the way it feels and it is added to many beauty products after being harvested from wool. It's an all natural lotion.  For other fleeces that are not heavy in lanolin: You will want to wash them one final time after the initial dry. You can use the same method as above, but you can use either hot or warm water and either one should work fine.

Cruelty Free Wool

Let's talk about vegans, wool, and whether or not it is cruel. 

There is currently a meme going around on social media that makes my blood boil:

This image is being floated around from some vegan groups, and it's spreading like wildfire. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't realize that it's completely and utterly incorrect.

People who are not in the fiber world, for example, might actually believe that sheep are killed for their wool. There have been PETA ads in the past which showed a fake lamb practically skinned "for its wool" which were equally obnoxious and inaccurate.

I'd like to set the record straight and talk about this a little bit.

First let's recognize that there are three main categories of sheep here in the USA (I'm exuding milk breeds since that's not really common in this part of the world): Wool breeds, meat breeds, and duel-purpose breeds. For the sake of my post, I am only going to be talking about wool breeds and duel purpose breeds who are raised by small farmers.

Now, let's talk about the facts.

Sheep are not killed, or even harmed, for their wool. 

 

Sheep raised for wool are typically treated very, very well. As any shepherd knows, a stressed or unhappy sheep will not produce good wool. Therefore, these sheep are kept healthy, happy, and often spoiled in order to produce the best quality wool possible. Any ad or meme that says otherwise is flat our lying - either blatantly, or, more likely, out of genuine ignorance. Does getting your hair cut hurt? No. Shearing can be a bit awkward for the sheep. They have something buzzing all over their body and afterwards look naked and pink. It's embarrassing for them, I'm sure. That being said, no one is harmed in the shearing process aside from the occasional accidental nick - nothing worse than I get from shaving my own legs.

Wool breeds of sheep live like kings

 

High quality Teeswater sheep are an example of a wool breed  (and, in fact, are the breed that my husband Dan and I hope to start raising in a couple of years). I haven't recently checked the going rate, but I've seen some sell for around $1300 each. That is a lot of money for a sheep, and certainly no one would buy a sheep like this just to turn around and slaughter it. These sheep are so expensive because they have a very hot commodity -- their lustrous locks are sheared once a year and then used for things like extreme tail-spinning, art yarns, weaving, and high-end doll hair. In our shop, we sell these locks cleaned, separated, and hand painted for $22/oz. Their price tag is high and it takes a lot of work to go from a raw and greasy wool to the finished product, but their fiber is absolutely gorgeous. This price tag is far greater than any amount of meat could offer, so no one in their right mind would ever use a breed like this for meat. Teeswater sheep grow about an inch per month, so one year's worth of growth gives 12" locks. I have had many customers come to my shop for doll hair after previously buying tibetan yak pelts of hair (where the animal did have to die) or plastic, synthetic hair. Let's just say I'm very glad that they made the switch to a cruelty-free, more earth-friendly doll hair.

Raising sheep will not make anyone rich 

 

Any shepherd will tell you that raising sheep is not a way to get rich quick, or even get rich ever. It's hard work, and often involves a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. People who raise sheep for a living do it for one reason: because they love their sheep. These animals quite often become pets to their shepherd, and they are mourned just like other family pets when the time comes for them to cross the rainbow bridge.

I have hundreds of friends who raise their own animals, and most of them allow their older sheep to retire to the senior citizens area of their pasture, where they finish their lives in peace (and away from horny rams who just want to get their baby-makers some action). People like me and my husband, who couldn't stand the idea of killing a sheep just because it's a boy, have their extra males wethered and kept as fiber producing pets, just like the females. Typically lambs grow the finest, softest wool. However, it is not uncommon to still have perfectly usable wool from older sheep. I have never heard of a shepherd offing one of their old sheep just because its wool isn't as soft as it used to be... that just doesn't tend to happen.

Mutualism is not exploitation

The most common vegan argument I see is this: animals should not be exploited, therefore any use of an animal that benefits the human should be forbidden.

Here is a thought: anyone who has a pet is, by that definition, exploiting it. I keep two rescue parrots and two dogs, as well as two spoiled cats. I enjoy all of their company, and keep them because I love them and cherish them. I exploit them for their company. But they also gain something from me and my husband -- our love and devotion, safety, security, healthcare (we come with benefits!), food, toys, etc. Yes. I own my animals. But they own me too.

If you believe that you shouldn't raise any animal just for your own enjoyment, then you could almost use the same argument to say that a person shouldn't have children if all they are going to do is enjoy having children. Sheep are sheared once, sometimes twice a year. Saying that they "work for us, the humans" is a bit silly... since their "work" is simply them being alive. Enjoying life, grazing, romping, playing, etc  --- and yes, once or twice a year having an embarrassing session of hair trimming which leaves them naked and ridiculous looking. 

They aren't chained up or breaking rocks all day for us -- they aren't our slaves. They "get paid" to look pretty and stuff their faces with grass. They benefit from their shepherds keeping them safe and alive, and the shepherd benefits from the wool reaped in the shearing process.

Here's another thought: Symbiosis: Mutualistic relationships exist all throughout nature - not just between humans and farm animals. Examples include bees and flowers, clown fish and their anemone, rhinos and zebras and oxpeckers. All of these creatures use one another to mutually benefit.

Yes. Some farmers eat their sheep (particularly in duel purpose and meat breeds). Do I like it? No. But I'd rather see that than see them buy meat from the grocery store and support the absolute horror that is the meat industry here in the USA. Obviously, in my perfect world, no one would eat meat and even animals wouldn't kill each other for food. But that simply isn't reality. The best we can ask for is that people who do choose to eat meat eat meat from animals who were raised with respect, free-ranged, and in a humane way (as a reminder, both my husband and I do not eat meat). 

Remember that the wool industry is not the meat industry, and supporting one does not mean you are necessarily supporting the other.  

Sheep need to be sheared for health reasons 

 

There are a few rare breeds out there that still shed their wool naturally, but the majority of the sheep that exist today have been bred to require shearing. Whether or not you agree with the fact that sheep have been bred for this purpose, the fact remains that if modern sheep are not sheared, they will suffer greatly. Most people have heard about Shrek the Merino sheep, who escaped shearing for 6 years and ended up having over 60lbs of wool on his body. There was another sheep named Chris who had 89lbs of wool sheared off of him.

Sheep who are not sheared regularly can develop a variety of health problems, including fly strike, maggots on their skin, not being able to get up, and over-heating. Not to mention the extra weight from the wool. To not shear a sheep is animal cruelty, and once the wool is off of their body, to throw it out would be a tremendous waste.  The wool is going to be sheared off of the sheep whether or not a human uses it.

Wool is one of the most eco-friendly things in the world

 

I majored in Environmental Science in college, and spent many years looking into ways to improve the earth, reduce my carbon footprint, and live as self-sustaining as possible. I had a particular focus on eco-friendly textiles, and I learned quite a bit about the different options out there. Many people do not realize this, but the acrylic yarn that you can buy from most hobby stores is a petroleum byproduct, and is incredibly bad for the earth. While we do sell some synthetic fiber in our shop, it is mostly recycled, and we stock it in moderation. 


Many vegans turn to other fibers that are cellulose based, and that also causes a problem. 

Cotton, for example, is incredibly bad for the environment and takes an absolute ton of pesticides and water to keep alive. If you choose to buy cotton, you need to be very careful to purchase it from organic growers only (the cotton in our store is organic and does meet this requirement). 

Viscose and rayon fibers are another go-to for vegans, and are often marketed as "vegan silk". These fibers are typically made in China, and are created by liquefying plant material by immersing it in chemicals, then spinning it into a fiber using mechanical spinnerets and cutting each fiber to the proper length. The majority of the fibers on the market are made with harmful chemicals, with a couple of rare exceptions (we also try to focus on carrying the good stuff in our store and not the bad stuff).

Tencel, Lyocel, Seacell, and Rose Fiber are all made with a closed loop process which does not utilize harmful chemicals and recycles the chemical bath, thus making them truly eco-friendly fibers which do not harm the earth. The benefit of these fibers is that they are made with renewable resources such as beech trees, and are easily harvested then re-planted. Bast bamboo, banana fiber, and hemp are other examples of fibers that are harvested by hand and made without the use of chemicals (these fibers tend to be a lot coarser than the previously mentioned fiber, and are primarily used in things like necklace cord and rags and tote bags or outer wear... no one wants a hemp bikini).

Out of all of the animal-free alternatives, only a couple options exist which don't harm the earth. 

Wool, on the other hand, makes so much more sense, as it is truly eco-friendly and is wasted once sheared off the sheep. The sheep are happy to donate it when they don't' need it, and it gives people an excuse to keep these animals for uses other than meat.

Other animal-based options are referred to as "fiber" (hence our business name) and include alpaca, which is also very eco-friendly (almost no one in the USA eats alpacas, and they have an even smaller carbon footprint on pastures than sheep do), goats, angora rabbits, and peace silk (where the moth is allowed to emerge unharmed from the cocoon before the cocoon is harvested for silk). I have friends who also raise Tibetan Yaks here in the USA (and yes, they are kept as pets) as well as camels.

Buying wool helps the sheep

I recently had a friend on facebook post that her wool sales had declined this year. So much so, that she had to send several of her sheep to the butcher block just to stay afloat. She was devastated, and I was devastated for her.

As I have said before, no one raises sheep to get rich. Many people who do this for a living just make enough to scrape by and do it because it's better than working in a call center or 9 to 5 job. These people love the lifestyle that comes from keeping sheep.

I have several farmers I regularly buy wool from each year, and they have told me that the money I give them goes directly toward feed and veterinary care for the sheep. Continuing to buy from them allows them to continue keeping their sheep happy and healthy. Many of the extremist vegan groups out there would rather all sheep be set free into the wild than have humans raise them for wool. The result of that would be dead sheep, or sheep suffering greatly and unable to move. Boycotting small farmers hurts the farmers, but also greatly hurts the sheep as well.

On the other hand, paying for wool on a regular basis can mean the difference between life and death for many duel breed sheep. If their fleeces don't sell, they become meat. If their fleeces sell, they are able to continue producing wool each year. Most of the time when I see friends have to butcher their sheep, they do it out of necessity when wool sales are low and they have no other options.

Not all wool is cruelty free, but most really is.

 

The world is not black and white, and there are, of course, some exceptions to any rule.

Not everyone in the wool industry is compassionate and cruelty free. I have seen the PETA video of an undercover Australian wool operation, and it was horrific. I also recognize that it is not the norm, and there are evil people in every industry. For example, there are a lot of people who abuse their dogs, but that doesn't mean that I don't think anyone should own a dog. I think the true difference here is large corporation vs. individual. Just like with factory farms, once a corporation gets too big, they look at their animals as merchandise rather than living, sentient beings, and that's where the trouble starts.

They key is to be responsible and know who you are buying from. Here at Blue Barn Fiber, we are very careful about which farmers we purchase wool from, and we do not support any farmers or companies that perform mulesing on sheep. We prefer to support small shepherds here in the US and in the Europe who put the welfare and happiness of their animals first. Believe me when I say that there are a lot of amazing shepherds and farmers out there who fit into this category. 




When you purchase wool from us, you can rest assured that you are buying from a truly cruelty-free source. I know that there are some people out there who sell wool and really don't care where it comes from, but we do. I love animals more than anything, and I would never condone an industry (or make my entire life and business around a world) that profits from harming animals. 

For vegans out there, ask yourself why you are vegan. If it is truly to benefit the animals and to be eco-friendly, they you may want to re-consider using wool. It is so much better for the environment, and is honestly better for the sheep in general. Support small businesses like ours, and you can wear wool without any guilt or second guessing. The sheep  (and their shepherd family) will thank you for it. 

How to use silk hankies

I see this question a lot on Facebook and from our customers. What do you do with silk hankies? They look pretty, but what are they for?

Well, the answer is... a lot. There are so many uses for these interesting little squares of silk, and I'm going to talk about a couple of them for you.

First of all, let's quickly talk about what silk hankies are. These are commonly referred to as mawatas, which is a Japanese name for "to spread around". They come in little piles that consist of hundreds of individual squares that have been stacked on top of each other, and each square is one cocoon from a silk worm that has been soaked, degummed, and spread around a square frame to shape it.

When you receive undyed silk hankies in the mail, you will be able to peel them off one layer (or one cocoon) at a time. You can also dye them or buy them pre-dyed from us. This next photo shows a dyed silk hankie in our Sleeping Beauty colorway that has been knitted up without spinning it.

By its very nature, silk is extremely strong and difficult to break. For this reason, it does not need to be spun in order to be knitted or crocheted. It can be drafted out and used straight from the cocoon.

I made a video which illustrates this, and also shows how exactly to go about drafting a silk hankie and knitting with it. Link to Youtube Video . 

There are a lot of other uses for silk hankies and your imagination is really the limit. Many people use them in nuno felting in place of a woven silk base, and other people use them for paper making and other similar projects. You can also spin them as you would regular wool or silk in sliver form, though it is not necessary. 

I really love dyeing these neat little squares of fiber, but it is a tricky process. If you are interested in a specific colorway that you don't see in our store, just shoot me a message and I can custom dye something just for you.

As always, check us out at www.bluebarnfiber.com or www.bluebarnfiber.etsy.com .

All About Alpaca

All About Alpaca

Bella from Granny's Alpacas

Alpaca was the first fiber that I ever got my hands on as a spinner. I remember being amazed at how one breed could have such a wide variety of fiber, and how most of it was not scratchy the way I have come to know most commercially bought woolen garments to be.

Eco-Friendly Fluffy Friends!

I love Alpacas for many reasons. Having majored in Environmental Science in college, being eco-friendly is very important to me, and alpacas have that down pat. Their little feet are padded which means that they don't tear up the earth when they graze. Their droppings act as a very good natural fertilizer with a low pH and very little odor, and they keep their droppings in specific areas of the pasture, making clean up easy. They don't eat a lot due to their physiology, and they also don't drink an excessive amount of water due to their camelid ancestry. And of course, they grow wonderfully warm fiber that is a renewable resource.  They don't have to be harmed in order to harvest their fiber (by shearing it off), and on top of it all, they are very social and friendly animals. Even competitive breeders can treat their alpacas like pets and spoil them. 

Cleaning Their Fleece:

Alpacas don't have lanolin (the greasy stuff) that sheep have. Instead, their fleeces are very easy to clean and require no fancy soaps to make them pristine. A few good soaks in water is usually all that is needed to get the dust and dirt out of an alpaca fleece. Because alpaca fiber is so fine, it can often have a lot of super small VM (vegetable matter -- like hay) stuck in it, which can make the picking part a little bit labor intensive. 

Fleece Tumbler

Thankfully, because of the lack of lanolin in the fibers, you can actually tumble the fleece and get most of the VM out quite easily (it won't be stuck to the grease since there isn't any). They make special fleece tumblers for that, or you can make your own out of an old dryer or cement mixer.  A tumbler basically involves having a cage/barrel to hold the fleece with holes in it so the VM can fall out, then putting ends on it and finding a way to turn it. You can add little spikes in them to pick the fiber apart as it tumbles and a blower to blow dirt and other debris out.  

A tumbler is an absolute must-have if you have a herd of alpacas and don't want to spend hours and hours picking through their fiber! When we first started Blue Barn Fiber, I picked through 200 pounds of alpaca  blankets by hand and removed the VM the hard way. I learned very quickly that sometimes expensive investments are worth the money -- but when you don't have a lot of money to spend, you can definitely get things done the old fashioned way. 

Fiber Grades

Rivendell Meadows Alpacas & Angoras

It is important to note that not all alpaca fiber is created equally! Alpaca fiber is semi hollow, which means that it is an amazing insulator. It is significantly warmer than wool, and it is also very light weight due to the structure of the fibers. Unlike wool and cotton, alpaca has natural hydrophobic properties, meaning that it wicks the water out instead of absorbing it. Alpaca also does not have the microscopic barbs that wool has, which often causes that prickly sensation. For that reason, alpaca fiber that is 21 microns (for example) will likely feel much softer and smoother than wool that is also 21 microns.  

Alpaca comes in 6 different grades, grade 1 being the most luxurious and softest, grade 6 being on the coarser side.

• Grade 1  Ultra Fine, or Royal Baby alpaca. It is less than 20 microns, and feels like butter in your hands! Equivalent to cashmere.
• Grade 2  Superfine / Baby: falls within 21 and 22.9 microns. Still absolutely heavenly soft and can be worn on your naked skin.
• Grade 3  Fine: 23-25.9 microns. Soft, versatile, suitable for a wide variety of projects and garments.
  
• Grade 4  Medium: 26-28.9 microns. Good for blankets, socks, non-sensitive areas of the skin.
• Grade 5  Intermediate: 29-32 microns. Less soft, more for outerwear, quilts, that sort of thing.
• Grade 6  Adult Grade: 32-35+ microns.Strong, not soft. Best for rugs and things that need a lot of durability. 

Suri Vs. Huacaya

 There are two types of Alpacas, and both have very unique characteristics.

An oversimplification would be to state that one breed is long haired and the other short

haired. But it's not quite as simple as that.

Suri Alpacas are the least common of the two breeds, and have long, lustrous hair that
falls flat and moves freely. They have distinct separate sections of locks (which are referred

Double D Alpaca Ranch - Illuminatus, Suri Alpaca

to as penciling), and they can be either straight, wavy, or curly. As a general rule of thumb, the more lustrous the fleece, the better quality it will likely be. Due to the silky nature of their fleece, Suri can feel very slippery and almost greasy, even though it does not contain lanolin. It can be very time consuming to prepare and spin properly, as each set of locks must be flicked open to produce an even yarn. It typically falls between 17 and 28 microns. 

Pure Bred Suri Alpacas should not ever have any crimp in the

staple, meaning that you would want to use it for a garment

that would drape well, but not for something that would require

memory (at least not without blending it).

Spun correctly, Suri alpaca is absolutely amazing. It has the softness of cashmere with the luster of silk. It is an extraordinary fiber from beautiful animals, but it is not a fiber meant for beginners.

Alpacas of the North Country

Huacaya Alpacas are more common but just as extraordinary as Suris.  Before being sheared, they tend to have a teddy-bear appearance that makes them quite huggable ! A good Hyacaya fleece should be uniform, very dense, and grow perpendicular to the skin, creating that characteristic fluffy appearance that Suris lack. 

Their hair grows in little bundles that we refer to as "staples" which further contribute to their dense appearance. These staples tend to have a good amount of crimp -- some more than others. This gives Huacaya Alpaca fiber more memory than Suri, though most alpaca will still drape to some extent.

Huacaya Crimp, courtesy of Great Northern Ranch

There are 22 different shades of natural alpaca fiber, and the vast differences between breeds and grades of fleece means  that Alpaca could potentially be used for just about any project you can think of. It is one of my very favorite types of fiber to work with due to its universal nature, and the fact that these animals are so cute  is just a bonus.