Once upon a time, sheep's wool was a valuable resource, prized and traded across all of Europe. Once upon a time, sheep's wool was so valuable that a lot of effort went into breeding sheep to get good, well-spinnable crops of wool. Woolen cloth was used to make clothes, blankets, even sails and tents. Garments were tailored from woolen cloth that was so sturdy it would stand decades of wear. Good wool was highly prized.
Today, sheep are bred that will not give a crop of wool, because getting the sheep shorn will cost more - much more - than the normal market price will yield for the wool. Sheep are shorn with no regard to shearing quality, and the fleece taken off is not sorted, but just stuffed into sacks and put away. The only wool that will still get a slightly higher price (which is still in no relation to the worth of good wool as a material) is standard white merino wool, which will then be washed, straightened, and carded to death, resulting in the standard top that you can buy everywhere. Thread spun from that will not be very sturdy in comparison to wool that has not been treated to death.
And for all those of us who would like to work with wool different from this? We now have a problem, Houston. Because worth of the wool has gone down so far that wool will be thrown away (that can cost money in Germany, by the way, because it is "special refuse"), it is often given away for free - and that is further lowering the perceived value of wool. If we let this go on for another decade, who knows if it will be possible at all to get wool suitable for historical crafts anymore?
Which brings me to a question directly related to this. Would you, gentle readers, buy wool prepared in accordance to historical treatment/preparation of wool - that is, not washed (only rinsed, or not been in touch with water at all) and then combed so that you spin in the grease and then wash the yarn? Would you be willing to pay a fair price for wool like this, meaning that this wool would be much pricier than normal, factory-prepared wool? Or are you content with what is offered from the factories nowadays?
Monday 15 November 2010
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3 comments:
I had the same thoughts some years ago - now I breed my own sheep... And I'm not the only one. If you have a look at http://www.vieh-ev.de or http://www.guteschaf-ig.de for example, a lot of rare breeds survive because of enthusiasts keeping them. And if you are interested in unprocessed wool to treat it exactly the way you need it, contact sheepbreeders there or at http://www.schaf-foren.de. Or enjoy the pleasures of shepherding and keep your own sheep :-)
Here in Iceland we are lucky to have at least SOME farmers who breed sheep primarily for wool, meat comes second. There is a huge difference in quality of wool and therefore, yes, I buy this wool and happily pay a price that's fair. 1 Kilo is about 18€. We have a wonderful organisation of handicrafts people who produce yarn and garments of wool from associated sheepfarmers, but you can also buy fleeces, raw and in the grease. The Icelandic sheep is a primitive race with tog and þel and they come in many colors.
Yes, I will and do pay more for properly treated wool. I am lucky enough to live near a rural area where many of the farmers breed sheep, alpaca and llamas for handspinners. It is a treat to meet both the farmers and their animals.
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