The Wool Wire | November 29, 2023
News snippets from the wool world
And just like that, it's almost December. Our hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves have been returned to their basket by the door, ready for duty. All we need is snow and I'll be able to give my blankets a refreshing bath.
🐑 A quick heads-up to Foundation Flockers, our next Flock Talk livestream is Thursday at 7pm EST. This month I take you on a very special textile tour of Paris, share my favorite clever wooly gifts for the holiday, and announce our next readalong. Details and the link here. 🐑
I have some particularly scintillating wooly tidbits for you this week. We meet a ranching family in Wyoming and hear a heartwarming story of how one man is giving wool tables a second life in rural Australia.
Then, in New Zealand, we have an encouraging story of what one major carpet maker is doing to combat the loss of farmland. I share a great information sheet from the IWTO to help you promote wool at the dinner table this holiday season. We revisit a McDonald's in Poland that took "sweater weather" to a whole new level.
And finally, I share an extremely exciting, albeit small study of how the fibers in our clothing may affect our cognive performance.
But first, let's sneak over to Connecticut to see what American Woolen Company's Jacob Long envisions next.
Taking the Long way home
Connecticut's largest business organization is paying attention to American Woolen Company. In this short interview with AWC's president Jacob Long, you'll find an extremely exciting bit of information.
When asked what he envisioned next, Long said he wanted to open an "in-house garment manufacturing activity to create America's first wool textile/apparel ecosystem."
Can you imagine being able to wear a coat made in the very same mill complex where the fabric was made?
Setting an example in New Zealand
I can't write a Wool Wire without mentioning the situation in New Zealand. But there's good reason, as what is happening there—the loss of sheep pastureland to carbon forests—can and will spill over into other wool-producing countries.
I was heartened to see what New Zealand carpet maker Bremworth has been doing to try and stem the tide. The company has announced ten-year contracts with its sheep farmers, to help provide them with a guarantee of financial security.
The article also does an excellent job of explaining just how much more profitable it is to turn farmland into carbon forests—and the devastating effect this move can have on communities.
As a bonus, you get to see New Zealand's agriculture minister use the word "codswallop."
Who grew your wool, the Montana edition
Speaking of declining sheep numbers, let's take a look at who is still carrying the wool torch here in the United States. We head to Montana to meet the McKamey family and hear their story.
Reasons to ditch plastic for wool
Should you find yourself debating the merits of wool at the dinner table this holiday season, here's a helpful information sheet from the IWTO about wool's merits in the home—something not everybody knows about. While many of the points have been covered before, the IWTO has done a really good job of putting it together into a succinct pitch.
McWhat??
Seeing as sweater weather is once again upon us, let's revisit a very special McDonald's in Poland. Last year, to celebrate the return of the wintertime "Burger Drwala," or "lumberjack burger" special, they decked out one McDonald's in giant knitwear, on the exterior and interior.
"The effort took about 28 days and was the result of the hard work of about 50 people. The McDonald's outlet in Poland has created waves not just in the country, but also globally. It was even used to shoot a restaurant commercial."
I should note that in some countries "wool" is often used interchangeably with "yarn," so the actual fiber content of this decor may vary. But the idea and execution are still outstanding. Drone footage makes it look like a miniature children's toy set.
Bringing wool to the table
One of the most important pieces of equipment in a shearing shed is the skirting table—or "wool table," as they call it in Australia. Freshly shorn fleeces are expertly thrown onto this giant slatted surface so that people can swoop in, quickly remove lower-value bits from the fleece, examine its quality, and place it in the proper bin for baling.
But what happens when that skirting table has reached the end of its useful life? One carpenter in rural Australia is transforming these old wooden slatted tables into heirloom furniture. It's a very sweet story.
Staying cool under pressure
We can file this one under "I Knew It!" AWI recently funded a study to determine what impact, if any, the fiber contents of our clothing have on our performance in high-stress, cognitively challenging conditions. I'll let you guess how wool fared.
Should you find yourself in stressful conditions this month, rip off the petroleum-based fibers, wrap yourself in wool, and watch those little grey cells come back to life.
Thank you, as always, for your readership and your support.
If you like what you read and are interested in supporting this work, I invite you to become a member of TWC's Foundation Flock. We have monthly livestreams, readalongs, deep-dives, and generally quite a lot of fun—all while helping advocate for wool in the world.
Until next time,
Clara