You might be asking yourself ‘where can I catch some of the realist merino wool around?’ Well what a coincidence – so were we. So, we did our homework, and a whole lot of testing and found the answer’s Italy. Biella, Italy to be exact. But when you get into the history of the city, trust us – it’s no surprise.
Biella is a small town nestled at the foot of the Alps, rich in springs and lakes. The picturesque town would leave anyone fascinated with Italian’s appetite for life. Biella has also been leading the manufacturing of wool since the 1800s and was home to some of the original pioneers of the textile industry. The fact that Biella is steeped in hundreds of years of knowledge sure did catch our attention; but it was the Italians themselves and their shared passion for quality – that’s when we really knew that we were speaking the same language.
Shop Men’s and Women’s Italian Merino Wool
But what is Merino Wool? It’s known for its comfort, easy care and durability. The unique wool’s insulating properties help regulate body temperatures, providing warmth without overheating you, especially when worn against the skin. It also displays a great lustre, and draws moisture away from your body, a phenomenon known as wicking. In short? It’s one of those hardworking fabrics you’ll want to wear on repeat.
Shop Men’s and Women’s Italian Merino Wool
With such qualities, you won’t be surprised to know that there’s a number of traditional and modern processes that go into making Merino Wool. It’s these processes that the Italians have mastered, with their passion for quality and authenticity that guarantees the best merino wool around.
Process 1: Scouring and Carding
Scouring is the special washing process done to wool fleece to remove any dirt and lanolin (the wool’s natural grease). A carding process removes any short fibres and remaining contaminants. These processes allow the fibres to produce strands of condensed ‘roving’ for the spinning process.
Process 2: Spinning
Spinning involves taking the prepped raw materials and twisting them into single yarn strands. We use a 2xply, which means 2 single yarns are twisted together to create a two-fold.
Shop Men’s and Women’s Italian Merino Wool
Process 3: Dyeing
The dyeing process can occur at any stage in making Merino wool, by applying coloured dyes to the fibre with boiling water. Our passionate partners in Italy have the highest level of expertise, making sure our fabrics are dyed with consistency, superior colour and respect to our environment.
Process 4: Knitting
While a lot of meticulous work has been put in so far, it doesn’t stop there. Every item is tightly knitted to our exact standards, and fully fashioned using high precision machines. And that our friends, is how Merino Wool is done.
Shop Men’s and Women’s Italian Merino Wool
fabrics / by Grana / 01.20.17like cool stuff, LOLs and sunsets? you’ll love our emails.
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