European Wool Day

On the occasion of the European Wool Day we would like to present you a few thoughts about wool, its history, its uses and functions as well as its importance for Spain. We hope that the information is interesting for you and seduces you to buy wool products and support an economic branch that is an important part of Spanish culture and has produced a unique biodiversity.

Thanks to the initiative of the European Wool Exchange Foundation, EWE  [https://www.ewe.network/home] we are celebrating the first Wool Day. “….the EWE demands to put the European wool in the center of attention in order to recover, not only the raw material but also an identifying element for the sustainability of rural development. ”

“We should not forget that for, at least five centuries   – 14th to 18th – our merino wool ruled the best international markets and provided our income of foreign currencies. This monopole created prosperity, development and stability to the Castilian Empire and helped to consolidate the nascent state.

…….The process culminated in the association of sheep breeders in the committee of the Honrado Concejo de la Mesta, which Alfonso X in 1273 recognized via the privileges of Gualda (Guadalajara) as a  national organization with franchises and exemptions in order to support the wool production.

……They were the protagonists of the first hour and took the initiative to merge and apply to the king to defend their interests …..

…For centuries, the textile craft was the most important factor of the Spanish economy creating a lot of jobs also for women and for laborers to bridge the jobless winter seasons; apart from that, it was a widely extended activity which was practiced in many villages and cities….” [Manuel Rodríguez Pascual, Discurso pronunciado en el solemne acto de su recepción pública como Académico de Número, celebrado el 8 de mayo de 2019]

Merino wool is a natural fiber, ecological, and biodegradable, since it comes from a natural source. Light and smooth like a second skin. Since merino wool is finer than other types of wool, it feels softer and does not itch even if people have a very sensitive skin. Merino wool is the finest wool you can find on the market with an excellent performance in the shearing. It is expensive and is utterly appreciated in the textile world due to its shiny, smooth and beautiful characteristics. 

 

The fiber gives the thread, the cloth and the garments with the following excellent characteristics:

 

+. Biodegradable: natural, environmentally friendly polymer. 

+. Ecology: natural, renewable resource, industrially recyclable.           

+. Tear-resistant.                                   

+. Comfort index: absorbs humidity breathable and smooth.     

+. Flexibility: foldable without fractures.                                                

+. Fire-resistant: burns briefly without a flame and goes out by itself.     

+. Thermo isolation: warm in winter and cool in Summer.    

+. Finishing: dyeing with lively colors, color fastness. 

+. Voluminosity: curly fibers with big content of air in between.        

+. Protection from UV-radiation: natural due to content of keratin in the fiber.             

+. Water-repellent: natural, since it prevents water entering.        

+. Bactericidal properties prevent absorption of odors. 

 

Illustrated wool from our friends