FLEECE FOR SCOURING
In the first of three guest blog posts exploring the various stages of making at Laura's Loom, owner and maker Laura Rosenweig writes about scouring fleece, and the special comfort of wool that hails from Bradford...
Pulling up outside the Haworth Scouring plant in Bradford with a load of fleece, the smell of wet wool always pervaded the air. It's a smell that, for me, conjures up many memories of childhood adventures in the great outdoors. Clad in woollen breeches, woollen socks and a woollen sweater, the rain was always kept at bay. The only parts of this outfit that itched were thick tweedy breeches, but they were marvellous at keeping out the cold and the wet. No modern garb has ever come anywhere near this level of comfort.
Since moving to the Yorkshire Dales I have become increasingly immersed in wool as it has become the mainstay of my weaving business. Sourced from local farms and processed in the heartland of the Yorkshire woollen industry, the wool that I use has a direct and important connection to the landscape where I live and work. When I began this journey, wool prices were at an all time low, and local interest in wool was nil.
Sheep were sheared and the wool was burned as often as it was bagged for transport to market. My goal was to create something beautiful from this locally available, natural and renewable resource. Being able to give something back to my community, even in a small way, was also an important factor in choosing wool. Surely, I thought, there is a better use for this wool than burning it. At Haworth’s huge complex of old mill buildings, a place that's been in continuous operation for well over 100 years, my fleece is pulled apart and washed in a series of tubs until all that is left is a lovely fluffy mountain of clean wool ready for spinning...
Laura's Loom creates limited edition collections of luxuriously soft wool throws and scarves, cushions and baby blankets all woven from 100% British wool and made entirely within the British Isles. To lear more, visit http://www.laurasloom.co.uk/
Pulling up outside the Haworth Scouring plant in Bradford with a load of fleece, the smell of wet wool always pervaded the air. It's a smell that, for me, conjures up many memories of childhood adventures in the great outdoors. Clad in woollen breeches, woollen socks and a woollen sweater, the rain was always kept at bay. The only parts of this outfit that itched were thick tweedy breeches, but they were marvellous at keeping out the cold and the wet. No modern garb has ever come anywhere near this level of comfort.
Since moving to the Yorkshire Dales I have become increasingly immersed in wool as it has become the mainstay of my weaving business. Sourced from local farms and processed in the heartland of the Yorkshire woollen industry, the wool that I use has a direct and important connection to the landscape where I live and work. When I began this journey, wool prices were at an all time low, and local interest in wool was nil.
Sheep were sheared and the wool was burned as often as it was bagged for transport to market. My goal was to create something beautiful from this locally available, natural and renewable resource. Being able to give something back to my community, even in a small way, was also an important factor in choosing wool. Surely, I thought, there is a better use for this wool than burning it. At Haworth’s huge complex of old mill buildings, a place that's been in continuous operation for well over 100 years, my fleece is pulled apart and washed in a series of tubs until all that is left is a lovely fluffy mountain of clean wool ready for spinning...
Laura's Loom creates limited edition collections of luxuriously soft wool throws and scarves, cushions and baby blankets all woven from 100% British wool and made entirely within the British Isles. To lear more, visit http://www.laurasloom.co.uk/