Our wools are made from fine Corriedale wool (a cross breed between Merinos and Lincoln sheep), between 27 and 28 microns, characterised by its strength, elasticity and length of the fibres, resulting in yarns of high quality with a beautiful looking sheen.

Their colour and structure are also pretty distinctive The Hand Spun types are quite unique in that they are manufactured by small groups of craftswomen from rural communities, using the same techniques passed down for centuries from generation to generation. On these the spinning is done with traditional, pedal driven, wooden spinning wheels. The dyeing is done in drums, usually with native herbs, but also with tree leaves and bark, lichen, flowers, and even everyday stuff such as tea, onion skin, capsicum, cabbage, carrot, etc. Also, the yarns are only air dried  

Our industrial Yarns are also quite different. They are lightly plied, resulting in really soft and warm yarns. We also specialise in bulky yarns from 12 to 20 ply.
  

About Uruguayan wool

The history of wool in Uruguay began at the time of the Spanish colony in the Rio de la Plata, nearly 400 years ago. At present, an important number of artisans, almost exclusively women, process wool with the same techniques that have been used for hundreds of years.

These women work within communities, spreading their work among the participants. This way, some women spin the wool while others dye it, and others knit or weave. The spinning is done with spinning wheels, usually wooden and propelled by foot. The dyeing is done in drums, usually with native herbs, but also with tree leaves and bark, flowers, and even everyday stuff such as lichen, tea, onion skin, capsicum, cabbage, carrot, etc.
Finally the yarns are air dried.

This activity is vital to the communities involved, allowing women to earn an income from home, whilst at the same time giving them a sense of belonging and the reward of being able to produce their own knitted products in the traditional way. A socially responsible endeavour.

Two groups of artisans from the East of Uruguay, by the Atlantic Ocean, have developed very interesting work that has been successfully exported to Brasil, Argentina, United States, Germany, Italy and other countries. These groups, the “Penélopes” and “Querandí” produce our hand spun yarns.