Hello, fellow crafters, I’m Kerry – Welcome to my Blog! I hope you can find some time just for you, grab a drink, settle in to your favourite seat and read on.

Today, I want to share something which is at the heart of what Mille Rêves en Laine is about – the benefits of using sheep’s wool in our knitting, crochet, and weaving projects. I talk specifically about why I think wool should be considered instead of acrylic when planning a new knitting project. I also talk briefly about why we can now use Superwash wool without freaking-out about the effects on the environment.

Luckily, there are many sheep breeds which produce wool for knitting. The fleece from each breed of sheep is different. Pure sheep’s wool can range in texture from rough to smooth; can grow curly or crimped; and its natural colour can range from black to off-white and everything in between. These differences mean there’s a wool suitable for everything you can imagine to knit – yes, even baby clothes and blankets! Just looking at the range of natural colours in different skeins or balls of un-dyed wool is a feast for your eyes.

Meanwhile, acrylic yarn is manufactured from synthetic fibres. Different companies produce varying qualities, meaning that you can’t tell before you start your knitting project exactly how the yarn will behave. Of course, I have knitted and crocheted with acrylic in the past – I’m sure most of us have. I know that acrylic yarn is very often the go-to yarn for blankets, crochet projects and baby clothes: it’s easy to find; cheap to buy; can be washed again and again; and those blankets, toys and baby clothes look good when they’re finished. It’s also very affordable – at the point of purchase. But the longevity of acrylic items is poor.

They don’t look good for ever. After I discovered how very satisfying it is to use wool and wool blend yarns to knit with, the many natural benefits of using wool, and the environmental effects of wool compared to acrylic, I started to look deeper into the differences between crafting with wool compared to acrylic. I soon realised that there was much more to consider than I’d realised and that there was a false economy in buying acrylic! Below are my top 4 reasons to use wool for crafting instead of acrylic

Why Choose wool?

1. Working with Wool: a sensory adventure

The crafting experience itself is totally different when using wool. Whether I’m making a thick, wool blanket; a winter hat and glove set; a fine, soft, lace shawl; a thin but hardwearing pair of socks; a pair of lacy socks; or any type of jumper, the process of creating with wool is always divine! The way wool feels on your hands as you work is different with each breed of wool – but is always a sensory delight. Pure, untreated, highland wool can feel slightly ‘hairy’, with any crinkly fibres laying above the main strand of wool tickling slightly as the yarn travels between your hands. It’s that slightly hairy feel that makes it perfect for knitting colour work items because the fibres of neighbouring colours cling to each other and so prevent little gaps.  Acrylic yarn – unless wool is included when its spun and there’s no Superwash treatment – never looks as good as pure wool for colour work.

When knitting with wool from the Bluefaced Leicester sheep, (BFL), you notice that it feels smooth and silky as it travels through your hand while crafting with it and is beautifully soft! Yet it’s a durable wool that will stand the test of time for your creations. This is because the strands in the fleece are long, (called ‘staple length’), so when spun the fibres are thoroughly intertwined with each other. This long staple length makes it perfect for knitting socks, even without adding nylon, because its soft on your feet, but as you wear your socks and your foot and sock rub slightly together, (usually at the ball and the heel), the fibres are not disturbed and so the fabric doesn’t wear thin and eventually form holes.  In fact, Bluefaced Leicester wool, is my go-to wool for any textiles that need to be soft yet hardwearing: whether knitting socks, crocheting a blanket or weaving a scarf or wrap. Those long fibres in Bluefaced Leicester wool also mean that textiles made with it hold their shape perfectly – no more stretched, saggy jumpers!

All Sheep’s wool can start to ‘pill’, (those little balls of tangled fibres on the surface of a fabric). Sheep breeds which produce wool with long wool strands, such as Bluefaced Leicester and Wensleydale, are less likely to ‘pill’ and so your textiles look and feel lovely for ever. The structure of acrylic yarn – and because the fibres don’t cling together like woollen fibres do, means that clothing crafted with acrylic yarn has a high ‘pilling’ behaviour.  They soon make your time-consuming crafted garments look old, worn, and even a bit dirty. Wool from Merino sheep feels softest of all – it feels super soft on your skin as you knit. I always knit baby clothes for the new babies of people I know in Merin0 wool: after explaining that wool is actually easy to care for and that Superwash wool is washable at 40°C and can be washed regularly.

Besides, all sheep’s wool repels dirt – definitely a bonus for parents of young children – a quick dab with a clean cloth will remove most spills and spots. Then there’s that beautiful, slightly earthy, yet at the same time fresh smell of pure wool.  Its subtle and it wears off in the fresh air – but it is there! Even with wool that’s been Superwash treated, you can still smell that delicate, earthy smell as well as see and feel the differences between each breed’s wool. Acrylic has no smell of its own, which might sound good to some, but it actually absorbs odours in that are in the air as well as the smell of any spills that manage to land on your textile creations. However, there are many other reasons to use wool in our projects other than the joy it brings to the crafter’s senses.

2. Wool: embrace creativity and versatility

With its natural elasticity, wool yarn allows us to experiment with intricate stitch patterns and create beautifully textured pieces. Wool lends itself to a wide array of projects, from cozy blankets; snuggly sweaters; beanie hats and pom-poms; intricate colour-work mittens; winter and summer socks; or lightweight summer wraps and shawls. It certainly elevates the quality of our creations! Any pure sheep’s wool, from the slightly tickly, very beautiful highland wool, to beautifully soft Merino wool, is fantastic for crisp and clear stitch definition and for knitting cables.  Acrylic fibres don’t have the ability to cling to each other, like wool fibres do, which means that, when compared to an item crafted with wool, stitch definition is also affected – it never looks as pleasingly crisp and clear. If knitting cables with acrylic yarn, for example, the fibres won’t hold the stitches together to create the same impressive, uniform shapes that wool fibre does. You may have to pull stitches a little too tight to achieve that beautiful cable effect and that can ruin the look of the cables.

The variety of natural colours in pure wool; the way wool can be hand-dyed by indie-dyers so that each skein can look unique; Superwashed wool’s ability to retain vibrant colours when dyed; wool’s superior stitch definition; the never-ending variety of textures and natural colours; its longevity and its availability in so many thicknesses make it super versatile. Using wool ensures that our creations are nothing short of stunning. Give a hundred knitters the same knitting pattern and, if they use wool or wool blends, you’ll get 100 different looking outcomes and each will feel slightly different too. Buy hand-dyed yarn, from a small, Indie dyer, and the variety of colours, shades and textures would be astounding!

3. Wool: the healthy option

Wool has many benefits for our health. Not only does this versatile animal fibre help us to create amazing textiles, it also boasts extra benefits for our health and general wellbeing.  There are no health benefits to acrylic yarn! There’s nothing natural in there. It’s a synthetic fibre that is made from petroleum-based products and also contains carcinogens that can be absorbed through the skin where any acrylic item is worn. Our ancient ancestors knew what they were doing when they started using spun wool for making textiles: there is archaeological evidence that people were spinning wool 10,000 years ago! Wool is a very effective form of all-weather protection.

Wool is known to naturally regulate body temperature. The fibres in fleece and in spun wool from it are packed together so that small pockets of air form. This makes wool an extremely breathable material and helps the wearer of wool, whether human or sheep, avoid any clamminess when moving from cold to warm areas. Using wool for garments, whether knitted, crocheted, felted or woven, means that you can maintain a comfortable body temperature – so you’ll be warm in chilly winters yet cool in warmer seasons. Fine woollen garments and blankets can be layered easily to achieve the perfect body temperature just for you. Man-made fibres, such as acrylic, just do not provide these properties for your crafted items!

The exterior of the fibres is water resistant and actually repels water, this makes it a great choice for outdoor jumpers, hats, mittens, and of course, socks. The interior fibres can absorb up to 30% of their weight in moisture from the environment as well as from the body, so if moisture does travel through the outer fibres, the inner fibres will hold it and create a pocket of dry air next to the skin, keeping the wearer comfortably dry. Because wool can absorb the moisture from your skin, and therefore the sweat when you perspire, it also absorbs odour from sweating. Simply air your woollen jumper or socks outdoors after wearing and any undesirable odour will be released. The way wool copes with moisture also means that its resistant to mould, dust mites, and bacteria, making it a perfect choice for those with sensitivities or allergies! Wool is also naturally hypoallergenic – true allergy to sheep wool is very rare.

Any prickling or itchiness is most likely due to a sensitive skin feeling long fibres sticking out from the wool strand and irritating your skin, or from the inherent roughness of the wool you are wearing. If you are affected in this way, choose finer, softer wool for woollen items that will touch the skin, such as Bluefaced Leicester or Merino. The Superwash treatment smooths out the outside fibres of the wool strands and so is often better for people whose skin is sensitive, as well as greatly reducing the chance of shrinkage when washed. As wool can absorb moisture from your body or the surrounding air, it rarely creates static electricity like synthetic fibres do, keeping you cosy and comfortable and avoiding any awkward clinging, and because of wool’s structure your wool textiles are crinkle and crease free too – great for packing in your suitcase!

Perhaps most importantly, wool is more flame resistant than most fibres. It’s not easy to set alight. If it does catch fire, it chars and burns out, rather than melting or spreading the flames. This makes it the required choice for carpets on trains and airplanes as well as for firemen’s uniforms and army blankets. Surely, we all ought to think about this benefit of using wool in our textiles. Acrylic contains plastic and so, if exposed to fire, not only does it catch fire easily, but when it’s burning it melts. So, not only does it mean that acrylic yarn isn’t suitable for making items exposed to high heat, (like coasters, pot holders, fire fighters’ uniforms). If, while wearing an item of acrylic clothing, you were accidently exposed to a naked flame, your clothing could quickly catch fire, will spread the fire quickly and would be able to melt onto your skin causing horrific burns.

4. Sustainable crafting with wool

Finally, it’s worth talking about the environmental impact of knitting with wool versus acrylic. Wool is the ethical choice for our textiles and crafters who choose 100% wool yarn are embracing sustainability wholeheartedly. Where there’s grass, sheep will graze and grow, producing a woolly fleece – every year! I, like most independent wool dyers, source wool from mills who work with small sheep farmers who rear sheep specifically for wool production. These wool farmers actively work to protect the natural environment – it’s a good thing to do for their sheep and therefore good for wool production, (and their profits). You can craft with wool knowing that you’re also creating income for hard working wool farmers who look after their sheep and the environment. The production process for wool requires significantly less energy, water, and chemicals compared to the creation of synthetic alternatives such as acrylic.

Modern wool mills are committed to sustainability practices – including ethical and environmentally responsible production methods, such as sourcing wool from local farmers. The mill I buy my undyed wool and wool blend yarns from has paid particular attention to its Superwash technology. Gone are the days when Superwash wool was ‘bad’. One big change has been that the old-fashioned technology of covering the whole strand of wool in resin has changed. The mill I source from makes sure that the companies who Superwash their yarns for them use a fine mesh of resin to calm down the outer fibres in wool. This fine mesh breaks down quickly and is compostable and biodegradable.

See here to find out more about the Superwash technology used by my forward-looking undyed wool supplier.

The environmental impact of synthetic fibre manufacture is alarming. The manufacture of acrylic yarn uses an unacceptable amount of chemicals and water. But the life of a garment made from wool, compared to one made from acrylic, tells us even more about the environmental impact of each. Wool’s is a natural product. Wool garments withstand daily wear and tear without losing their unique shape or support – they should last a lifetime if properly cared for. Even if worn a lot, unless there are specific stains or marks on your pure wool crafted item, a simple shake, being aired outdoors, and/or a spot clean with a damp cloth, if necessary, is usually enough to keep them in tip-top condition. Using wool in your crafts helps you to minimise your wardrobe and maximise the sustainability of your closet – actively contributing to a greener future! If you tire, or grow out of your creations, they can be passed on to others to enjoy, keep for future generations. If a wool item does end up in landfill, it’s 100% biodegradable and won’t harm the environment.

In fact, instead, you can put it on your own garden as a mulch, or put it in your compost bin because wool decomposes into soil completely. Items crafted with acrylic, a purely synthetic material, can take hundreds of years to break down in landfills. They are not sustainable products. Every time it’s washed, acrylic fibre releases thousands of microplastics into our water system. The very slight benefit of using acrylic because it doesn’t turn to felt in the washing machine isn’t worth the effect it has on our water supply. However, there’s no other way to keep acrylic textiles clean other than washing in water. No wonder 35% of the ocean’s microplastics come from acrylic!

Conclusions

Crafting with 100% wool is a choice that benefits us, our health, and the environment. Wool has eco credentials! It’s a natural, renewable product. It’s a way to embrace sustainable living while creating beautiful, quality, long-lasting textile pieces. 100% wool – even if Superwash treated, (as long as it is done by a responsible company such as used by my suppliers), is a sustainable and eco-friendly pastime. It enables individuals to make garments, accessories, and home goods. This reduces their dependence on mass-produced, synthetic goods, which can have adverse effects on the environment. Wool garments biodegrade much quicker than synthetic fabrics. Scraps of wool biodegrade very quickly. A knitted wool garment can take between 1-3 years to biodegrade. An acrylic yarn garment can take up to 200 years.

Wool is also a carbon store; pure organic carbon makes up 50% of the weight of wool. Research is now continuingly investigating the health and wellbeing benefits of wool. Crafting with 100% wool not only speaks to our commitment to quality but also to our shared values of animal welfare and sustainability. Trustworthy artisans employ ethical practices, ensuring the well-being of the sheep who allow their sheep to roam lush pastures, graze on natural organic diets, and be treated with the utmost care. Sourcing wool from ethical suppliers supports a cycle of compassion and respect.