Why Non Superwash?

 I am so excited to be able to carry the yarn we have in the shop.  It is 100% Shaniko wool and is non superwash.   I think this can bring up some questions: What is Shaniko wool and why is that worth talking about? Why not superwash, is this a yarn snob thing?  Hopefully by the end of this post you will understand why I think it's so special and why I am geeking out about it.  

What is Shaniko?  Shaniko wool isn't a breed, it's a brand.  The Shaniko Wool Company brings together a group of American sheep ranchers who agree to Responsible Wool Standards.   Their website has a full list of what those standards are, but they include traceability and humane animal treatment.  The ranches under this brand run a combination of Merino and Columbia sheep. I think being able to source yarn from sheep grown in the United States is pretty amazing.  

The second piece is the processing.  Where are the yarn and fiber processed?  To me this is the other piece that I am so very excited about.  The mill I am using is in North Carolina. So not only is the wool sourced from here in the United States, but it is also cleaned, carded and spun here too.  For many years our country off shored our milling tradition.  I am proud to utilize companies that are trying to revive it.  

Why non superwash?  No, it's not because I am a yarn snob.  When starting a new endeavor, one must choose a place to start.  I really love wool.  So, I chose the non superwash line.  That doesn't mean that in the future I won't offer superwash.  I plan to at some point.  I think there is a place for superwash yarn.  It is easy to care for.   I think you should take a chance, knit with the non superwash, see what it's like.  It may surprise you and caring for your garment is not as scary as you might think. A simple soak in cool water with mild soap, lay flat to dry.  

The mill I use says that yarn is an ecosystem.  I agree, it starts with the growers, then the people who process and then on to the dyers like myself.  The last part of that ecosystem is the consumer.  Hopefully you think this wool is as special as I do.