The Evolution of the British Wool Industry
Parts 1-4
The Origins of British Fine Wools
Tracing the lineage of ancient and heritage breeds discovering which are the best to use for knitwear.
How did Britain lose it’s historical reputation as the worlds leading producer of fine wools?
In the UK there are 60 registered sheep breeds and many more cross breeds, producing a diversity of fleece types. The aim of my research ...
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The Neolithic period 4000BC sheep were first recorded
2 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool A neolithic stone carved pattern representing eternal life found in the UK. This was the ...
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55AD New hornless breed introduced with Roman invasion
3 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool The Roman invasion of Britain introduced a white and hornless sheep with a very shoft ...
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Invasion of the Danes in 865AD a third lineage arrives
4 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool Invasion of the Danes in 865AD The third influence on the British sheep lineage was ...
Read More → Parts 5 - 8
The Contextual History of Wool Evolution
Historical events that have affected the evolution of UK wools.
The agricultural revolution and new methods of farming
5 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool The Agricultural Revolution of 1500- 1850 The revolution in argiculture brought huge improvement to the ...
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1780-1840 The industrial revolution and sheep breeding
6 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool The industrial revolution lead to further developments of sheep breeding. Robert Bakewell was the first ...
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The ‘Wool Board’ was set up in 1950
7 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool The Wool Board was set up in 1950, a government body with the role to ...
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Traditional hand shears meet electric competition in the 1950s
8 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool Shearing Hand shears have traditionally been used for sheep shearing and this technique has not ...
Read More → Parts 9 - 12
The Sustainability of Wool Processing
Exploring the methodologies of processing wools, and how to develop more of our ancient and heritage breed wools.
Scouring and procesing wool from ancient and heritage breeds
9 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool Washing and Processing On the 23rd of June I visited Haworths the wool processors based ...
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Carding an essential preparation stage of aligning the hairs
10 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool Carding Carding, is essentially a process of combing the washed wool, aligning all the hairs ...
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The humble hand spinning wheel is still used today
11 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool Spinning Hand spinning has been used as a process to make yarn from fleece for ...
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Knitting on an industrial scale moved from Britain in the 1980s
12 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool Knitting Industrial knitting in the UK used to be centered in the North of England ...
Read More → Parts 13 - 16
The Fashion Industry - What We Need To Change
Reviewing the paradigm of the fashion industry and the environmental damage caused by over consumption.
Off shoring and the continued exploitation of people
13 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool Off Shoring In the early days of the Industrial revolution life in the mills of ...
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Cheap, high volume, throw away clothing – Fast fashion
14 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool Fast Fashion The 1980’s bought us ‘fast fashion’ , the latest fashion trends available, cheap, ...
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Ethical treatment of animals forgotten for a profit
15 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool PETA Animal Rights Animal welfare should be one of the most important issues in any ...
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Synthetic sheep fleece adding micro plastics into the oceans
16 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool The fashion industry , what we need to change This is the Collins dictionary definition ...
Read More → 10 Reasons Why Sustainable Clothing is the Future of Fashion
1. Reduced carbon emissions through local production and sourcing. 2. Utilisation of country-specific fibers, like Britain’s diverse wool types. 3. Preservation of traditional textile manufacturing ...
Read More → Pitti Immagine Filati
Yarn and trends for knitwear Florence – June 24 Last week I visited Pitti Filati in Florence, I have visited this trend show of yarns ...
Read More → Parts 17 - 20
Embracing Sustainbility - The Future For British Wool
Scoping the possibilities for a more sustainable future for British wool
Regenerative farming to produce environmentally positive wool
17 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool Regenerative Farming Farming for the last 60 years has been heavily reliant on large intensive ...
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Circular design systems and 100% bio-degradable material
18 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool Embracing Sustainability In her Ted Talk Ellen MacArthur defines her concept of circular design systems ...
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Traditional craft methods, upcycling and make-it-yourself
19 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool Hand Crafts One of the ways to tackle fast fashion is to promote ‘slow fashion’ ...
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British ancient and heritage sheep
20 of 20 Stages of the Evolution of British Wool Using Conservation Breeds in the Woollen Industry British ancient and heritage sheep can be used ...
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Why use wool from native British sheep for my knitwear?
Working with local native-breed sheep in the UK can have significant positive impacts on the environment. Below are the various ways my practice contributes to ...
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