-
Unraveling Merino wool : Karen Ter Morshuizen from Lunar makes garments from almost completely natural fibres. With this sort of environmentally friendly approach, Karen says Merino wool is her first fibre choice for winter. www.lunarlife.co.za -
Unraveling Merino wool : Karen Ter Morshuizen from Lunar makes garments from almost completely natural fibres. With this sort of environmentally friendly approach, Karen says Merino wool is her first fibre choice for winter. www.lunarlife.co.za -
Unraveling Merino wool : Hand-spun by rural ladies in the Eastern Cape, Karoo Moon produces knitted items from Merino wool. Owner Judi Sheard sells coloured and uncoloured balls of wool and knitted items created by a highly skilled team of local women. info@karoomoon.co.za -
Unraveling Merino wool : Stephanie Bentum of Krafthuis says she practically grew up among the Merino sheep. With a life-long love for the wool they produce, she now creates 100% locally produced Merino items and accessories. www.krafthaus.co.za -
Unraveling Merino wool : Hand-spun by rural ladies in the Eastern Cape, Karoo Moon produces knitted items from Merino wool. Owner Judi Sheard sells coloured and uncoloured balls of wool and knitted items created by a highly skilled team of local women. info@karoomoon.co.za -
Unraveling Merino wool : Stephanie Bentum of Krafthuis says she practically grew up among the Merino sheep. With a life-long love for the wool they produce, she now creates 100% locally produced Merino items and accessories. www.krafthaus.co.za -
Unraveling Merino wool : Sue Kingma of Nuno and fashion designer Pietrie Morton of Clumsy Peaches created a range of accessories for Pietrie’s show at Cape Town Fashion Week. The range of colourful woolen "edibles", like wool toffee apples and doughnuts, added a dash of quirk. -
Unraveling Merino wool : Nuno, who was recognised as a Cape Craft Icon in 2007, not only creates unique handmade and hand-dyed Merino and Karakul wool products, but has uplifted impoverished communities in the Cape through employment and skills development. www.nunodesign.co.za -
Unraveling Merino wool : Sneeuberg Merino Duvets produce toasty duvets with Merino wool inners. Also uplifting the local farm community through skills development and employment, Sneeuberg adds warmth in more way than one. www.sneeuberg.eu -
Unraveling Merino wool : Nuno, who was recognised as a Cape Craft Icon in 2007, not only creates unique handmade and hand-dyed Merino and Karakul wool products, but has uplifted impoverished communities in the Cape through employment and skills development. www.nunodesign.co.za -
Unraveling Merino wool : Look out for this logo to ensure your garment is locally made.
VISI’s direct link to upcoming trends – forecaster Li Edelkoort – predicts that eco textiles and ‘do-it-yourself’ pastimes like knitting will be big in 2012/3. Locally, Merino wool is picking up on these trends one de-fuzzed sheep at a time and the results aren’t half “baah”d.
Ever since Dutch designer Christien Meindertsma wowed us with her One-Sheep Sweater at Design Indaba 2010, Merino wool has been on our radar. Earlier this year, Li Edelkoort’s trends seminar in Cape Town picked up on the wool theme too. And now we’re convinced: Merino is the way to go, especially when temperatures start plummeting.
We’re happy to hear that the wool, which has been around in SA since 1789, is fashionable once again, turning up on catwalks around the world, including at Cape Town Fashion Week. Of course, it’s also fantastic for keeping out the cold. The wool is sustainable, biodegradable and wonderfully warm (and it’s now fully washable). Plus, you can snuggle up under your Sneeuberg wool duvet with a clear conscience, knowing that your blanket has contributed to job creation.
International Wool Week takes place from 5–11 September. Our plea? Support the local market by choosing Merino wool when you create your designer products.
More information: www.capewools.co.za, merino@capewools.co.za
