This year’s first Texel wool has arrived
Last weekend was another of those moments I look forward to every year. The first shorn wool of the season was ready to be collected. We drove the van round to various farmers on Texel to collect the new wool harvest. A special moment, as this marks the start of many products that will later find their way into our range.
This weekend we collected the wool from De Waddel, Boer Jens and Eagles Ranch. Farmers who look after their sheep with great care and who, just like us, attach great importance to the quality of the wool. It’s always lovely to see how much attention is paid to collecting and storing the fleeces and wool after shearing.
Texel wool from local sheep
Many people know Skéépe for its sheepskins, sheep’s wool socks or walking wool. Yet almost everything starts with the same foundation: Texel wool.
The sheep that live on Texel grow up in a unique climate. The fresh sea air, the wind and the vast natural landscape contribute to the strong and resilient wool for which the island is renowned. That is precisely why Texel sheep’s wool has been prized for years by lovers of natural wool products.
What we perhaps like best of all is that the wool comes from right on our doorstep. We know the farmers and collect all the wool ourselves. That way, we know exactly where our raw material comes from.
The first wool of the year always feels special
When the first sacks of sheep’s wool arrive, it feels to us as though a new season is beginning. The freshly shorn wool and the lanolin that sticks to your hands bring the realisation that beautiful products will soon be made from this.
The quality of the wool we collected this weekend looks very promising. The farmers have clearly done their best to deliver the wool neat and clean. That helps enormously with further processing and ensures we can continue to make beautiful products from Texel sheep’s wool.
From sheep’s wool to wool products
Before the wool finally reaches our customers, it goes through various stages. Some of the wool is processed into knitting wool, blankets and socks, whilst another part is used for our skincare wool.
From this Texel wool, we make, amongst other things:
Nowadays, many people are looking for natural materials and want to know where a product comes from. That is precisely why we believe it is important to stay as close to the source as possible.
Why we continue to choose wool from Texel
There are thousands of sheep on Texel. Yet sheep farming is under pressure and wool often yields little profit. That is why we believe it is important to restore value to the wool from Texel sheep. We work directly with local farmers and pay a fair price for the wool, ensuring that sheep and sheep farmers retain a permanent place in the Texel landscape.
From a sack of raw sheep’s wool to a pair of warm socks, a soft woollen blanket or a ball of knitting wool: it all starts with the sheep that roam here on Texel.
And that remains special.
