A
careful spinning process all but forgotten — except by Lands'
End.
When it was invented
in the 18th century, mule-spinning was a miracle — and it still
is. It's painfully slow compared to modern methods, not to mention
takes up a lot of space. But mule-spinning creates some of the softest
wool around.
Sliver (strands of carded
wool) is fed through rollers out to a traveling carriage, while
rotating bobbins twist the sliver. This stretches a meter and a
half of sliver into 2 meters of yarn.
As the spinning manager
at the mill in Scotland puts it: "It's slow, but no technology
can match it for softness and quality." We agree wholeheartedly,
and think you will too.
To learn a wee bit more
about mule-spinning in Scotland click
here.
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In the days
when everything was made by hand, we knew those doing the work. We
knew the village webb, the sherman and the snyder
(weaver, shearer and tailor). We visited with the farrar and
the wainwright (ironworker and wagon maker). And the kellogg
(butcher), baker and the candlestick-making chandler.
We ordered goods from
neighbors knowing the skill they'd bring to the work, having watched
those talents grow over the years. Which is why, even today, things
born of such skill mean so much to us. More than just producing
a product, true craftsmanship preserves a piece of history.
Presenting
our improved Lambswool!
The
softest ever, thanks to Old World craftsmanship.
The process of mule-spinning
was all but abandoned 30 years ago, but we found a Scottish mill
that still does it. (It's called mule-spinning because it's a hybrid
of two types of spinning — just as a mule is the hybrid of
donkey and horse.)
Plus, we choose only
Australia's softest and finest lambswool from Merino sheep —
from the lamb's first shearing so it's no wonder its baby-soft.
The 18-gauge we use is finer than the usual 15-gauge, for even more
softness. In fact, ours is the finest gauge we know. And the 2-ply
yarns ensure better drape and longer durability.
Then, the lambswool is
wet-finished for an even smoother and softer surface. And we should
mention that our lambswool is top-dyed to enhance the richness of
color.
Once we've reached this
point, the mill in Scotland knits each panel separately. Then, the
panels are assembled, and each neck is hand-linked. All of these
quality features take some time, certainly. But they create a Lambswool
Sweater that not only feels better, but fits better.
- Mule-spun wool means
softer, more durable yarns
- Finer 18-gauge yarns
create a luxurious drape
- Australia's finest
lambswool is unsurpassed
- Wet finishing allows
more softness than expected in typical lambswool sweaters
- Top-dyeing ensures
enduring richness of color
- Piece-by-piece knitting
and hand-linking provide a custom fit
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