in the rolling hills of otago, polwarth sheep graze the fields and grow their scrumptious coats. polwarth are a crossbreed of three quarters merino and one quarter lincoln bloodlines that originated in australia in the 1880s. the resulting sheep has fibres with a micron count (softness) of merino and a hardy disposition, well suited for a variety of climates.
in the spring, their long coats are shorn, relieving the weight of the fleece and making it easier to stay cool in the heat of summer. this process is done by experts who specialize in the efficient and thorough removal of the fleece.
the fleece is then transported to timaru to be scoured (washed) then onto oamaru to be dyed. our polwarth is loose stock dyed - meaning the wool is coloured prior to the spinning process.
once ready, the wool ships up to ōtautahi christchurch to be carded and spun. DUNES is spun by the marvelous family team at wild earth yarns. the yarn is woollen spun which means the fibres are spun together without being combed into alignment first. this traps air in the final product, resulting in a lighter wool with high insulation and warmth. woollen spun yarns also tend to "bloom" during the blocking process as the fibres expand to fill the gaps and create a beautiful fabric.
because our wool is lightly processed, occasionally there are little bits of twigs and grasses in the final product - pulling throughout the entire process, the reminder that this fine wool was once on a sheep, in a field in the rolling hills of otago.
