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Wool selection
Wool, an essential raw material, is at the heart of my work. There is no mystery to obtaining high-quality yarn: every step of the selection and sorting process counts. You can discover the entire process here.
Collection and sorting
The quality of wool varies not only from one breed of sheep to another, but also from one farm to another, depending on the way they are reared, the lambing period and the health of the animals. Wool is of much higher quality if it comes from a healthy flock (I'll tell you more about sheep farming in the Hautes-Pyrénées here). Quality wool means strong, long, wavy and fine fibres, and a beautiful colour. So wool selection is a vital first step.
Once a year, the sheep are sheared by professionals. I then travel to France to collect wool in the Val d'Azun directly from the farmers.
To produce high-quality yarn, you first need to select the best fibers, those that meet the criteria I explained above. Certain parts of a fleece are unsuitable: they may contain coarse hairs or jarre (to find out more about the structure of wool, take a look at the dedicated article on my blog). These parts are therefore discarded.
Next comes the sorting stage, which I do entirely by hand. But what exactly does this involve? A freshly shorn fleece often contains dust, plant debris such as hay, or areas soiled with droppings. All these elements are carefully removed by hand.
It is a long and sometimes tedious task, but it is essential. No chemicals are used to remove organic matter: everything is done with respect for the wool and its authenticity.
Characteristics of selected wools
The wool of the Lourdaise sheep is distinguished by the length of its fibers, which ensure the strength of the yarn. It is also very fluffy, and once washed, it reveals a beautiful ecru color, bright and warm. In some rarer sheep, the fleece takes on a magnificent dark brown, almost black color. I carefully preserve these special fleeces to use in some of my handcrafted creations or in yarn production.
Tarascon wool, on the other hand, is ivory white and provides fineness and volume. By combining it with Lourdes wool, I create a unique blend that highlights the complementary qualities of these two local Pyrenean breeds.
