White Gum Wool grows amazing merino wool. It is ethically grown in Tasmania by a woman named Nan. The sheep are very well loved, never mulsed or tail-docked, and they live their entire natural lives on the farm. It is the best life imaginable for sheep.
All this love and attention to detail shows up in the wool. It is 17 microns in diameter which is about as fine as merino gets and firmly in the micron count range of cashmere! It is delicious! Seriously delicious!
Be sure to check out the lovely free patterns on her website.
8-ply is the Australian term for DK
100% White Gum Wool superfine Merino Wool
258 yards (236 meters) / 100g
Suggested needle size is US 6 (4.0 mm) to get 22 stitches / 30 rows in 4 inches (10 cm) square.
This is a non-superwash yarn. Hand wash cold, dry flat, medium iron, dry cleanable.
Nan is an American who found herself, as a marine biologist, in Tasmania. She fell in love with it and ended up on a large farm where she grows merino sheep. Her commitment to her animals and the land is awe inspiring. She keeps fewer sheep per acre to ensure they always have good and healthy forage to eat. This practice is also kind to the land, preserving its biodiversity. The biodiversity allows the sheep to eat the things they instinctually need for their health and happiness. As a result, her sheep are healthier, live longer, and grow longer and finer fleeces. It is an amazing, complex, and thoughtful system that, by definition, is always a work in progress. We strongly encourage you to visit her website and read about her, the sheep, the land, and the dogs. It is a delightful rabbit hole. You will emerge a huge fan of her practices.
Images are courtesy and copyright of White Gum Wool.
