Wool Gift Guide 2019
Oops, I did it again! My second wool gift guide! I hope you enjoy it and find something you like or a gift for someone you love. Because lets be honest, wool is for loved ones. All of the companies sites are linked to make shopping easier! Almost all items listed use 100% American Wool! Items made with American wool keep ranchers in business and continuing to improve their wool quality. WOOL IS AWESOME.
Please share and encourage others to purchase wool products.
In no particular order, here we go:
1. Duckworth - Men's Vapor Tee, Women's Polaris Loose Crew
All our wool comes from our very own Helle Rambouillet Merino and certified Duckworth Wool Cooperative growers, this is increasingly more important as most wool now ships around the world several times before it meets your body, ours is locally grown. Starting at the ranch, we begin the intricate process of sorting the wool for a specific end use, with yarn spinning, knitting, dyeing and finishing carefully managed on site by Duckworth’s technical team. This reduces our environmental footprint all the way from sheep to shelf. Wool made in the country of origin – the United States – creates value-added product for our local economies. Keeping wool science and knowledge at home inspires technical breakthroughs and innovation at every level of the process, building a vibrant and globally competitive textile industry for the long term. This sheep-to-shelf process all begins with a rancher’s stewardship of the land and livestock.
At Duckworth, knowing and using what’s in our own backyard is what really counts. Trust, quality, and comfort are paramount, assured by the pedigree of our wool supply, which we control at every stage of handling.
Resurrecting the lost art and craft of American wool is our mission.
A fast-paced account of the year Clara Parkes spent transforming a 676-pound bale of fleece into saleable yarn, and the people and vanishing industry she discovered along the way Join Clara Parkes on a cross-country adventure and meet a cast of characters that includes the shepherds, dyers, and countless workers without whom our knitting needles would be empty, our mills idle, and our feet woefully cold. Travel the country with her as she meets a flock of Saxon Merino sheep in upstate New York, tours a scouring plant in Texas, visits a steamy Maine dyehouse, helps sort freshly shorn wool on a working farm, and learns how wool fleece is measured, baled, shipped, and turned into skeins. In pursuit of the perfect yarn, Parkes describes a brush with the dangers of opening a bale (they can explode), and her adventures from Maine to Wisconsin (“the most knitterly state”) and back again; along the way, she presents a behind-the-scenes look at the spinners, scourers, genius inventors, and crazy-complex mill machines that populate the yarn-making industry. By the end of the book, you’ll be ready to set aside the backyard chickens and add a flock of sheep instead. Simply put, no other book exists that explores American culture through the lens of wool.
3. Faribault Woolen Mill - Ashby Twill Throw
100% Merino Wool, Made in the USA.
It's distinctive zig-zag twill pattern adds depth and understated style. Finished with a soft, heather-gray fringe, we offer it to you in four timeless colors that will enhance any décor, from traditional to contemporary.
Today, in a historic mill nestled along the Cannon River in Minnesota, a nearly 150-year-old story is still being woven. The Faribault Woolen Mill endures as one of the last vertical woolen mills in America. Here, fifth generation craftspeople take raw wool and create blankets, throws, scarves and accessories of remarkable comfort and quality. Irreplaceable century-old machinery stands side by side with modern technology in our "new" mill, which was built in 1892.
4. Voormi - Neck Gaitor
Made with the same SURFACE HARDENED™ Thermal Wool Technology as all of our mid and outer layers, the Thermal Neck Gaiter works hard to keep your neck warm in all sorts of conditions. This incredibly versatile piece of fabric is more than just a neck warmer – sport it as a stylish headband or cap. Whether your immediate concern is frostbite or a bad hair day, a merino wool neck gaiter is a sure-fire remedy.
We create accessories for two reasons. First, they complement the overall VOORMI® brand. Like every other garment, they are incredibly versatile pieces of fabric. Second, and most importantly, accessories help us mitigate waste. Just about every item you’ll see on the following page is made from leftover clothing scraps. Part of VOORMI®’s mission is environmental conservation. And the way we keep such a small carbon footprint is by us using every last stitch of fabric. Next time you slip on your neck gaiter or beanie, know that it’s been fashioned for you with a nod to the out-of-the-way places we all love so much.
Made in the USA.
5. Wool + Aid - Bandages
Our world first merino wool bandages are custom made for a life in the mountains. Our 9oz Hyperfine™ merino wool fabric was built by sunlight, glacial water, healthy soils, plant energy and free roaming sheep.
Evolved for performance, merino wool is naturally hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, quick drying, comfortable, moisture wicking and, flexible. When you're finished with your bandage, bury it and it'll return the stored carbon back to the soil to begin this beautiful process again.
Heal your wounds and the planet.
6. The Nugget Company - Pelt
Adding beauty and elegance to any room, there is nothing like genuine sheepskin to make a room feel inviting, and relaxing. Ultra soft pile brings a luxurious feel to any living space. Rugs are left in the natural shape of the animal, averaging around 9 sqft. Wool length: 2.5-3.5 inches.
A must have!!
7. Wild Wools - Scarf
Hand-crafted in the Pacific NW from genuine Pendleton® blankets that are made in the USA. A WildWool is kind of like the "wild rags" everyone in the western world lives in, but a heck of a lot cozier. We love our wild rags as much as the next cowgirl, but sometimes you just need something warmer to protect your face and ears from the wind and cold!
8. Full Belly Farm - Yarn Gift Box
Includes three skeins of our beautiful yarn from Full Belly sheep, knitting needles, patterns for knitting the yarn into a cap, and a lovely photo description of the sheep project here at the farm. This is a good gift for an introductory knitter.
9. Ramblers Way - Men's Tie, Women's Wool Leggings
Our American made sustainable clothing is primarily crafted from Rambouillet Merino Wool, Certified Organic Merino Wool and Pima Cotton. Our family roots in New England textile manufacturing run deep. We know first-hand the impacts of the textile industry on our community and environment. Massive, vacant stone mills and tainted rivers attest to the rise and fall of our predecessors.We are rejuvenating the American clothing industry using time-tested fibers, modern innovation and entrepreneurial boldness. Our goal: work with nature to make responsibly sourced, skillfully crafted, American made sustainable clothing.
9. Wing & A Prayer Farm - Wool Dryer Balls
For a natural and country clean effect, use our 100% Wool Laundry Balls which are made from the wool from our beloved flocks' spring shearing. The fleeces come off of the animals so they'll graze comfortable all summer, meanwhile growing a new coat in it's place. We then take the fiber and decide if it is long enough to spin into yarn or if it can be used in other ways. The shorter fibers are made into these felted laundry balls so that you can use them in your dryer. Natural wool dryer balls are safer for the environment in that no harmful synthetic byproducts will pollute the earth as you use them. Add a bit of essential oils to create a fragranced drying experience and enjoy your static and wrinkle free laundry with a product that can be used over and over again. Each Wing & A Prayer Farm Muslin Bag holds 2 laundry balls and a care card. Wing and a Prayer Farm is in Shaftsbury, Vermont. We are mostly organic and free-ranged everything! We have Shetland, Merino, Cormo, Dorset & Wensleydale Sheep, Alpacas, Angora goats, Cashmere goats, poultry of all types, an American Guinea Hog named Princess Peppermint, honeybees & horses, dogs and cats! We sell sheep, wool, yarn, Wool-filled duvets, pies, fiber, honey, eggs and in season, chicken, lamb, and layer hens.
10. Mountain Meadows Wool - Mittens
100% Mountain Merino mittens in natural gray. These wonderfully warm and incredibly soft mittens are perfect for all weather. They can be used as a liner, or worn as they are. The heavy cuff keeps them in place, while the springy nature of the Rambouillet Breed yarn moves easily without drooping. Un-dyed all-natural wool. 100% Mountain Merino Wool. Made in Buffalo, Wyoming USA.
Mountain Meadow is a spinning mill set below the Big Horn Mountains on the Western Plains of Wyoming. It is a family operated mill, owned by Karen Hostetler, and dedicated to supporting local ranchers and raising awareness about ranching culture in the American West. Mountain Meadow is committed to revitalizing the American wool industry through eco-friendly operations and fair prices for ranchers.
11. Brookside Woolen Mill - Montana Pure Wool Natural Pillow
Our facility sits on a multi-acre parcel just a few miles east of Malta, Montana. We have one of the greenest production facilities in the state. All of our wool is from Montana, it is the best available! Our state produces about 2,000,000 pounds of wool yearly, we buy some of that and process it all right here in Malta. Nothing leaves the state, this makes us the lowest carbon footprint of all wool in the USA. Our Montana Pure pillows are the best in the nation. All Montana wool, All produced right here in Malta Montana, USA! We know where the sheep come from, how they’re raised and we process all the wool right here on site! Wool is hypo-Allergenic, natural, renewable, sustainable and the most natural sleeping product available. You have trouble with your sleep? Try our pillows! Traveling, or neck pillows help you have a better trip. All our pillows come with zippers so you can make your stuffing match your needs!!
12. Full Circle Wool - Wool Sponges
Use wool sponges to do the dishes, to wash your face & body, or to clean surfaces. Clean and durable, these sponges do not get gross or smelly and last for a long time. Because wool is naturally antimicrobial and antifungal, they do not harbor molds and bacterias. When you're done with them, they are compostable. How to Wash: Rinse with warm water, squeeze out, and lay flat to dry. Use soap for stains. You can put them in the dishwasher but NOT the laundry machine. Sun is a natural sanitizer of wool. These sponges are made of wool and thus will shrink with initial use. Please DO NOT CUT THEM, they will shrink down to the size of a regular sponge, and get a bit more scrubby over time. How long do they last? Not sure, I've heard a year or more from people. Definitely way longer than your typical dish sponge.
13. Farm To Feet - Socks
By having its supply chain completely within the U.S., Farm to Feet™ can ensure the highest quality of materials to produce the best performing socks, while having as little impact on the environment as possible. The American sourced merino wool is grown and sheared in the pristine western United States and then processed into yarn within 300 miles of its sustainability-focused manufacturing facility in Mt. Airy, NC. At Farm to Feet™, we take “Made in the USA” one step further by using raw materials sourced from the U.S. This includes the American-grown wool, nylon and elastic to produce our 100% American Socks as well as the paper and inks used in our packaging
