Fond childhood memories of cosy sweaters, dad's old jumper on a rainy day, a favourite knit that makes you smile.

Wool is wonderful. It makes the great jumpers that you all love. Here are our five favourite things about wool.

1. Wool is soft

All of our jumpers are made using 100% premium, traceable soft wool. Thicker fibres can scratch against your skin, which is why we mainly use superfine lamb and merino wool, both of which have very fine, soft fibres. Those fibres are much more flexible, so they don’t scratch against your skin.

Myth buster: people often believe they’re allergic to the lanolin in wool. In fact, less than 2% of people have a lanolin allergy. If you’ve found jumpers itchy in the past, it’s most likely due to the quality of the wool, not the lanolin.2. Wool is breathable

As a natural material, wool is much more breathable than manmade fabrics. Yes, the fibres trap air, creating an insulating effect that helps to keep you nice and toasty warm in winter. But they shouldn’t make you overheat.

Instead, they can actually help to regulate your temperature. While we’re not suggesting you pull on a heavy sweater on a summer’s day, you’ll likely find that a fine knit woollen jumper is actually much more comfortable than one made of man-made fibres.

What's more, in winter... save on the heating and layer up those jumpers. Just like our grandparents did in the days before central heating. 

3. Wool is easy to care for (if you know what to do)

The great thing about wool is that it almost never needs to be washed. In fact, we believe the longer you leave your knitwear without washing it, the more beautiful it will be.

No one wants a gorgeous new jumper only for it to shrink after one wash. And if you bung it in the washing machine on a 40°C wash with your jeans, that’s what’s going to happen. Equally if you leave it to soak, the wool can absorb too much water and this can change both the shape and feel of the knit.

Instead, air your knit regularly to keep it fresh, and then when it comes to washing, simply give it a very quick hand wash in cool water. 

Check our our Wash Less, Air More Club to find out how to wash less and look after your knitwear in the best possible way. 

4. Wool is natural

Most wool comes from outdoor reared sheep, goats, alpacas and llamas. We're passionate about making sure our wool is as close to the way nature intended it to be. Here are some things we're doing to ensure this:

1. Choose traceable raw natural materials. Our Scottish-spun lamb’s wool is certified by the Responsible Wool Standard for example. Our wool is always from non-mulesed sheep.

Mulesing is when loose folds of skin are cut away to reduce the risk of fly strike. It can be a painful process and anaesthetic isn’t always used. There are other, gentler alternatives to protect the sheep.

2. Work with farmers that follow a progressive approach to managing their land and practice holistic respect for animal welfare. 

3. Work with some of Europe's best-practice manufacturers to create a supply chain that is transparent and traceable, with less wastage.

Find more about how we make our jumpers great here.

5. Wool is clever

Wool is naturally anti-bacterial, which means it resists odours. You don’t even need to use fabric softener. If your wool jumper smells a bit stale, simply give it a good airing. You can also spritz a little wool mist on it to to freshen it up a tad.