Dear All,
There is a moment every Autumn when I find myself reaching for wool again.
Perhaps it is the first cooler morning, or the feeling of the evenings drawing in. A jumper comes out of the wardrobe, a heavier knit is reached for, and suddenly wool feels like exactly what you want to be wearing.
It is such a familiar part of Autumn that it is easy to forget how extraordinary it is.
This month, as part of Wool Month, I wanted to spend some time talking about wool at OUBAS; why we work with it, what makes it so special, and the many forms it can take.
Wool begins with the land. The grass, the weather, the fields and the animals that live within them. From there, through farming, shearing, spinning and making, it eventually becomes something that sits next to our skin.
Here in Cumbria, that connection feels particularly close. Sheep are part of the landscape around us; across the fells, in the fields and on farms throughout the county. Wool has been part of the history, culture and rural economy of these landscapes for generations.
There is something very grounding about making a garment from a material that has such a direct relationship with the natural world around us.
Beyond its connection to the landscape, it is the qualities of wool itself that keep drawing me back to it.
It is naturally warm and breathable, helping to regulate temperature rather than simply trapping heat. It has a natural resilience and elasticity, and when cared for well , it can become a material that stays with you for many years. I also love the way wool changes with time. It softens, settles and becomes familiar through wear. A well-loved garment can carry something of the life it has been part of.
But what I love most is its versatility; not all wool feels or behaves in the same way. The breed of sheep, the fibre itself, how it is spun and how it is finished can all change the character of the yarn. At Oubas, we work with a number of different natural fibres, choosing them according to what we want a particular garment to be.
Fine merino brings softness and a beautiful lightness. Lambswool has a warmth and softness that feels particularly suited to winter. British wool brings a different character, with a strong connection to the landscape and farming communities from which it comes. We also work with other natural fibres, including cashmere and organic cotton, where their particular qualities suit the design.
For me, choosing a fibre is part of designing the garment. It isn't simply about how it looks. It is about how it feels in the hand, how it will behave when knitted, how it will feel to wear and how it might age over time. The material isn’t an afterthought it’s where the garment begins.
I think that is one of the reasons wool has stayed so important to OUBAS. It asks us to pay attention to the material itself. To think about where it has come from, the people involved in bringing it to us, and what happens to it once it leaves the studio.
As we move further into Autumn, that relationship feels particularly present. The landscape changes, the temperature drops, and once again we reach for the fibres that have been keeping us warm for generations.
Throughout Wool Month, I’ll be sharing a little more about the wools and natural fibres we work with at Oubas, as well as the people and processes behind them.
There is a lot more to wool than the jumper we pull on when the temperature drops!
Warm wishes,
Kate