Kuyichi is committed to having a wide range of vegan products. However, we also choose non-vegan materials. Now, we're adding certified organic merino wool to our materials because of its unique quality. We proudly offer you our first organic wool items in our AutumnWinter 2024 collection. But what is organic merino wool, how is it made, and why do we love it?

What is Organic Merino Wool?

Organic merino wool is wool from a merino sheep that follows strict organic farming standards. Merino sheep have finer and smoother wool than other sheep breeds, resulting in non-irritating wool sweaters. Unlike conventional wool, organic wool comes from sheep raised without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on their grazing pastures. In organic farming, the sheep live under free-range conditions, have more space indoors, and there is minimal use of antibiotics and deworming. Organic wool is also mulesing-free, which is the practice of cutting away skin around the sheep's tail area to prevent flystrike. Flystrike is caused by larvae of blowflies that eat the sheep’s flesh and cause pain, infection or even death. Organic sheep farming uses animal-friendly alternatives to prevent flystrike.

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How is Organic Wool Yarn Made?

It all starts with shearing the sheep. The organic wool fleece is carefully removed from the sheep's skin. This is typically done once a year and is a necessary part of sheep care, as it keeps them comfortable and healthy. Raw wool is very greasy and often dirty. During cleaning and scouring, dirt and part of the lanolin is removed from the wool. This clean wool can be carded and combed to align the fibres, removing any remaining debris and preparing it for spinning. Organic wool relies mainly on mechanical techniques to create high-quality yarn during spinning. During this stage, the thickness and quality of the yarn are determined. The yarn is then dyed with organic dyes before finishing to stabilise the yarn.

Why Do We Use Organic Merino Wool?

Organic merino wool is a very high-quality fibre with many benefits. We love our organic cotton knitwear, but they tend to be pretty heavy. Wool is way lighter, which gives a different comfort level. The smooth merino wool also keeps you warmer during cold days. The lanolin we mentioned before? This grease of the sheep that partly stays in the fibre is anti-bacterial. Wool is self-cleaning, so you don’t have to wash wool garments as often. Wool is also very suitable for recycling as recycled wool fibres keep a lot of their length and strength. We choose organic wool as it increases animal well-being, protects ecosystems and reduces pollution. It also bans harsh chemicals often used in conventional wool processing.

"We choose organic wool as it increases animal well-being, protects ecosystems and reduces pollution"

How Do We Guarantee The Wool We Use Is Organic?

All the organic wool we use is certified under GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard). GOTS is a global textile standard for organic fibres that assesses ecological and social criteria as well. The standard aims to ensure organic standards. This is done from farming, through the manufacturing process, to the labelling, proven by a chain of custody. A chain of custody is a system in which each transaction is confirmed with a transaction certificate. This certificate confirms the seller has lived up to the certification rules for the particular product. A new transaction certificate is only possible if you have one from the previous transaction. This makes GOTS a credible global certificate to the consumer, from materials to the end product.