Description
Native Shetland Wool PDO is autochthon wool from the Shetland Islands that must come from pure-bred Shetland Sheep, produced according to the traditional organic production methods used on the islands.
Production Area
Native Shetland Wool PDO is produced throughout the Shetland Islands, off the Northern coast of Scotland.
Production Method
There are a series of processing stages that contribute to guaranteeing the quality of the final product: scouring, with a short or long wash cycle, at temperatures between 20 to 25°C; the separation of the fine wool fibre from the coarse wool fibre and the elimination of any remaining vegetable matter such as hay and seeds; carding, which transforms a random mass of fibre into a continuous web, either to form a "batt" for felt-making, or to draw together forming a 'roving'; spinning in two stages: the drawing and twisting of rovings to produce yarns of differing weights and plies; felt-making, where the felter produces felt sheets or "batts" from loose fibres with a machine that uses pressure and vibration on wet fibres to entangle them.
Appearance and Flavour
Native Shetland Wool PDO wool is characterised by its softness, strength and springiness. It has many shades of basic natural colour: white, moorit (red-brown), fawn, dark grey and Shetland black (dark brown). The weight of the fleeces varies from 1 to 2 kg, the wool has an average staple length of 5-10 cm and the diameter of its wool fibre averages 29,9 microns.
History
Shetland sheep have been present on the islands for more than 5.000 years, as demonstrated by the bone debris and small tools found on sites from the Iron Age to the XIII century. In the IX century, Norwegian settlers introduced their own sheep breed onto the islands which, together with the autochthon sheep, eventually evolved into the now-recognised Shetland breed. In 1790, the unusual qualities of Shetland wool were 'discovered' by the rest of Scotland when samples were taken back to Edinburgh and it was at this time that the Society of British Wool was formed, with the aim of improving the standards of sheep breeding and wool production.
Gastronomy
Native Shetland Wool PDO can be spun and plied into various thickness of yarn, for weaving and knitting. Today, the many natural colours of Shetland fleece and yarns conform to current market demand for ecological yarns without the use of chemical dyes. The fibre has great insulation qualities and has been used on many famous polar and Himalayan expeditions for its warmth retaining qualities.
Marketing
The product is marketed as Native Shetland Wool PDO and is sold as yarn, balled or hanked, in felt sheets or in "batts".
Distinctive Features
Very few yarns produced from 100% wool fibres contain the distinctive characteristics that create this soft handle in such a lightweight yarn. The special crimp in the raw fibres of the Native Shetland Wool PDO, create a distinctive springiness in the yarn.
