On wool

A few months back, in an effort to become a wiser spender, waste less money and in general be more conscious (and environmentaly conscious) of what I buy, I decided I would no longer buy sweaters from stores and instead make whatever I needed myself. This way I get to choose exactly what I want as far as shape, color, style, materials and size are concerned, I get to have way more control over the durability of what I have and I get to own things that are truly unique and special to me.
I haven't yet had the time to make anything for myself since this decision was made, but over the holidays I got proof of the fact that this was definitely a smart choice. On my trip to France I only brought with me a few store bought sweaters I have had for a long time. These, out of the many I have bought, were some of the best as far a durability is concerned...they are made of acrylic yarn and I have had them for a very long time, washed them a milion times and they are still holding their shape and doing their job. But I noticed one thing while I was there in the freezing temperatures we had. Acrylic, even though it is indeed light weight, easy to care for and can be very durable, is infinitely less isolating than wool. These sweaters were easy to pack and carry around, but they just weren't as warm as I needed them to be, unlike the handmade wool sweaters I have at home. Yesterday I read this really interesting post from the Pendleton Woolen Mills blog, and it made me understand exactly why. Wool is indeed an incredible natural material that never ceases to amaze me and fascinate me.