Merino wool is very soft with a closely spaced crimp and perfect for all your fiber crafts - needle felting details, wet felting, spinning, weaving and knitting.
Ashford Merino wool top sliver is a 100% New Zealand product with wool from pasture-fed sheep from their high country sheep stations. Our Ashford colleagues know many of the farmers - some of whom have farmed the land for generations. These farmers take great pride in the quality of their wool and the high standard of animal husbandry. Be assured, the sheep are well cared for and are not mulesed.
After the sheep are shorn, on the farm, the wool is carefully skirted and checked. Only wool that is sound, clean with good fiber length, bulk and color is selected. It is sent to a boutique New Zealand mill to be dyed, carded and combed.
It is scoured (washed) using an environmentally-friendly, biodegradable detergent . The wool is then dried and dyed. The dyes comply with the strict EU regulations and garments made from the sliver can be certified under the Oeko-Tex Standard 100, which means it is free of harmful chemicals. This standard is the most widely known standard for certification of ecologically-safe clothing. (Detailed information can be found at www.oekotex.com).