The strong natural curl provides lasting resilience, bounce and loft that is superior to mechanically crimped wool fiber which will matt down faster. The artificial crimping process used by some wool producers creates strain on the fibers causing them to break easier which results in shorter fibers. This has a direct negative effect on the long-term resilience and loft of the product.
After shearing, the wool goes through three washing cycles with increasing temperatures (90° - 140°F) followed by a cold rinse in pure water. During the washing cycles pure baking soda and water is used – nothing else. The drying takes place in drum driers and the wool is then cooled down on cooling racks for 24-28 hours before pressing and packaging.
This virtually eliminates the typical sheep odor and the risk of moth infestation. The plein-air wool is harvested from the back and belly only. This is a very important factor as usually wool for “fill” (as opposed to garments) also comes from the legs and crotch of the animal and it is impossible to completely wash out the smell.
