A Little Material Science
Sometimes, it's all about the mix. If you've ever glanced at the label in some Anchoreve brand beanies, you'll know the blend ratio.
98% virgin wool (Merino) and 2% acrylic. But why these two, and why in this ratio?
A Particularly Soft Sheep
The virgin wool in the beanie comes from Merino sheep, which have particularly soft and fine wool. The hairs are light and breathable, making summer heat bearable for the sheep. In winter, Merino sheep grow a long-haired layer that protects them from the cold. Additionally, the hair in the sheep's fleece consists mainly of downy hair, which, due to its fineness and crimped structure, also serves as cold protection. One can only envy the Merino sheep for this wool, and so it's no wonder that Merino wool is a popular, high-quality fiber for clothing.
Like with the sheep themselves, the material is temperature-regulating, meaning it cools in summer and warms in winter, and it regulates moisture by wicking it away from the body and storing it in air chambers without feeling clammy. Furthermore, Merino wool doesn't scratch or stink and therefore rarely needs washing. Most of the time, simply airing out the garment is enough. Merino wool is less flammable than synthetic fibers and, like all wools, is biodegradable.
Merino wool has come under criticism due to the painful practice of "mulesing." This is a method where the skin around the sheep's tail is removed without anesthesia to protect it from fly infestations. This is because the skin folds around the tail provide an optimal climate for flies, and they can eat their way through the sheep's skin from there. The sheep develop inflammations and often die as a result. Since sheep with as many skin folds as possible also provide as much wool as possible, they are bred to have many of these folds, making them susceptible to fly infestations. So far, there is no method for fly control that is as effective as mulesing. However, there are alternatives that are absolutely pain-free and do not harm the sheep.
It is important to Anchoreve not to support mulesing and not to contribute to Merino sheep being subjected to this suffering. Therefore, the Merino wool for Anchoreve comes from Langyarns, a wool supplier that produces mulesing-free wool in Australia.
A Pinch of Acrylic
Now there's that ominous 2% acrylic. What is it doing in the Anchoreve beanies? In the initial material discovery phase, Eva knitted beanies from 100% Merino wool and distributed them among family and friends for a season of trial wear. It quickly became clear that the 100% Merino wool beanies stretched out too quickly and a material mix would be better. Furthermore, the previous wool supplier went bankrupt, so a new wool supplier had to be found for two reasons. The choice fell on Langyarns, who, among other things, offer a mix of Merino wool and acrylic (2%). Acrylic prevents stretching, causing the material to always contract back. A new supplier was found, but the colors of the wool were not identical to the colors of the old supplier. And so, the product design had to start all over again. Colors were determined, wool was ordered and knitted. The finished beanies were tried on, photos were taken and put online, and finally, the beanies were shipped. This optimization process led to another innovation: Eva began to cast on the stitches at the bottom edge, the "cast-on" of the beanie, with an elastic cast-on, the "Old Norwegian cast-on." This made the beanies even less susceptible to stretching.
Sometimes it takes a few hurdles (and 2% acrylic) to find the perfect beanie.
