SHEEP AND WOOL

On the slope. An old stone wall invites you to sit. A wind blows. A bird sings. Summer in the Faroe Islands. The path that has led the men over ridges, scree and ancient trails to this place has been arduous and steep. Only those who know their way around can walk it. Too close the cliffs where the sheep grazed, 300 meters further down the deceptively glittering sea. Too dangerous to walk in this terrain and drive the animals over sticks, stones and grass. Sheep shearing in the Faroe Islands is a community activity. Neighbors, friends, relatives and associates form teams and drive the sheep in formation down into the valleys and villages. This takes hours. And then the annual shearing begins. It must be done to give the sheep new energy for the warmer season. One sheep after the other is taken out of its woolen dress; with tranquility, respect and hand shearing. This kind of shearing is not only good for the sheep, but also for our wool. Its exceptional qualities are preserved; the dense fiber structure; the high lanolin content; its special, weather-resistant properties. We are present during all of it. We sit on the stone wall. Stand in the pen with rubber boots and cut layered hairstyles for small, smart, robust, shaggy Nordic short-tailed sheep. 

We like everything about the shearing. The sheep's faces, the community, the lanolin on our hands, the tail-wagging Border Collies, the people, the mountains of wool that grow, the transparency. It is what distinguishes us, our products and the unique processing chain we have created. We know every piece of the mosaic from the sheep to the finished Nordic Wool Factory item you find in our showroom or online store. But first the raw wool has to be collected and stuffed into bags. In the weeks following the shearing of the year, it is sorted by color and packed. The wool now awaits transport to the laundry and all further processing in Germany. And the sheep? They have long since galloped off again. In groups and with fresh short haircuts, they roam over majestic mountain plateaus, past boulders and rushing waterfalls, always in search of the best blade, the best grass. No sheep is cut off too much wool. None shall freeze when the next wind blows.