Sustainable style - locally produced wool products

I love things that are produced locally. Sustainable production has environmental benefits and supports local populations, particularly in areas where employment is low and traditional crafts are struggling against the might of big suppliers.

I am a regular visitor to a beautiful part of the UK, where hill farmers have to find novel ways of making ends meet. One example is Original Cumbrian Wool, a group of farming families in a less-visited but stunning part of England's Lake District. To realise the true value of their mountain-bred wool, they decided to 'shepherd' its processing and transformation into finished products. Their aim has been to secure some of the benefit of this control, and thereby a greater proportion of the final remuneration for the original producer. They describe themselves as taking their wool 'on a journey' in the course of which they have established links with processors - scourers, spinners and weavers.

Photo Grey Fox

The challenge they faced was the plummeting value of the wool they produce. The tough mountain sheep, (usually Herdwicks, see picture above) may produce excellent meat, but can produce wool which, while hard-wearing, is not soft. However, it makes beautiful rugs and blankets and, without being dyed, its shades of brown, grey, white and black, alone or combined, produce rich and natural colours.

I bought a rug recently. It is warm and makes a good throw for sofa or bed. There is something very attractive about a product which is un-dyed, coloured by Nature alone. The products fit well in both traditional and modern settings. See the website for more information.

It's rewarding to see more fabric and clothing being produced locally in this way (taking Harris tweed as a model). Higher costs are offset by higher quality and by the benefits of supporting local industry and communities.

Floor rug

Upholstery materials in various colours