Gardiner Yarns – Blog

Why do we want wool?

05/09/2023

Recently, textiles have nearly all been made using earth’s resources and at the end of their life can take decades to degrade. With 60% of clothing now being made from synthetics, micro plastics produced from their breakdown are now known to cause damage to the environment, creating health issues. These are extremely slow to degrade, taking 20 to 500 years to decompose depending material structure and factors like sunlight exposure. A ticking eco-time bomb with so much being discarded in our oceans and onto land every day causing problems for our planet and future generations.  Can a garment be made from a material that naturally and quickly biodegrades at the end of its useful life? Yes, if it is made from Wool.  So, what are some of the benefits of this fabulous fibre?

Sheep grow a new fleece annually making wool a renewable fibre source. Grazing on sub-marginal land fertilising it and improving soil structure they help plant and insect diversity.

Wool has been used since the Stone Age for clothing and insulation and as a fibre is one of the best textile thermal protectors available. Science is yet to produce a fibre which matches all the unique properties of wool.

Wool is high in water and nitrogen content, so is naturally flame-retardant with a greater ignition threshold than many fibres. It does not melt sticking to the skin causing burns, and it produces much less noxious fumes than synthetic fibres. It can provide this natural fire protection in a breathable, resilient, stretchable and flexible garment.

Wool absorbs moisture and constantly adapts to changes in temperature, so keeping the body’s temperature comfortable in both cold and warm weather. Wool filled duvets are excellent at controlling night-time body temperature, keeping warm when it is cold and cooler when it is warm.

Wool fibre is elastic and acts like a coiled spring in a garment giving wool its ability to both stretch and compress before bouncing back to its original shape, maintaining the appearance of the garment.

Wool fibre is diverse and it can be processed into many beautiful forms of cloth, such as woven, nonwoven, knitted, felted, or tufted product.

Wool is comfortable. even when worn against the skin Many people still have the misconception that wool is itchy and uncomfortable.

Wool has a naturally high level of UV protection, which is much higher than most synthetics and cotton

Wool absorbs up to 25% of its own weight in moisture without feeling wet, a useful feature when next to the skin helping control body moisture, wicking it away from the skin. This moisture helps it be naturally anti-static and the waxy coating on wool fibres protects them, making wool products resistant to staining.

Wool is anti-microbial so does not promote the growth of bacteria, reducing body odours caused by stale sweat.

Wool worn at home helps keep you warm, so turn down the central heating, help reduce energy consumption costs and carbon emissions into the planet too.

Wool at the end of its useful life, will quickly decompose, releasing nutrients back into the ground in a very short time.

#wooliswarm  #woolisnatural  #wooltheplanetsaver #buywool  #fabulousfibre  #sustainablefibre

 

Schlafhorst Autoconer Winding Machines

23/05/2023

We have recently installed as part of our expansion program, two new Schlafhorst Autoconer winding machines.

With 32 spindles these machines increase our production capacity, flexibility and capability. With thermal splicing and electronic clearing, we are now automatically winding 6” and 10” cone.

For any yarn enquiries, please email us via the link on our Contacts Page

Herdwick Nm 4′s & Nm 7.2′s Stock Supported Yarn

30/03/2021

Herdwick Sheep came to England during 10th and 11th centuries evolving & adapting to our climate over centuries and are a key species in the Lake District since then.. They are now the most hardy native British hill breed in the UK spending winters at over 3000 ft in Cumbrian uplands. With distinctive smiley faces the black lambs become brown when a year old and they eventually turn light grey with age.
An agricultural move more to tourism has put great pressure the breed and lately the cost of shearing (needed for the animal’s welfare) costs more than the revenue the wool generates so flocks declined. The Foot and Mouth Crisis in 2001 claimed about 25% of the remaining 100,000 sheep left. So now it is a rare and protected species.
Beatrix Potter became interested in breeding and raising Herdwick sheep, soon after acquiring Hill Top Farm in Cumbria in 1905.
Gardiner Yarns embarked on developing yarns from the Herdwick wool primarily to support the breed and help create demand for Herdwick wool in traditional Lakeland clothing products. By using fleece and marketing this hard wearing Herdwick stock supported yarn we hope to promote and raise the profile of this rare & photogenic breed. We sell the naturally coloured grey yarns allowing our customers to dye their own yarn or finished fabrics, a lot using natural plant dyes. It can also be commercially package dyed.

Stock Supported DT12 Dales Tweed Nm 6.2′s range Updated for 2021

14/12/2020

Gardiner Yarns are pleased to announce their Dales Tweed Nm 6.2′s coloured mixture knop effect wool yarn range is now extended to a palette of 28 colours. The Dales Tweed range is inspired by the places and sights around the Yorkshire Dales. The vibrant shades in this range have contrasting knop effects. All can be viewed on our stock supported yarn page on our web site. Produced from 100% pure new wool the yarn gives a fine soft handle and is suitable for many applications from apparel, knitwear and furnishing applications.

We hold all of the colours in stock in singles and make twisted yarns to order to suit their end use. This includes mixing with other stock supported ranges either for handle, to make a marl or tonal mixture or, to achieve a yarn for a certain knitting gauge.
If you would like to talk to us more about this range please get in touch with us via our contacts page on our web site.

Unprecedented Times

07/04/2020

In this very strange era with the impact of Covid-19 affecting us all, Gardiner Yarns are still continuing to operate. We can safely work here and follow all government distancing guidelines internally in the factory. For those of us working from home or in factories that are still able to produce, we are continuing to fulfil stock supported yarn orders.  All our lovely coloured mixture wool ranges can all be viewed on our Stock Supported Yarns page on our website.

If you are looking for yarn supply to keep actively making cloth, require sampling or shade cards for future collections or production please get in touch via our ‘contact us’ page on the website or call us!! It’s good to chat in this unusual period of our lives when time seems to stand still.

Gardiner Yarns announce the extension of their stock supported Soft Shetland Nm 11.3’s range.

07/04/2020

Gardiner Yarns are pleased to announce their super Soft Shetland Nm 11.3’s coloured mixture wool yarn range is extended from the current 32 shades to 60 colours.  These still include the popular traditional tones of nature including heather and moorland mixes and the newly expanded range includes many new and vibrant colours.  All can be viewed on our stock supported yarn page on our web site.

We hold all of the colours in stock in singles and twist to order to suit end use.  However we also hold this yarn in a low turns per meter knitting twist so sales can be made from as little as single cone of yarn.

If you would like to talk to us more about this range please get in touch with us via our contacts page on our web site.

Woven in Kirklees Week June 8th – June 16th

11/06/2019

Gardiner Yarns are pleased to support the WOVEN in Kirklees initiative that has been created in partnership and collaboration with cultural organisations, artists, education settings, businesses, industry and heritage sites across the district connecting a strong heritage with today’s innovative developments in industry, university research, a strong arts and crafts scene and the creative expression of the district’s rich and diverse communities.

Herdwick Wool Yarn (Nm 7.2 & Nm 4.0)

22/05/2019

Did you know that Gardiner Yarns hold yarn stocks of Herdwick Wool Yarn (in Nm 7.2′s & Nm 4.0′s) a rare and protected species, believed to have originated from Scandinavia the Herdwick has developed over centuries on the Lake District fells. The name ‘Herdwyck’ means sheep pasture and is recorded in 12th century documents

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It is regarded as the hardiest of all British breeds and can survive on the highest ground. This breed of distinctive sheep has white head and legs. The lambs are born with a black fleece but as the more brittle ‘kemp’ fibres increase with age the mature fleece becomes a distinctive grey. Gardiner Yarns embarked on developing yarns from the Herdwick wool in 2016 primarily to support the breed and by using fleece and marketing Herdwick yarn we hope to promote and raise the profile of this hard wearing rare & photogenic breed. We stock support both a light grey and dark grey base ecru yarn in two counts; Nm 7.2’s and Nm 4’s. Our stock supported Herdwick wool can be yarn dyed or, piece dyed maintaining the tweed effect and allowing the kempy character to still show in the finished cloth. Ranges made from these yarns have so far found their way into upholstery, outerwear apparel, accessories, floor coverings and even hand knitting ! For more information about this Herdwick yarn please get in touch with us via our contact us page

Proud to announce the relaunch of Iona Wool/Silk WS94 (Nm 10.5)

14/05/2019

We have relaunched one of our previous yarn ranges – IONA WS94 (50/50 Wool/Silk) in 10.5’s Nm. This is a fabulous alternative seasonal yarn available stock supported in 28 vibrant and tonal colour mixtures and is already provide inspiration to designers for knitwear, woven soft furnishings and accessories.   With a soft handle all the shades are available in stock either  as  1/10.5 Nm singles or 2/10.5 Nm two fold.  For more information on these beautiful new products and the rest of the Gardiner Yarns ranges and shades, please visit our Stock Supported Yarns page.

Gardiner Yarns – a Brief History

30/04/2019

Evidence has shown that from the early Middle Ages in medieval Britain subsistence wool production was extensive. Spinning and weaving tools were similar to those used by the Romans with fine white wools produced from sheep introduced from the Mediterranean regions alongside coarser indigenous wool breeds.  The 13^th & 14^th century was an era when trade in wool was the backbone and driving force in the English medieval economy.  The West Yorkshire wool trade grew as the packhorse trade routes developed, and with steep plentiful grassland hills ideal for sheep grazing along with fast flowing rivers used for power and washing combined together to produce the ideal environment for the wool industry development.  Gardiner Yarns’ manufacturing site Albert Mills was established in 1853 as steam-powered woollen mill with the first buildings that included a fireproof multi-storey mill, with dyehouse, washing and sizing room.  Continued development of the site saw warehousing added and an internal end engine boiler house. We are still proud to be manufacturing woollen yarns on the same site today, although with a little more modern machinery.