In summary: Norwegian wool is becoming increasingly popular among knitters and yarn producers, but the supply of good quality wool is decreasing. The production of the best quality Norwegian white sheep has decreased by around 28 per cent since 2016. Several sheep farmers are switching to sheep breeds with poorer wool quality, because the wool is a by-product that they have little use for. Yarn producers such as Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk and Rauma Ullvarefabrikk are struggling to get enough raw material. Government subsidies make up almost all of the payment for wool to the sheep farmers, but in reality the price has been stagnant since the 1990s, the industry believes. The import of wool from other countries is increasing to cover the need, and both the sheep industry and the industry will have increased subsidies to make it more profitable to be a sheep farmer. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Norwegian wool “itches” less than before. Several knitters embrace short-staple wool in any case. – In the last couple of years I have really developed an eye for Norwegian wool, says Stine Meidell Meling, who has her own knitting profile on Instagram. The 25-year-old from Bømlo works in a yarn shop in Bergen next to his studies. – It is important to think about what the yarn contains. And Norwegian wool is the most sustainable wool I can get hold of in this country. Knitting designers also use more Norwegian wool in their recipes. They use words such as quality, tradition and sustainability. Silje Mari Karlsen Stine Erikstad, stineerikstadknitwear The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Norwegian wool is authenticity, quality and tradition. I know that when I design garments with Norwegian wool, they are garments that last for generations, and that tend to get prettier the more you use them. I believe that many of today’s knitters are concerned with both the environment and sustainability, animal welfare and that the garments that are created shall last. Skaperrom Ingvild Grane, SkaperromI mainly design mittens, and always use pure Norwegian wool for the mittens. Norwegian wool mittens are hard-wearing and become naturally tortuous with use, and only get warmer and softer the more they are used. That the wool stays warm even if the mittens get wet is a big bonus in our Norwegian winter climate. In addition, Norwegian wool is short-staple, and thus a far more environmentally friendly choice than wool from other countries. Evening knitting Enya Ødegaard, Evening knitting I am incredibly fond of Norwegian wool, and use it in almost everything I make. Norwegian wool is a tradition, and it has probably always been popular. But I think perhaps a slightly younger generation has also opened their eyes to Norway’s (g) wool in recent years. I hope the decline will reverse and that it will be better and more profitable for the farmer who wants to run sheep breeds that are suitable for raw material for yarn. Siri Nilsen Siri Nilsen, Krauseri There are many reasons why I love using Norwegian wool when I knit and design. The most important reason is probably that it feels logical to use a material that exists completely naturally at a short distance from both me who creates the patterns and my customers who will knit the garments. Siri Nilsen has designed recipes on her own for many years, but is now employed as a designer for Rauma Ullvarefabrikk. Fewer Norwegian sheep with good wool At the same time as demand is increasing, supply is decreasing. Last year, 898 tonnes of the very best quality Norwegian white sheep (NKS) were produced, figures from Animalia show. This is a decrease of around 28 per cent since 2016. Several sheep farmers are also switching to more easy-care sheep breeds with poorer wool quality that cannot be used, according to Norwegian Sheep and Goat (NSG). – Wool is a by-product, which farmers have little use for. They shear the sheep because of animal welfare, and because it is a product the industry wants and of which they are proud, says Eirik Kolbjørnshus, who is the leader of the wool and shearing council in NSG. Norwegian wool In Norway we have three main types of wool: wool of the crossbred type, wool of the pile type and wool of the fur type. Crossbreed: Norwegian white sheep (NKS) is by far the most widespread sheep breed. The wool hairs are of the same length, fine fiber and have good resilience. First-class white crossbreed wool sheared in autumn accounts for nearly 30 percent of the wool quantity that is classified at Norwegian wool stations, and is the most popular among Norwegian industry players. The Norwegian wool standard is based on 16 quality classes according to which the Norwegian wool is classified. The classification is important both to ensure correct payment to the farmer, and for further sale of the wool. Source: Animalia These are the kind of sheep the industry is looking for. This is a Norwegian white sheep waiting for the autumn cliff during the NM in sheep shearing in Etne this year. Photo: Eli Bjelland / news Støvsugar market for wool Half an hour’s drive north of Bergen, is the Hillesvåg woolen factory, which has produced yarn from Norwegian wool since 1898. During the pandemic, turnover increased by 50 percent in two years, and has remained high ever since, according to daily manager Øyvind Myhr. But it has become difficult to get hold of enough raw material. – I think a lot about this. The decline in Norwegian wool production is actually a disaster for the Norwegian textile industry and the rural areas. Most of the production at Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk is made from Norwegian wool from various sheep breeds. Photo: Ingvild Eknes/Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk Rauma Ullvarefabrikk in Romsdalen also specializes in yarn. From 2019 to 2023, their production of Norwegian wool increased from around 135 tonnes to around 250 tonnes. – We use everything we can get, and would have bought more if it had been available, says daily manager Erling Digernes. – The development is worrying, and it is urgent to reverse the trend. The textile industry is also struggling to get hold of enough Norwegian quality wool. Want more for wool There are government subsidies that make up almost all payments for wool to the sheep farmers. The average rate for all classified wool is NOK 45 per kilo. For the very best quality, farmers now receive a subsidy of NOK 68. The subsidy increased by an average of NOK 3 this year, and NOK 6 for the finest wool. – But in reality the price has been stagnant since the 1990s. If he had been price-adjusted, the payment would have been double, up to NOK 120 per kilo. This is the opinion of Egil Sundet, who is branch manager for design industry at Norsk Industri. He says the import of wool from other countries is increasing to cover the need, and has raised the issue to the Storting and the government in the hope of increasing the subsidy. – It is a dramatic situation not only for the industry, but for Norwegian traditions and grazing culture. It must become profitable to be a sheep farmer again. – Does the industry itself have a responsibility to ensure good enough payment to the farmers? – Norwegian wool costs roughly the same as foreign wool for producers. These are prices set by the wool exchange in England. The producers will be outcompeted if they have to pay much more for Norwegian wool in particular. Norwegian wool at Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk. Photo: Ingvild Eknes/Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk The Ministry of Agriculture and Food is specifically asking whether the industry cannot pay more for wool, when it is so attractive. They indicate that Norwegian wool is both important as a raw material for industry and for many Norwegian cultural traditions. – The government prioritizes Norwegian wool through high subsidy rates, which for next year means an expected total payment of close to NOK 118 million, wrote the department in the ministry in a reply to news. Inspired by her grandmother, Stine Meidell Meling has been knitting for around ten years, since she went to secondary school. – It was my grandmother who started teaching me. But now there have been so many other and new techniques that I have to teach grandma, she laughs. She has more than 3,000 followers on Instagram, and is part of a growing community of knitting influencers. And there several knit with Norwegian-made yarn. – Knitting is relaxing. It’s really nice to have something to do when I’m tired after a long day. And then I think it’s very nice with knitted garments. Stine Meidell Meling knits at work only because news is visiting. She is wearing a self-knit sweater in a thread with Norwegian wool yarn and a follower thread in alpaca and silk. Photo: Eli Bjelland / news Published 24.10.2024, at 06.05
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– It is urgent to reverse the trend – news Vestland
