Which would be used for lace knitting

THE growing popularity of alternatives to traditional Merino wool among hand knitters can be attributed to the wool’s resilience and versatility.Great Ocean Road Woollen Mill owner Nick Renters said this allowed wool producers to diversify their businesses and explore new markets.

The key to market growth is education of consumers to show the wide range of wool alternatives to the traditional Merino,” Mr Renters said.Suzette Sayer, who owns the Paddock to Ply mill at Cooroy, Queensland, recently sourced a 180kg White Suffolk-Merino wool bale from Victoria’s Warooka Station to turn it into worsted spun wool.The 26-micron wool which was processed in Bendigo was turned into two-ply knitting yarn, which would be used for lace knitting, weaving and ­machine knitting into jumpers.

Ms Sayer said the appeal of White Suffolk-Merino wool was that it could be sourced 100 per cent from Australian growers and producers, supporting Australian farmers and giving consumers transparency and quality in the product.She said the flexible yet durable quality of the White Suffolk-Merino wool made the wool blend easier to spin than classic Merino wool.

A higher micron meant the wool blend was less prone to breakage by humidity and weather factors.It is perfect for hard-wearing items like socks and everyday outer wear,” Ms Sayer said.White Suffolk-Merino sheep are less prone to flystrike and better cater to the growing number of consumers and man­ufacturers demanding an ethically sourced product, Ms Sayer said.