Wendy Keith Designs
The Studio, Upper Croft Goodworth Clatford Nr. Andover Hampshire, SP11 7QX, United Kingdom, 01264 352112, wendy@wendykeithdesigns.co.uk
NEW AWARD WINNING ORGANIC COLLECTION
http://www.wendykeithdesigns.co.uk
03:54 05-Sep-2010
Prince of Wales shows the way to lead wool back into the fashion fold
Winners of the "Best Organic Textile Product"
We are delighted to announce that we are the winners of the "Best Organic Textile Product" at the '2010 Natural and Organic Products Europe Show' in conjunction with the Soil Association...BRITISH KNITWEAR DESIGNER CHAMPIONS ORGANIC WOOL FROM ROYAL FLOCK
This Autumn/Winter, no one will be surprised to see the growth in interest for organic woollen products, driven by a group of dedicated British craftspeople. For Wendy Keith, one of the pioneers of British-made hand knitted organic knitwear, it’s a particularly busy time as she launches her first British Organic Knitwear Collection which was voted ‘Best Organic Textile Product’ by the Soil Association at the recent 2010 Natural and Organic Awards. The 100% certified organic wool for three of the ranges of accessories is sourced from organically certified sheep reared on the Duchy of Cornwall tenanted farm at Wayland. But Wendy Keith is particularly pleased that her new ‘Glen Maree Collection’ is exclusively sheared and fully traceable from HRH The Prince of Wales’ organic flock of Lleyn sheep at Home Farm, Highgrove.
With Soil Association certification at every stage in its production, the wool is scoured (cleaned) while it is still greasy from the naturally produced lanolin in an approved biodegradable cleansing agent before being carded and spun to produce skeins of yarn for hand knitting to the required ply such as 4ply or DK. The yarn is then hand-dyed in the UK using certified organic dyes to Wendy’s specified colours by Cornish Organic Wool near Penzance.
Wendy’s large and talented team of expert, traditional four-needle hand-knitters, crochet and embroidery artists are spread across Great Britain, and because every one of her intricate designs is individually hand knitted they can each take from two weeks to a month to create. Wendy commented: “More and more people are coming to understand that organically produced textiles are better for the planet, the consumer and the animal.
With so many chemicals known to be used in the modern textile industry, wool allergies are often a reaction to the harsh scouring agents, dyes and chemicals used in conventional wool production and not the wool itself. By working with a British company like Cornish Organic Wool, we can guarantee that our organic yarn is Soil Association approved at every stage of the entire production process.” All Wendy Keith’s organic yarns are fully traceable to each British farm and the date the sheep were sheared.
The result is a robust, long-lasting eco-friendly and intrinsically beautiful accessory.
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| Caillagh Weave Collection | Glen Maree Collection | Scottish Moorland Waistcoat | Victorian Lace Collection |