The Croft Collection
Keeping warm has been a human necessity since the dawn of time. An essential for many explorers.
In the famous words of Alfred Wainwright "There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing."
We are all familiar with layering up and down as the weather changes on our adventures. One of the easiest ways to keep warm is the trusted bobble hat.
Kept in a pocket, tucked in the front or stuffed in the top of your bag, there aren’t many who would be without one.
WHY WOOL?
We have been using wool since the Stone Age and so far no manmade fibre matches its unique properties.
As a natural insulator wool is hygroscopic and breathable. Wools unique structure means it is great at absorbing sweat and releasing it into the air, before bacteria has a chance to develop and produce unpleasant body odour.
Wool fibres resist tearing and are able to be bent back on themselves over 20,000 times without breaking. Due to its crimped structure, wool is also naturally elastic, and so wool garments have the ability to stretch comfortably with the wearer, but are then able to return to their natural shape, making them resistant to wrinkling and sagging. Wool therefore maintains its appearance in the longer term, adding value to the product and its lifespan.
Wool also has naturally high levels of UV protection.
JOIN US IN THE CAMPAIGN FOR WOOL.
A global endeavour initiated by its patron, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, in order to raise awareness amongst consumers about the unique, natural, renewable and biodegradable benefits offered by the fibre. The Campaign has been instrumental in educating consumers about the versatility of wool.
WHERE DO WE GET OUR WOOL?
All the wool used in our Croft Collection is from 100% Real Shetland Wool from sheep that are born and bred on the islands and sourced from over 700 local crofters and farmers. This wool is an incredibly natural and sustainable fibre, and is world renowned for its fineness and warmth. Shetland Sheep graze on the islands' hills and beaches eating wild heather and seaweed. This diet, along with the not-so-great weather, makes Shetland wool soft, strong and warm.
Crofting is integral to the landscape, cultural heritage and social economy of the Shetland Islands. It bonds people and places in a unique way, preserving livelihoods and age old traditions.
FROM A BALL OF YARN TO THE HAT ON YOUR HEAD.
Our 100% Shetland wool is spun at one of the few remaining worsted (a fine smooth yarn spun from combed long-staple wool) spinning companies in the United Kingdom. We firmly believe that sourcing and knowing where our raw material comes from guarantees that the quality of the finished product is consistently high and also reduces the carbon footprint of our products.
The yarn is then lovingly created into these beautiful hats by The Knitty Nomad.
The leather label is hand stamped in Shropshire and individually secured by our team at The Fell Store.
We hope you enjoy our first collection.