From raw wool to yarn

THE GREAT LOVE

Mönchgut on the island of Rügen

The first step in the Pommernglück production begins exactly where the great love story began. On the Zicker Mountains in the southeast of the island of Rügen, with a panoramic view of the Bodden and the Baltic Sea, with the calling of the sheep as a backdrop. And with a deep inner contentment that this setting evokes in me every time.

THE SHEEP

The pomeranian sheep

The Rough-Haired Pomeranian Sheep is an undemanding and frugal breed. It is primarily used for landscape maintenance and feels particularly at home on the island of Rügen.

Shortly before this local sheep breed became extinct, the father of the Westphal brothers played a decisive role in restarting the breeding of these wonderful animals and thus securing the breed.

The fleece made of fine undercoat and long outer hair protects the Pomeranian sheep particularly well against all weather conditions.

THE SHEPHERDS

The Westphal brothers

The Westphal family has been farming for generations, beginning with sheep farming and breeding in 1889. Frank and Christian spent their childhood days with the black Pomeranian lambs in the barn. For Frank, it was a natural choice to pursue a career in farming, while Christian initially trained as a chef.

After their father's death in 2015, the brothers founded a company together to continue the organic sheep farm, their father's legacy.

THE RAW WOOL

The shearing

Once a year, the sheep at the Westphal sheep farm are sheared. This always takes place shortly before Christmas. Afterward, the animals are allowed to stay in the barn until April, allowing them to give birth to their lambs in peace and in a very hygienic environment, while also receiving adequate food. As soon as the meadows turn greener in spring and there is enough forage, the sheep are released back to the pasture.

During sheep shearing, I and many assistants sort each fleece by hand. This removes coarse dirt and selects the best fleeces for production.

THE WOOL WASH

The dirt must go

After shearing, the wool is still contaminated and must first be washed. Since there hasn't been a wool wash for large quantities in Germany for many years, I ship the stuffed sacks of wool to the company Traitex in Belgium. There, the gray gold is gently washed but not carbonized. This preserves as much of the wool's quality as possible. So, you'll sometimes find a little bit of Mönchgut straw in your yarn.

THE SPINNING MILL

On your spindles, get set, go!

After the washed wool has been pressed into bales of approximately 200 kg, it is transported to the spinning mill.

The Wagenfeld spinning mill is my trusted production site for Pommernglück. With a history dating back to the last century, the spinning mill has earned a reputation for excellent quality and craftsmanship. Led by a team of experienced specialists, the Wagenfeld spinning mills now produce the Pommernglück line annually with consistently high quality.

READY FOR SALE

Beautify

Now comes the most exciting step: the finished skeins and roving cakes arrive in the warehouse!

Now all I have to do is label them, add them to the shop-system and, of course, cast on each quality and fall in love with it all over again.

And then these magical yarns find their way into your yarn stash, onto your knitting needles, and finally into your wardrobes.

Pommernglück yarns

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