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Alpine Wool Ecosystem

By Onlfait

MAPPING THE LOCAL ECOSYSTEM

Local wool characteristics and typology

There are a strong variety of sheeps in the Alps.
The research focus on the wool of "Thones et Marthod" sheeps that was collected by the association Defrise Ton Mouton. This wool is long hair and remind quite irritating for the skin, meanwhile having a lot of potential for felting products.

Key actors and active locations in the field

Filature de l’Avançon - Vallée des Plans sur Bex + Vaud
Défrise ton mouton, Thones + Marthod
Laines delphines Isère - Dauphiné
Laines d’ici Jurassian Arc
Arpin Manufacture of stoles since 1817
La petite laine (Local project of wool spinning factory from Geneva sheep website (stand-by))
Jacotte tricote (Wool product brand knitted by swiss grand-mothers website)
Petra Marciniak- Hand-woven textiles website

Tricolor Interprofessional association whose objective is to support all players in the French wool industry in order to increase the quantity of wool recycled locally by multiplying the uses of this raw material as noble as it is biodegradable.Wool Academy: set of media to get knowledge + POC tracability: Digital passport for the wool players within Chaire Bali development

Ardelaine, cooperative and living museum of wool and sheep presents the history of wool working with a production workshop. In South-Alpes - Ardeches

Cooperative mindset and governance
Cultural heritage with museum and visits
Local productions

Projects connected to wool

3D printed spindle - Fabrigathering in Paros
Oknitme (Serpica Naro)
Orange biomaterial (FabTextiles recipe)

Reflections

  1. What did you learn?
    After two sessions of the Wool Mondays (ecosystem + little wool factory) and practices during the fabricademy bootcamp of Geneva, the team of ONLFaIT has engaged with a group of engaged people appealed to explore further the topic of wool. Current questions were: How to foster cooperation with local wool ecosystems and the designers/makers looking for contributing to local heritage ?

How to build more sustainable economic model for such small-scale initiatives to be maintained ?

All stakeholders are worried about loss of knowledge and activities. How to avoid such drama?

  1. With whom collaborate for our little factory project? Emerging proposal for the Alpine Space Interreg is in progress in cooperation with the Farmlab and other stakeholders from the shemakes ecosystems.

Last update: October 21, 2022