All About Shetland Wool

Shetland Sweaters

At Pendleton, we are mighty proud of our Shetland wool sweaters for men and women. Here are a few facts about Shetland wool, and why it makes our sweaters so special.

Folded stack of Shetland wool sweaters by Pendleton

photo by Pendleton Woolen Mills

The Source: Shetland Sheep

Shetland wool comes from a special breed of Shetland sheep   https://www.shetland-sheep.org/about-shetlands/shetland-wool/  that originated on Scotland’s Shetland Islands. In November 2011, Shetland wool that is still produced in the Shetlands earned a designation of “Native Shetland Wool.”

a Shetland sheep

Photo by Claudiu Pusuc on Unsplash

Like everything else in this day and age, Shetland sheep have migrated. Pendleton’s Shetland wool is from New Zealand, a country known for humane treatment of sheep.

Shetland is spun to be lofty, so you get maximum insulation with minimum weight.

Shetland yarn doesn’t have guard hairs, like many other yarns, meaning it is surprisingly nice next to your skin.

Woman in blue Pendleton sweater stands in front of lake

photo by Pendleton Woolen Mills

Shetland sweaters wear well with little-to-no pilling. If you see a sweater with suede patches at the elbow, it’s probably a well-loved, well-worn Shetland.

Some Shetland yarns are solid colored, and some are heathered. We tend to choose heathers for our sweaters. With their flecks and blended tones, they are so visually interesting.

stack of folded men's Shetland sweaters by Pendleton

photo by Pendleton Woolen Mills

Pendleton Shetland

Pendleton has a variety of styles for men and women at our website. You can see them here:

Pendleton Shetland Sweaters for Women

Pendleton Shetland Sweaters for Men

Whether you’re feeling the Fall chill, or doing a little early holiday shopping, come see what we have to offer.

Man wearing green pendleton Shetland wool sweater stands in front of lake

photo by Pendleton Woolen Mills

 

 

4 thoughts on “All About Shetland Wool

  1. Hi, could you let me know who the growers of Shetland Wool are in New Zealand. There are hardly any Shetland sheep in New Zealand, yet I have seen a few retailers and manufacturers claim that they are using NZ Shetland Wool. I just want to get some more clarification on this. Thanks!

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