I grew up with air that was heavy from the Orinoco humidity, which stifled outsiders, yet blanketed its natives. In the streets, sweat was our natural moisturiser, which made the bodies of young women glisten with shiny splendour, attracting young men to make their move. Our fabrics of choice were the cool airiness of cottons and silks, which allowed us to feel our landscape, and bank it to memory. 

Moving to a colder climate required a new approach to the body. The sheer exploitation of my limbs would cause senseless moaning for days long gone. There was no relief when the sun shone; the cold would wrap my bones and cling on for dear life.

My paternal grandmother soon taught me how to knit and crochet. I remember using this new found knowledge, not to keep myself warm, but as a mechanism to lure many a crush. For one, I knitted a scarf in return for a book of poems. The poems I still have. The scarf, a distant memory looped with black and grey wool (the colour of philosophers, poets and artists I imagined), buried deep in some soul's subconscious. 

Today I think back to the scarf I made, the knitted hat my great-grandmother left me, the quilt with soft wool inbetween that my grandmother made me and the Barbour wool jumper that enshrouds me as we speak, and find new comfort in an old new material that bears new memories and ancient histories that have become a part of my existent, my context, and will make for more stories to come.

Today The Conscience Collective celebrated British Wool Week with a Wool Tea Party & Class. Instead of a knitting class, we experimented with felt making (my first time), thanks to some beautifully dyed British Wool from THE CAMPAIGN FOR WOOL. With our felt, we are making tiny coasters, which will be featured in the near future. However, we wanted to leave you with some "wool" for thought, and the 10 Wonderful Reasons to love it:

1. Pure Wool is 100% Natural, 100% Renewable, 100% Sustainable, & 100% Biodegradable.
2. It is warm but cool at the same time, as it adapts to the weather.
3. Wool is flame retardant & will often self-extinguish. It produces less smoke and fumes.
4. It is strong and long lasting--Wool carpets & rugs can take lots of heavy wear.
5. Scientific tests show that wool will create a climate perfect for deeper sleep & lasting comfort.
6. Wool has hypoallergenic & anti-bacterial properties--it makes the air we breathe cleaner.
7.  Wrap your babies in wool so they can breathe easy. Wool keeps them cosy & warm and not too hot
8. Insulate with it, soundproof with it, wear it, wrap things with it. The world's oldest most renewable fibre is also the most versatile and modern.
9. Sheep are amazing--they graze peacefully, grow wonderful wool, we use it to make beautiful textiles, and the whole process begins again...No depletion, just sustainable and sensible.
10. Wool is smarter than any other fibre -- it travels a long way on its journey from the sheep but never loses any of its remarkable qualities, and looks and feels fabulous too.
[Taken from The Campaign for Wool]

STACY'S OUTFIT: Jumper: Barbour Men's Wool Jumper (complements to the in-law for lending me his fishing jumper) | Headscarf: My Birthday present made by Emma H. from excess material when shortening a dress.