FABRIC: Ronaldsay Wool
Regions: North Ronaldsay, United Kingdom
Fabric Name:
Ronaldsay wool
Origin:
Ovis aries Seaweed-eating sheep
Who made our dye:
Wool processed at the island mill by WOOLLY WALLY
Natural history and ecology:
This rare wool piece comes from the famous seaweed-eating sheep of North Ronaldsay island--a tiny (2.7 square mile) island in northern Scotland. For over 200 years, these sheep have been relugated to the coastal areas, eating mostly seaweed. Over time, they adapted their gut microbiome to the rich algal diet and managed to survive and thrive. Interestingly, researchers report adding certain kinds of seaweed to the diet of livestock can reduce methane emissions up to 80% so these remarkable sheep unwittingly played a part in inspiring a powerful solution to climate change.
