You may have noticed that at Knitting Pretty Ireland we label our Merino wool products as non-mulsed. For those new, or even experienced artists working with fibres, the term mulsed may not be a familiar one but it is a very big deal in the wool industry.
We all love fibre in all its forms, and the ultimate luxury for most of us is working with pure, natural fibre for our chosen project. Pure wool is more costly than the manmade alternatives on the market due to the work involved in the processing of the fleece, but it can also come at a high cost to the welfare of the sheep.
Mulseing is a term that is used for a procedure endured by young lambs to stop the wool from growing. The lamb is subjected to a painful process that involves literally cutting the flesh around their rump to produce thick scar tissue and stop the wool growing in that area and therefore, avoid the dung getting stuck and the fleece matting, which can lead to common conditions such as fly strike.
Thankfully, mulesing is banned in all countries with the exception of Australia, where the Merino sheep is farmed. Australia has committed to stop the process but has not yet succeeded in doing so. About 52% of Merino lambs are still mulsed.
Merino wool is widely used by many fibre artists and this blog is not encouraging anyone to cease using this gorgeous product. However, we are asking users to take care to ensure we all buy NON-MULESED when purchasing Merino wool products.
At Knitting Pretty Ireland we only stock NON-MULESED Merino wool products, and hope that by doing so we can play our part in contributing this controversial practice being ceased, and continue to enjoy our hobby safe in the knowledge that we have not caused any distress to the gorgeous humble sheep.
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