Welcome to trådverk (previously Old Loom Handwovens), a one-woman hand-weaving & yarn-dyeing studio. Sometimes I sew too :)
For centuries, the women of Meghalaya and Jharkhand have kept silk moths in their backyards and homes. After the moths have hatched from their cocoons, the women harvest the silk to make clothing for themselves and their families. Trådverk supports projects that improve the living conditions of impoverished smallholders and families, especially of disadvantaged women in these regions. My silk yarns are Ahimsa silks (the moth is allowed to hatch before the silk is harvested), and most are GOTS certified.
YAK, BABY CAMEL, AND CASHMERE
Semi-nomadic herders with their yak, camel and cashmere goat herds are the lifeblood of Mongolia. Low cashmere prices are forcing herders to keep more and more goats, but consequences are dire: overgrazing and climate change are destroying the Mongolian steppes.
Since 2004, a Mongolian ecosystem management project aids in the sustainable management of rangelands, and opens access to technological knowledge and better markets for the herders, helping them improve their livelihoods, their animal husbandry and grazing methods.
This project is where I purchase my yak, baby camel, and cashmere yarn.
MERINO WOOL
Nan Bray and her flock of sheep roam the Tasmanian midlands. At a fibre count of 17 micron, her extrafine merino gives an amazing softness and handle. No sheep on Nan's farm has ever been mulesed or got its tail docked. Nan provides me with fi*****ng and DK weight merino yarn. NewMerino ® Chain of Custody certifies the sustainability and traceability of this yarn.
The Falkland Islands have a long tradition of producing high-quality merino wool. The fibre for my cobweb lace yarn comes from a certified organic merino farm on the Falklands.
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Discontinued yarns: You'll occasioanlly find yarns from my previous supplier who dyes and spins high quality, ECOTEX100 certified yarns here in Germany.
DYES
I use only natural dyes, and most of them are certified organic. My go-to dyestuffs are walnut husks, madder root, buckthorn bark, lac and indigo, because they produce deep and stable colours. But you can always find me experimenting with plants I find on our farm and in the woods.
STUDIO
My studio runs on 100% renewable energy. All my dyestuff is used as mulch or compost on our small organic farm. My packaging is plastic-free, has a low carbon footprint and is recyclable (you can also use it as mulch in your garden). I'm working on reaching a carbon-neutral lifestyle. It's a long journey. In the meantime, I offset my carbon footprint through atmosphair.
