Strong Wool Speaks

Strong wool is a highly technical, durable, biodegradable, and renewable natural fibre. Researcher Sarah Shepherd argues the industry is overwhelmed by the noise of well-marketed plastic alternatives, poor understanding of its properties, and a lack of innovation in value-added manufacturing of the raw wool. Strong Wool Speaks proposes that listening to and responding to the fibre and its materiality allows for new conversations with strong wool and subsequently, the stories it can tell. 

Shepherd worked with Research through Design (RtD) and Material Driven Design approaches through this Masters research project, collecting qualitative data through the “often messy process” of making. Iterative sampling, and connecting with the material at both macro and micro scales, allowed Shepherd to engage the unique properties of strong wool yarn through digital Shima Seiki and domestic hand-flat knitting machines to create functional, refined, and beautiful acoustic products. 

In collaboration with Autex Acoustics, Shepherd developed a zero-waste production process framework to design sustainable proof-of-concept acoustic panels. Learning how micro scale variations affect strong wool’s material properties provided a basis to search for alternative blends and spins of yarn. At the macro scale, Strong Wool Speaks proposes new perspectives for design practice through understanding contextual factors, environmental impact, and the social changes that impact how Strong Wool is experienced.

The project demonstrates how digital knitting augments strong wool properties, and how allowing deeper conversations with material embraces the full breadth of its potential.