Every year, about 1.2 million kilograms of Dutch wool go to waste because sheep farmers cannot get a decent price for it. At the same time, we buy mountains of plastic clothing, made under terrible conditions in Asia, that wears out quickly. Meanwhile, a wool sweater can last 75 years... With The Knitwit Stable, Reina Ovinge wants to make conscious consumption the norm and show that – if handled correctly – wool is much less impactful on the Earth than often thought.

We need to make a huge shift: from quantity to quality

“In the 90s, a farmer received twenty-five guilders for a sheepskin. Now, the price of white wool is about ten cents per kilogram, and farmers even have to pay to have black wool disposed of. As a result, a large part of the 1.2 million kilograms of wool that comes from our sheep annually in the Netherlands ends up in the incinerator,” says Reina Ovinge, founder of The Knitwit Stable. “While it is a biodegradable material that you almost never need to wash and that lasts for decades.” Yet, we hardly wear wool, mostly polyester, because: “synthetic yarns are the cheapest, and that’s what counts in the fast fashion industry,” knows Reina, who herself worked for years as a supplier for large fashion chains. “H&M and Zara had just opened their doors then, and people were enthusiastic about the low prices. But in the factories, you saw the pressure constantly increasing and salaries deteriorating,” she shares. “When I discussed this with major brands, they said: ‘Fine if you want to improve working conditions, as long as it doesn’t come at the expense of our margin.’ In that sense, little has changed: clothing brands still buy their items for ten euros and then sell them for thirty or even forty euros in stores.” With The Knitwit Stable, Reina wants to show that it can be different. “We have 35 Merino sheep and 20 Angora goats, which graze the land holistically. This means that you move them to a new piece of pasture each time, so that the soil does not become exhausted but rather flourishes, and the parasite pressure decreases,” Reina explains. “Actually, we wanted a food forest full of sheep and goats, but the soil research showed that it is too wet here for that, as we are on peat. So we opted for herb-rich grassland, naturally without artificial fertilizer and pesticides.”

So many young people come here who want to work with their hands. That is also why this local manufacturing industry is so valuable

From fleece to sweater Reina and her team shear the fleeces of their goats and sheep with the help of a local sheep shearer. They also collaborate with Dutch sheep farmers, paying them fairly for their wool. “We take that raw wool to Belgium or Northern Italy, because there are no more wool washing facilities in the Netherlands,” says Reina. “After washing, you’re left with about half; the rest is dirt and grease. That is carded (a type of brushing) and combed to create a beautiful roving from which our spinning mill in Italy – because those no longer exist in the Netherlands either – makes yarn. And from that yarn, we knit sweaters and cardigans, among other things, with our knitting machine.” “Because farmers have received almost nothing for their wool for a long time, they have been throwing everything together for years: belly wool, leg wool, sometimes a bit of manure, because that makes the whole thing nice and heavy,” Reina knows. As a result, the quality of Dutch wool sometimes leaves something to be desired, she admits. “But it’s a chicken-and-egg story, of course, because if you pay the farmer fairly, there’s room to select sheep with the most beautiful fleeces during breeding. Or to clean the wool and sort it by quality. We try to help the farmers we work with in this regard.” Furthermore, Reina advises clothing companies to become greener and gives masterclasses to textile students: “So many young people come here who don’t want to work behind a laptop but want to work with their hands. That’s another reason why this local manufacturing industry is so valuable.”

Our wool sweaters last 75 years, while a polyester sweater is worn out after an average of seven wears

From quantity to quality

Many people are surprised by the prices at The Knitwit Stable, with sweaters and cardigans costing a few hundred euros each. “But we are a foundation, so we don't make a profit,” Reina emphasizes. “This is simply the true price for a wool sweater if you pay the farmer fairly, treat sheep well, process the wool in Europe, and don't exploit your employees. If you want it much cheaper, you quickly end up with workers in Bangladesh toiling behind a sewing machine six days a week for 150 euros a month. Or with goat farmers in Mongolia who keep so many cashmere goats in a small area that the soil becomes completely exhausted and the landscape slowly but surely desertifies.”

“Our wool sweaters last 75 years, while a polyester sweater is worn out after an average of seven wears. So you have to buy a lot more of them, which means you're not nearly as cheap as you think,” Reina adds. The same applies to the footprint of a material, she states: “If you compare a polyester sweater and a wool sweater, the polyester variant fares better in terms of water consumption and CO2 emissions. But again, we forget that wool lasts many times longer, and therefore you need to produce less of it, plus it is biodegradable and renewable. So we need to make a huge shift: from quantity to quality.”

Reina also advocates for true pricing, so that local and fair options become the most financially attractive. “Now, exploitation and pollution are dirt cheap, while we struggle to make ends meet,” she shares. “This means I – and many other local and ecological entrepreneurs like me – spend a lot of time behind my laptop, sifting through Excel sheets for solutions. While we want to focus our energy on making the world a little bit better.”

Enrichment

“I love feeding the sheep and goats in the morning, being outside with the animals,” says Reina. “But what I find most special is creating something myself: from fleece to sweater. And then you think: I made this myself, it’s possible.” The Knitwit Stable has given her a more positive outlook on the world: “First, I was in the middle of the fast fashion bubble, now I meet people every day who care about others, animals, and the Earth. That is a huge enrichment.”

Want to make an impact with your clothing too? Here's what you can do:

• For every purchase, ask yourself: do I really need this? The most sustainable option is probably already in your closet. For first aid in conscious consumption, join the Buy Nothing New Challenge by MaatschapWij and Zero Waste Nederland. Or go on a clothing diet.
• If you do need something ‘new,’ try to borrow, swap, or rent the garment. For example, from a friend or a clothing library like LENA Library. Also fun: organize a clothes swap. And if you’re going for second-hand? Choose good quality and natural, biodegradable materials such as cotton, hemp, linen, and wool.
• Still buying something new? Make sure the item will last at least ten years and that you’ll still want to wear it in ten years. Furthermore, opt for natural and organic materials, free from agricultural pesticides, preferably with GOTS certification. And where possible, choose local businesses like The Knitwit Stable, who produce their clothing in Europe, to prevent exploitation and lengthy transport.
• Looking for more inspiration and information? Milieu Centraal, Zero Waste Nederland, and Think Big Act Now are reliable sources.