INTERVIEW #132 KINNA
Based in: Lidingö (Stockholm) Sweden
Founded in: 2022
Founded by: Christina (Kinna) Ohlsson
Shop at/ship to: https://www.kinnahantverk.se/, The Webbshop will open end of January.
Price range: Felted Wool Vests from 1490-2490 SEK, Felted Fleeces from 2500 SEK - 4500 SEK
Welcome to ASC! Can you tell us more about yourself and your background?
I have always had a big passion for people, culture, travelling and sustainability in all aspects of life. I have travelled the world for adventure, climbing mountains and hiking but I have also worked with different poverty and educational projects in Sri Lanka, Mexico and Spain. My early interest in people and cultures eventually led to studies in Social Anthropology, Gender and later in life also a Bachelor of Education. My environmental engagement grew stronger when I started to educate high school classes in Sustainable Development and as a result, I also made big changes in my own life. I turned vegan, stopped flying and I also started to change the way I looked at fast fashion clothes and shopping in general. Five years ago I saw an ad about a felt-making course doing felted fleece out of sheep's wool. Wool that otherwise would have been thrown away. I loved the idea of being able to make a sustainable alternative to sheepskin while finding a way to transform wool waste into a fashionable design item.
The making of my first felted fleece became the start of a life-changing passion for wool that eventually led me into a whole new career. I started my creative journey, taking different courses in felting, sewing, embroidery and pattern making in both Sweden and Holland and finally studied at the Crafts Academy in Stockholm to become Sweden's first official Feltmaker.
Why did you start Kinna Hantverk?
I started my company as a result of my passion for wool. There was something incredibly fascinating about it. Wool fibre is the only fibre that can create its textile. And this through only water, manual labour and soap, a technique that has existed for at least 7,000 years.
At a time when the fashion industry is faltering under its own weight and the search for sustainable textiles is increasing, I saw wool as an untapped resource with endless possibilities. I want my small-scale produced felted vests and fleeces to exist as a counterweight to fast fashion. As a soft and warm revolt.
What is the problem with wool in Sweden?
In Sweden, as in many other countries in Europe, sheep's wool is seen as a waste with no value. It often costs the farmers more to shear the wool than they can get for selling it. This also leads to huge amounts of wool being buried or burned. The reasons for this are several. Sweden, once home to the biggest wool factory in Europe, Falun Wool Factory during the 1950s, now lacks a functioning infrastructure to take care of the wool. To be able to use the wool on a larger scale we need a collection of wool, a common wool standard, wool laundries, wool carders and spinning mills.
There is also a lack of knowledge among the sheep farmers about how the sheep need to be cared for, in order for the wool to have a value for craft. Sheep wool is also not one single thing; it's a wide range of different fibers. Where some wool is coarse and dense, others are light and soft. All wool is not suitable for close-to-the-skin clothing, but is rather suited for outer coats, blankets or in the garden as fertilizer. But one thing is for sure: there is a purpose for all wool.
Although there are major challenges that must be faced, a lot has happened in the last 10 years. Many different initiatives are being taken to change the story about the Swedish wool and KINNA is being a part of that movement.
How and where do you source the wool and how can you guarantee that no animal gets harmed?
Once a year I go to Gotland, a large island off the coast of Sweden, to select the wool fleeces that will become beautiful and warm interior details. The fleeces come from a herd that grazes year-round on the coastal meadows and pine forests by the sea. For a week I live in an old fishing cabin with no electricity right by the sea where I can meet the sheep every day.
The fact that I have chosen to buy the wool from this particular herd is that the sheep are kept to create and maintain an open landscape and thereby also contribute to biological diversity. The sheep are not used for breeding or meat production, but the ewes are allowed to live their lives and grow old together.
The wool that I use for my vests is bought from a small wool cardery, Åddebo Wool, north of Stockholm. They in turn buy their wool from mainly small farms, and they often have a close relationship with the farmers, gathering the wool from the farms themselves.
They only buy high-quality wool because the quality itself tells about how the sheep have been cared for during the year. Things like poor feed, starvation, mineral deficiency and stable management are visible on the wool itself. In addition, Sweden's animal welfare regulations are stricter than those of many other countries, with lower antibiotic use as a positive consequence. In this way, Swedish wool also has the potential to contribute to the transition to a sustainable textile industry.
How long does it take to create one vest?
It depends on whether I buy raw unwashed wool that I myself need to process or if I buy ready-carded wool from a cardery. If I start from raw wool, it takes four to six hours to sort, wash, dry and card the wool before I can start the felting process. When I buy wool for a career I can start felting directly. It takes about four hours to feel a plate. Then it takes about six hours to cut out my pattern, sew and finally decorate the vest. So it takes more or less two days to make a vest.
How do you choose your pattern and design?
I have three different vest models that I have drawn myself. The basic pattern is a straight vest with a short waist that closes with a zipper. In addition to the basic model, I have a Bolero vest with an open front and a slit vest that closes with three buttons at the waist. As for the design of my vests, I am inspired by folk traditions from all over the world. My creativity is a flow and I rarely make the same design more than once. Each vest is therefore unique.
Who is your typical customer?
My brand focuses on three main aspects; sustainability, uniqueness and craftsmanship. I have found that my customers often emphasize one of these three elements. Some customers know a lot about wool, its functionality and are interested in the craft of felting. Others have an interest in sustainability, slow fashion and appreciate that the vests are made from an often unused resource, the Swedish wool. The third group is looking for something unique, personal and they fall for the vest's unique way of expression. The vests are bought by women but I have recently graded the vest pattern in all sizes with the goal of making the vests a unisex item.
How to best look after the vests and the blankets?
Vests:
The felted vests feel best when aired and stains are removed locally with lukewarm water and wool detergent. I do not recommend putting the vests in the washing machine, but if they must be washed, it is gentle hand washing at 30 degrees and then flat drying on a towel. When buying a vest, a small bottle of Pure Effect is included instead. Pure Effekt is microbiological linen water, an innovative washing spray that easily refreshes your vest without regular washing. With the help of biotechnology and effective microorganisms that effectively break down dirt and odours in the felted wool, you extend the life of the vest. It is lightly perfumed and the power lies in the active bacterial culture that removes the source of odours. Gentle on people, materials and the environment. Pure Effect has an antistatic effect and is ph-neutral.
Felted fleeces:
The felted fleeces feel best when aired and stains can be removed locally with a little wool detergent. Any dirt falls to the bottom of the fleece and it is good to shake your fleece sometimes, both to get it clean but also to fluff it up. If the fleece is used a lot, it can be brushed to prevent it from matting. A brush or dog comb works well. You can wash the fleece in the washing machine on a Wool program at 30 degrees. To prevent loose hairs in the washing machine, one tip is to make a laundry bag from an old duvet cover. Just put the fleece in the duvet cover and close it at the top. Use a wool detergent and add a little bit of vinegar to the rinse water. Since the fleece will shrink a little after being tumbled in the machine, it is good to stretch the fleece properly when it is wet. Then let it dry on its own or in a drying cabinet. The fleeces should not be tumble-dried. Pure Effect can also be used to refresh the felted fleeces.
You can follow and learn more about Kinna’s work here!