Sustainability
PURE NATURE
makes us feel good
OUR RESPONSIBILITY Quality and a responsible handling of natural resources has been a lived philosophy at Lana Grossa for decades. There are many good reasons why it is important to pay attention to quality.
and how many resources were spent? Were materials processed carefully and to high standards? There are many attributes to a product, some visible, some not.
High quality adds value to products, such as food items or clothing. Value and quality are not only measured by the look of a product and the price we pay, but also how the item was produced and by whom. How were animals and the environment treated during the production process? How much energy
A traceable supply chain resulting in highquality products is a win-win situation for all parties, from manufacturers to suppliers and ultimately end consumers.
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SHEEP
… providers of natural wool
Approximately 29% of all Merino wool comes from Australia, some from New Zealand and South America. Merino sheep have been bred for over 180 years; they provide some of the finest and most durable wool. Good living conditions, proper husbandry, sustainable business practices and responsible management are all vital
…. naturally animal-friendly
prerequisites for the successful production of top quality Merino wool. No factory farming, open pastures, natural food sources and a temperate climate ensure a smooth and uniform fleece. Only the highest quality raw materials are used in the production of Lana Grossa Merino wool which guarantees the very best in knit wear.
SHEARING
Regular shearing is important to a sheep’s welfare. Sheep are sheared once a year to remove the sheep’s wool. Sheep with a full coat of wool can overheat on hot days. Shearing also helps to prevent disease caused by a dirty coat. Sheep are still sheared by hand using electric shearing clippers. The sheep is caught by the shearer from the catching pen and taken to a shearing board. The wool is removed by following an efficient set of movements. Depending on the age and size of the sheep, a fleece can weigh up to 12 kilograms; some of the weight however is comprised of dirt, grease and sweat.
on micron count, staple length, degree of purity and durability. A top-class sheep provides approximately 10 kilograms of wool. According to textile labeling laws, only the downy part of the fleece can be classified as wool. This is determined by the fineness of the fibers and the softness of the resulting wool. Superfine Merino fibers have a size range of up to 16.5 µm which produces an exceptionally high-quality wool. Most of these high quality fibers are produced in Australia. Merino fibers with a size range of 22 µm and up are mainly produced in South America. Lana Grossa offers Merino wool in a broad range of quality and price. Classic yarns such as Bingo, Superbingo and Cool Wool/Cool Wool Big as well as Cool Wool Fine, a laceweight yarn, are all spun from pure, extrafine Merino wool.
Shearing does not harm or hurt the sheep. The fleece is then inspected by a government appraiser to determine its quality based
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COMBED ‌. or carded The wool is then combed or carded in preparation for spinning. Combing separates out short fibers and arranges the fibers in a flat bundle with individual fibers aligned parallel to each other. This process may be repeated several times. The combed or carded wool is then delivered to spinning mills where it is spun.
FROM FLEECE ‌. to skein. An extensive process. Sheared fleeces are packaged in bales, labeled according to their quality and sold to wholesalers at auction or at the stock exchange. Wholesalers in turn sell the raw wool to processing plants for scouring and combing. Before the wool can be used for commercial purposes, it must be scoured, a process of cleaning the greasy wool. Scouring is a gentle and environmentally friendly process. 4
Soft and lustrous mohair, warm and silky alpaca, luxurious cashmere…. In addition to wool, Lana Grossa offers mohair, alpaca and cashmere yarns and blends. Made from the hair of young Angora goats, kid mohair is notable for its high luster and sheen. Durable, resilient and with excellent insulating properties, mohair is often used in fiber blends to add these qualities. South Africa accounts for more than half of the world’s mohair production.
thermal insulating properties which protect against extreme changes of temperature. Garments that are made from alpaca fibers retain these properties which makes them comfortable to wear year round. The most luxurious fiber comes from cashmere goats. They can be found in North India, China, Mongolia and the Himalayas up to 5000 meters above sea level and in extremely cold winter climates. The goat’s fine, soft, downy winter undercoat is collected in spring when goats naturally shed their winter coat. Each goat produces approximately 100 g of wool every year. Cashmere is incredibly soft and exceptionally warm.
Alpaca combines the best of both worlds: supple yet durable. It is five times warmer than wool, yet extremely light and airy. Alpacas live in the Peruvian highlands 4000 – 5000 meters above sea level in harsh climate conditions. Their fine and light fleece has
Angora goats – providers of lustrous mohair
Lanolin-free alpaca wool is ideal for people with wool allergies.
Cashmere is one of of the most prized and supple natural fibers.
…. or cotton? absorb up to 20% in moisture without feeling moist and it can absorb up to 65% of its own weight in moisture. Cotton fibers also take dye very well which results in brilliant colors.
Cotton and cotton blends round out Lana Grossa’s product range. Cotton is grown in over 80 countries. The ‘cotton belt’ stretches from North America to Asia, Africa, India and China. Cotton is the most important plant-based fiber. Cotton picking was originally done by hand and was very labor-intensive. Today, selfpropelled cotton picking machines not only pick the cotton but also remove the cotton lint and seed from the plants. Cotton is usually measured in bales and is a traded commodity. Cotton fiber is almost pure cellulose. Cotton fibers have a range of lengths, from approximately 15 to 50 mm. Staple length is an important criterion for spinning fibre as shorter fibres are more difficult to spin than longer ones. Cotton fiber is most often spun into yarn or thread and used to make soft, breathable textiles. Cotton is durable, skin friendly and washable. It is also highly absorbent – it can 5
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PAST
& PRESENT
Yarns made in Italy Why do we automatically associate the words „Made in Italy“ with luxury and firstclass quality?
Not far from Turin and Milan, in the Piedmont region lies Biella. This small town looks back on a wool tradition, whose roots extend back 2 centuries. In 1835, the first mechanical loom is introduced. A great technological advance for its time. As are today’s environmental protection directives. Biella is green, with many rivers and streams and the peaks of the Alps on the horizon. As is Prato, a vibrant medieval town in Tuscany. Beautiful nature, a lot of art and a long history in fabric production which has unfortunately resulted in negative headlines in the past years. However, the terms craftsmanship, environmental awareness, dedication to high-quality materials and fair working conditions still apply to Italian spinning mills.
What exactly is it that makes fashion from Italy and everything connected with it so special? The secret lies in centuries-old craftsmanship, quality materials and a unique attitude to life that Italian wool and yarn suppliers successfully convey to their products. Like to handmade crochet and knit designs that add a touch of „Dolce Vita“ to every wardrobe. LANA GROSSA’s yarn and design collections are based on a sense of tradition with a flair for trends that is important to many customers. Superb
Historical photograph from 1915 of a spinning mill
Biella in the Piedmont region has a long history of wool processing Photo: Archivio fotografico ATL Biella
craftsmanship, high-quality yarns, ingenious colour palettes and a stylish look transform every creative design into a timeless, individual favourite piece – for decades to come.
Lana Grossa yarns are produced exclusively for end consumers, not large retail chains. We believe in a ‘mill to needle’ approach for dedicated crafters who try to avoid mass produced goods.
The Piedmont and Tuscany regions are not only well-known for their food, but are also the cradle of traditional craftsmanship, especially the wool processing industry.
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Turning fleece ....
PRODUCTION
…. into trendy yarns….
some mills are experts in blending fibers, others excel in the manufacturing of novelty yarns or natural fibers such as mohair and cashmere. Synthetic fibers are often blended with natural animal and plant fibers to improve their durability and wearability. For example, due to mohair lacking prominent, protruding scales along the hair‘s surface, it is often blended with a synthetic fiber to give it more resilience. Season after season Lana Grossa presents innovative yarn collections that reflect the latest lifestyle trends while preserving craftsmanship and an Italian flair for design. Quality you can see and feel!
….happens in Italy! Lana Grossa has partnered for many years with leading Italian spinning mills to produce the yarns, designs and quality we are proud of and known for. Our mills use innovative and advanced technology for the production of yarn. From carding and combing to spinning, the entire process is automated. Every spinning mill Lana Grossa partners with to develop yarn collections contributes its own special expertise and skills. This makes it possible for Lana Grossa to meet the needs of every crafter season after season. While
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SUSTAINABILITY ... and environmental awareness As a manufacturer and supplier of handknitting yarns, LANA GROSSA is particularly concerned about the environment and the conditions under which our products are manufactured. We work with suppliers who are equally committed to complying with environmental guidelines and fair working conditions and who share our ethical values. All companies adhere to the efficient use of resources and to socially and environmentally compatible standards according to EU regulations as well as to Oeko-Tex standards, which are based on environmental management, chemicals and their use, quality management and health and occupational safety. And
of course also to the unified European Textile Labelling Act, which informs our customers and end users about the raw material content of our products. That is why we as a company do not have an alternative to raw materials from Italy. Not only because of the short transport routes to our central warehouse in Gaimersheim in the heart of Bavaria, which is certainly another advantage when it comes to logistical questions and quality control. The same goes for the storage of goods. Our stock is housed in a modern high-bay warehouse. Optimum space utilization, efficient logistics and less transport damage to goods are the advantages as well as the monitoring by a warehouse
Our headquarters in Gaimersheim
Our headquarters in Gaimersheim
management system, which documents all movements of goods and the current inventory before products are sent to our customers. At Lana Grossa we believe that sustainability is the result of high product quality and the associated product longevity. We strive to meet these requirements on a daily basis.
Our high-bay warehouse in Gaimersheim
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LANA GROSSA GmbH · Ingolstädter Str. 86 · D-85080 Gaimersheim Fon +49 (0) 84 58 / 61-0 · Fax +49 (0) 84 58 / 61-36 · office@lanagrossa.de www.lanagrossa.de
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