Whilst the provenance of my materials and supporting local is very important to me, there is one particular ethical complication that has been a sticking point when it comes to sourcing materials.

The practice of mulesing - where a young lamb is stripped of hind flesh to smooth out the skin of the rear - is to me an unnecessarily painful solution that prioritises profits over animal well-being.

As this is widely practiced in Australia, sourcing local wool that is guaranteed to be from non-mulesed sheep is difficult. I therefore prefer to source Ashford's wool from New Zealand as my choice for all wools.

While open to local suppliers, I've found that Ashford provide a trifecta of quality, well-priced, and cruelty-free materials that is yet to be usurped.