National Wool Week

This past week was the start of National Wool Week in the United Kingdom.  It runs from October 4th to the 31st. Don’t know why it is called a week; that is more than one week. But I digress. On FaceBook there has been many pictures of sheep, clothing and yarns all produced in the UK.   This week, I had been researching the September/October 1921 Coconino Sun, Flagstaff and also found advertisements for wool suits from the UK.  In 1921, the sheep industry in the United States was taking a beating. Prices for wool and mutton were down after the sheepmen did fairly well getting reasonable prices during WWI.  But then there was an economic downturn. It did not help that the west was experiencing a drought either. Sound familiar? 

The Campaign for Wool pictures from their FaceBook page.

And now for the Ads in the Coconino Sun, Flagstaff, September 1921:

Why have I put this information about the UK Campaign for Wool Week on a blog about the Arizona Sheep Industry? Well maybe we should start to look at wool differently in this country. It is a great fiber for the environment for one.  In an earlier blog I wrote about the benefits of wool and sheep for the environment. Yes, it can be worn in all seasons if one purchases the right kind of wool. We have a Make It with Wool contest every November in Arizona. This year’s contest is November 20^th.  If you are in the Phoenix area and would like to see what our contestants make in person, let me know. Many states across the United States have a contest and you can check from the National Make It with Wool organization when those events will be by checking if your state has a contest.  

I will be showing pictures on this blog once the contest is over. While it is too late to enter the contest this year, there is always next year. So, get your pattern and wool material, check the rules with the National Make It with Wool and the state organization, begin to sew and most of all enter the contest! Cash prizes are given.  Hope to see you there as an observer or a future contestant.

The next few stories will be on the early sheep industry in Holbrook and some of the families involved in raising woolies as I have received some interesting articles lately.