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13 February 2022.

We spoke with Südwolle Group, our yarn mill, about their X-CARE® yarn sustainable innovation and the benefits it holds.

The brothers Wolfgang and Erhart Steger founded Südwolle in 1966.

At Sheep Inc. we scour our wool (clean of dirt) at Reda, the first B-Corp certified textile factory in Italy. Scoured wool is then spun into yarn in yarn mills belonging to Südwolle Group.

Südwolle Group is a family owned business founded by the Steger brothers in 1966. The name literally translates to “South Wool” and, as it suggests, the company works uniquely with wool as a raw material in Nuremberg, Southern Germany.

The Südwolle Group has been at the forefront of sustainable innovation in the wool industry since its foundation. Here, innovation is at the service of nature. High quality raw materials are elevated trough the use of technology to bring to market durable products done with respect for our Planet and People.

At Südwolle Group, our regenerative wool is spun into 100% biodegradable, chlorine free, Eternity X-Care® yarn. Sounds complicated? We’ll break it down.

Untreated wool tends to pill during normal wear around high friction areas as the elbows and cuffs. It also traditionally shrinks when washed in a washing machine. This happens because wool’s outer layer is made of scales which, when exposed to heat, moisture and friction interlock preventing the fibre from returning to its original position.

Sheep Inc. Merino wool yarn.

To reduce pilling and avoid shrinking, traditional yarn treatments include the use of chlorine to oxidise the edges of the scale and avoid them getting tangled together. Unfortunately, chlorine is far from being a harmless chemical. So while its use in the treatment of wool increases the lifespan of our clothes, its impact on the environment is not one the fashion industry can close an eye on.

With their sustainability and innovation department Suedwebs which launched in 2017, Südwolle Group set themselves the challenge to come up with a better solution.
The Eternity X-Care® treatment substitutes chlorine with a bluesign® certified alternative that improves yarn performance while keeping harmful chemicals out of our waterways. This proprietary technology also makes the wool machine washable, saving us (and you) from the heartbreaking feeling of pulling out a now-toddler-sized sweater from the washing machine.


“Morning all, thought I'd share a quick story with you all from this morning. I'm notoriously bad at shrinking my clothes in the washing machine, so I was horrified to discover that I'd accidentally put my much loved Sheep Inc crewneck in at 40 degrees Celsius. Once I'd realised what I'd done, I waited intently for the machine to finish it's cycle… Only to discover (to my joy and relief) that the jumper has come out absolutely perfect. Such a relief and testament to the quality!”

Signed, a relieved and grateful customer.


Through material science technology Südwolle Group drives innovation around both performance and impact of the yarns to create “industry first” results. Their continuous drive to minimise environmental impact and maximise performance is a key input for Sheep Inc. to deliver products that last a lifetime.

The complex structure of wool fibers.

13 February 2022

We spoke with Südwolle Group, our yarn mill, about their X-CARE® yarn sustainable innovation and the benefits it holds.

Grace, can you introduce youself to the Flock?
Hey! I'm Grace Mahary, fashion model, sommelier, and founder of non-profit Project Tsehigh/PjT.

How did PjT start?
On a trip visiting family in Eritrea, I experienced power shortages and encountered heavy duty pollutants from the diesel generators being used for electricity; thus, I decided to create PjT, a nonprofit dedicated to providing renewable energy solutions to under-served communitites.

What project do you currently focus on?
PjT currently focuses on solar energy projects around the world. We just completed facilitating solar powered street lamps for basketball courts in Burkina Faso and Nigeria.

At Sheep Inc. we scour our wool (clean of dirt) at Reda, the first B-Corp certified textile factory in Italy. Scoured wool is then spun into yarn in yarn mills belonging to Südwolle Group.

Südwolle is a family owned business founded by the Steger brothers in 1966. The name literally translates to “South Wool” and, as it suggests, the company works uniquely with wool as a raw material in Nuremberg, Southern Germany.

The Südwolle Group has been at the forefront of sustainable innovation in the wool industry since its foundation. Here, innovation is at the service of nature. High quality raw materials are elevated trough the use of technology to bring to market durable products done with respect for our Planet and People.

At Südwolle, our regenerative wool is spun into 100% biodegradable, chlorine free, Eternity X-Care® yarn. Sounds complicated? We’ll break it down.

Untreated wool tends to pill during normal wear around high friction areas as the elbows and cuffs. It also traditionally shrinks when washed in a washing machine. This happens because wool’s outer layer is made of scales which, when exposed to heat, moisture and friction interlock preventing the fibre from returning to its original position.

The complex structure of wool fibers.

At Sheep Inc. we scour our wool (clean of dirt) at Reda, the first B-Corp certified textile factory in Italy. Scoured wool is then spun into yarn in yarn mills belonging to Südwolle Group.

Südwolle Group is a family owned business founded by the Steger brothers in 1966. The name literally translates to “South Wool” and, as it suggests, the company works uniquely with wool as a raw material in Nuremberg, Southern Germany.

The Südwolle Group has been at the forefront of sustainable innovation in the wool industry since its foundation. Here, innovation is at the service of nature. High quality raw materials are elevated trough the use of technology to bring to market durable products done with respect for our Planet and People.

At Südwolle Group, our regenerative wool is spun into 100% biodegradable, chlorine free, Eternity X-Care® yarn. Sounds complicated? We’ll break it down.

Untreated wool tends to pill during normal wear around high friction areas as the elbows and cuffs. It also traditionally shrinks when washed in a washing machine. This happens because wool’s outer layer is made of scales which, when exposed to heat, moisture and friction interlock preventing the fibre from returning to its original position.

To reduce pilling and avoid shrinking, traditional yarn treatments include the use of chlorine to oxidise the edges of the scale and avoid them getting tangled together. Unfortunately, chlorine is far from being a harmless chemical. So while its use in the treatment of wool increases the lifespan of our clothes, its impact on the environment is not one the fashion industry can close an eye on.

With their sustainability and innovation department Suedwebs which launched in 2017, Südwolle set themselves the challenge to come up with a better solution.
The Eternity X-Care® treatment substitutes chlorine with a bluesign® certified alternative that improves yarn performance while keeping harmful chemicals out of our waterways. This proprietary technology also makes the wool machine washable, saving us (and you) from the heartbreaking feeling of pulling out a
now-toddler-sized sweater from the washing machine.


“Morning all, thought I'd share a quick story with you all from this morning. I'm notoriously bad at shrinking my clothes in the washing machine, so I was horrified to discover that I'd accidentally put my much loved Sheep Inc crewneck in at 40 degrees Celsius. Once I'd realised what I'd done, I waited intently for the machine to finish it's cycle… Only to discover (to my joy and relief) that the jumper has come out absolutely perfect. Such a relief and testament to the quality!”

Signed, a relieved and grateful customer.


Through material science technology Südwolle drives innovation around both performance and impact of the yarns to create “industry first” results. Their continuous drive to minimise environmental impact and maximise performance is a key input for Sheep Inc. to deliver products that last a lifetime.

To reduce pilling and avoid shrinking, traditional yarn treatments include the use of chlorine to oxidise the edges of the scale and avoid them getting tangled together. Unfortunately, chlorine is far from being a harmless chemical. So while its use in the treatment of wool increases the lifespan of our clothes, its impact on the environment is not one the fashion industry can close an eye on.

With their sustainability and innovation department Suedwebs which launched in 2017, Südwolle Group set themselves the challenge to come up with a better solution.
The Eternity X-Care® treatment substitutes chlorine with a bluesign® certified alternative that improves yarn performance while keeping harmful chemicals out of our waterways. This proprietary technology also makes the wool machine washable, saving us (and you) from the heartbreaking feeling of pulling out a
now-toddler-sized sweater from the washing machine.


“Morning all, thought I'd share a quick story with you all from this morning. I'm notoriously bad at shrinking my clothes in the washing machine, so I was horrified to discover that I'd accidentally put my much loved Sheep Inc crewneck in at 40 degrees Celsius. Once I'd realised what I'd done, I waited intently for the machine to finish it's cycle… Only to discover (to my joy and relief) that the jumper has come out absolutely perfect. Such a relief and testament to the quality!”

Signed, a relieved and grateful customer.


Through material science technology Südwolle drives innovation around both performance and impact of the yarns to create “industry first” results. Their continuous drive to minimise environmental impact and maximise performance is a key input for Sheep Inc. to deliver products that last a lifetime.