The ewes at Ruanui Station are shorn twice yearly to ensure their health and wellbeing. Shorn ewes are more active than those in full fleece, and exercise improves maternal health in late pregnancy. The lambs, born in Spring, are shorn alongside their mothers in January. The diameter of the lambs wool fibre, known as microns, is much finer than ewes wool, and thus, is higher in value. At Ruanui Station, the lambs wool is around 29 microns - to put that in perspective, a human hair is around 100 microns wide. This makes for an incredible soft end product.

The wool undergoes a rigorous cleaning and scouring process at New Zealand Wool Scouring Ltd in Napier, Hawkes Bay. The wool is washed with biodegradable and eco-friendly detergent, removing contaminants such as wool grease, mud, seeds, and thorns in the process. The wool that comes out of NZWSL is the cleanest processed wool in the world, ensuring the highest quality end product.

The wool is milled at Woolyarns NZ in Lower Hutt, New Zealand’s oldest wool mill. Woolyarns have been operating for over 70 years and with all of these years of knowledge and experience behind them, they achieve the highest technical standard with everything they produce. The wool from Ruanui Station is spun into a weaving count of 1/11 YSW (Yorkshire Skeins Wollen), resulting in fine, soft strands.

The final stage of the process is weaving, which takes place at Inter-Weave in Auckland. Over the past 40 years, Inter-Weave have grown to become industry leading designers and manufacturers of both commercial and domestic interior furnishing fabrics. Their knowledge and passion for textiles and colour is unparalleled. Here, Ruanui Station yarn is dyed and woven into stunning blankets of exceptional quality. A truly Kiwi-made product, from start to finish.