Everything is possible
Vegan or fur? The choices in wool.
The choices in wool
All Mattimat wall hangings are made of wool. Wool has a lot of advantages. First of all, it improves room acoustics. It is hypoallergenic and soft to the touch. Naturally it regulates humidity and wool has a high durability.
100% natural wool
100% natural wool is made out of wool from sheep. Sheep breeds from all over the world can produce wool of equal quality, but they have their own unique characteristics. The benefits in terms of acoustics are outstanding. A natural wool wall hanging absorbs sound waves, which ensures a pleasant sound.
Beyond sheep wool, natural wool wall hangings can also be created from the fur of other animals with similar hairy coats, such as alpaca, llama, goats and even camels.
Take a look at the Lifestreams trilogy wall hanging. This is is made with New Zealand sheep wool and Alpaca wool.
Acrylic wool
Acrylic yarns are a replica of natural cotton and wool. It comes at a much lower cost. The difference between acrylic and natural wool is the fibers. The fibers in acrylic wool are manufactured from petroleum products instead of natural products. Acrylic wool also absorbs sound, but a little less than 100% natural wool. This is due to a lower fiber density.
During the workshops that I teach, we use acrylic wool to practice with. If you’re interested in attending a workshop about Tufting, please click here to look at the dates and locations and register.
Vegan or plant based wool
There is an abundance of plant based, eco-friendly, vegan wool replacements, that can also be used in wall hangings. For instance the well known cotton and linen, but also bamboo, eucalyptus and hemp. Even soybean and coconut fibers are possibilities. The threads of plant based wool are usually thinner than natural and acrylic wool. Therefore, a 100% vegan wall hanging requires more yarn.