Not all wool is finished the same way, and that is a good thing.
At Bumby, we use different wool fabrics for different reasons. Some are superwash. Some are feltable wool blended with core spun Lycra. Both can be machine washed cold, but they get there in different ways.
What is superwash wool?
Superwash wool is wool that has been treated so the fibres are less likely to felt or shrink in the wash.
Our Jersey and Dreamweight fabrics are made with organically raised, U.S. grown wool. The wool is treated by Chargeurs in the United States, then milled in the U.S. before it comes to us.
From there, we dye and sew the garments in our shop in Canada.
This gives us soft, washable wool fabrics with beautiful drape, especially for lighter garments and base layers.
What is feltable wool with core spun Lycra?
Our other wool fabrics are made with organically raised, cruelty-free sheep from Australia.
These yarns are made exclusively for Bumby, which lets us create different textures, striped colours, and melange colours that are unique to our shop.
The wool itself is feltable, but the finished fabric is still machine washable on cold because of how we prepare it.
We preshrink the fabric before sewing, and the core spun Lycra adds stretch, stability, and recovery. That makes the fabric pretty dang hard to shrink any further when cared for properly.
Why use both?
Because different garments need different fabrics.
Superwash wool gives us softness, drape, and easy care for lighter fabrics like Jersey and Dreamweight.
Feltable wool with core spun Lycra gives us structure, stretch, durability, and that cozy, substantial feel many Bumby pieces are known for.
Both have a place. Both are useful. Both let us make woolwear that fits real life.
Where our fabric is made
We work with mills in Montreal, Canada and the United States. This helps us diversify our supply chain while offering different fabric finishes and textures.
Once the fabric reaches us, the rest happens in our shop. We dye it, design the garments, cut each piece, and sew everything with our small team of four, with the occasional student intern helping on the technical side.
How to wash Bumby wool
Both our superwash wool and our preshrunk Lycra Merino blends can be machine washed cold.
Use cold water, gentle detergent, and avoid heat. Heat is the bossy villain in the wool story. We respect it, but we do not invite it to laundry day.
Lay flat or hang carefully to dry, depending on the garment.
Why this matters
Wool can be practical, washable, and beautiful.
The finishing process matters. The yarn matters. The knitting matters. The preshrinking matters. The sewing matters.
That is why we choose different fibres and finishes intentionally, so your Bumbies can be soft, useful, and ready for everyday life.