This is a journey of discovery, a journey into wool.
THE MINISTRY OF SHEEP
Enter the realm of all things sheep and rediscover what man has forgotten.
Be fooled no more by those nasty plastic corportaions that would have you live your life in oil based false materials...
Remember Synthetics are evil.
Mans Best Friend - Sheep
Sheep were 1st domesticated in Asia over 5000 years ago. The lovely spongy woolly things got a mention in the bible and have been mans best friend, feeding and clothing him for ages.Sheep are brilliant!
Sheeps wool can be spun into fine yarns and fashioned into all forms of textiles. It makes the finest suits, softests baby wraps and hardest wearing carpets.
Best off all it is completly natural, being renewed every year without harming the sheep, and is completely biodegradable once its finished with.
Unlike evil nylon which is made from crude oil using masive amounts of energy, wool just grows on sheep which eat grass. Grass absorbs carbon-di-oxide from the atmosphere and stores it until sheep eat it and store the carbon as wool. Using wool textiles actually helps the environment.
Also wool does not burn! Hold a flame to wool and the the wool self extinguishes as soon as the flame is removed. Nylon, which is actually a brand name for poly-amide a form of plastic, melts, into your skin or your childs skin. It has to be surgically removed. This is why the US military specify wool undergarments.
Wool Good - Nylon BAAAAD!
The Best of the Best
New Zealand Wool
About 200 years ago a land about twice the size of England was discovered by Europeans for the 1st time. The land and water was pure. The local Moari population had barely touched this new paradise.The white man brought sheep. But unilke other areas of the world, they just brought white sheep and the breeds that thrived in the moderate New Zealand climate.
Quicky New Zealand wool became known for its superior whiteness and quality. The product was so great it became New Zealands largest export.
The government and industry spent millions on resaerch and development to further understand and enhance the product.
In the 1950s evil petrol corportaions started duplicating some of wools benifits by boiling and extruding chemicals into fake fibres like Nylon and polyester. None of these products come close to the natural benifits that nature has built into wool over millions of years.
What is Nylon? Well its a compound written as follows... (-NH-CO-(CH2)4-CO-NH-(CH2)6-)n otherwise known as polymer of adipic acid and hexymethylene diammine. Sometimes referred to under the brand name Nylon. It is essentially a plastic.
Wool grows naturally on sheep who feed on grass. It is mostly carbon with some nitrogen and sulphur. It is one of the best naturalk fertiliser that exist making wool perfect for returning to the soil to be turned back into grass and then back into wool.
Wool has many natural benefits...
Wool is flame retardent - Nylon Melts
Wool is anti-static - ever worn polyester?
Wool is anti-allergenic
Wool is biodegradable - Plastic fills up landfill and chokes dolphins!
Wool uses 1/8 of the energy to produce than plastic fibres
Wool is a natural insulator keeping people warm in winter and cool in summer.
Wool absorbs noise making a quiter home and office
Wool absorbs toxins and locks them in making homes safe to breath.
Wool carpets trap dust until it is vacuumed making it great for people with allergies.
You deserve wool!
Wool Carpets and Dust Mites
The truth about wool carpets for asthma sufferers
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The Truth About Dust Mites
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The most common single cause of asthma is sensitization to house dust, or more precisely to the dust mite, and particularly its waste products. But there's no reason why asthmatics shouldn't enjoy the comfort and aesthetic pleasure of wool carpet. I...
New Zealand Sheep
Sustainable Wool Growing in New Zealand
New Zealand wool growers are renowned for their responsible stewardship.Typical farms have been sustainably and economically producing wool for 100 years.
Native forest 'bridges' and 'islands' are routinely maintained to facilitate bird and wildlife habitat.
Waterways are protected to prevent stock access and contamination.
New Zealand's Resource Management Act (RMA) strictly limits and controls all aspects of agriculture and forest management in New Zealand. The principle of the RMA is sustainable environmental management. Resource consents are required for air, water, land, sea, coastal and river development or change of use, and public submissions are legally considered.
The Laneve brand pictured is a new mark of integrity for the finest wool interior textiles using the most carbon efficient and sustainable value chains possible. Soon to be launched globally by Wools of New Zealand, consumers will be able to use this to identify products of sustainable origin, that pass stringent qulaity control systems for performnace, sustainability and design excellence.
More New Zealand Sheep
Sheep stuff for the health of your family.
Got a baby? Like it? Wrap it in lovely safe wool.
Merino wool fibre is the Wonder Fibre for Young Children. Take a look at this page at Merino Kids that highlights all the benefits of wool for children...
About Merino
Merino is a type of sheep that produces very soft wool that is great for clothing.
Cocooi Babywrap Newborn Baby Swaddle and Cap, 100% Merino, Natural Color
Amazon Price: $69.99 (as of 11/30/2009) 
Flensted Sheep
Amazon Price: $28.00 (as of 11/30/2009)
Even More Sheep!
Sheep!
More about wool and other great information..
Follow my lens' to find out more about sheep and innovation
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Purple Sheep Project - Return to Sensibility
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This year is officialy the International Year of Natural Fibres. The World Trade Organisation will be taking this opportunity to remind people how important natural fibres are to the well being of society. When you think it about the world went nuts...
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Purple Sheep Project - Fuzzy Innovation
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Fuzzy innovation is about getting stuff done. But getting stuff done that is worth getting done. Fuzzy as we have to explore, be open to new ideas, and always strive to be doing things in new and better ways. Fuzzy is not straight, defined, or boxed...
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Purple Sheep Project - Magnetic Business
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Stop thinking like a bean counter and start connecting with your audience to provide things that people absolutely must have. Is your product something that consumers are lining up for? Or is your product just one option in an overcrowded market?...
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Purple Sheep Project - We are all Doomed!
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What is your business doing to anticipte market shifts? The world is changing at an ever increasing pace, yet many companies keep doing what they have always done. It is critical to the survival of organisations that they anticipate market shifts a...
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Synthetics are EVIL
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In the 1950s evil petrol corporations started duplicating some of the benefits that could be found in natural fibres like wool. By boiling and extruding chemicals into fake fibres like poly-amide and polyester, garments and carpets were made and mark...
More Purple Sheep Project
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Purple Sheep Project - Being Market Led
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Innovation in product development, design and marketing has never been more crucial. A fundamental part of design is to create products and services with an end use / human being in mind. Innovation only happens by design when we focus on an end use...
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Purple Sheep Project - Design Thinking
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The ongoing success of organisations lies in the embracement of Design Thinking not just in the product development department but throughout the organisation. Great design extends beyond making things look good. Great design means creating things t...
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Purple Sheep Project - Guide To Commercial Suicide
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Many organisations promise a lot but then deliver less. It is tempting when income streams dry up to cut a few corners, downgrade on the specification, buy cheaper parts, and hope the end user does not notice. They notice and they leave! If your...
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Purple Sheep Project - The Ten Commandments of Innovation
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Products don't have to fail but many companies think that me-too or second-to-market products will work. This safe and boring approach to business simply won't be good enough anymore. If your product doesn't excite the early adoptors, then the masses...
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Purple Sheep Project - The Big Picture
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Often we focus on a small part of business to ensure we do "our job" really well. If we are too focussed on key objectves do we risk loosing sight of the main target? It is worth taking a step back and looking at the big picture every once in a whil...
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Purple Sheep Project - Return to Sensibility
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This year is officialy the International Year of Natural Fibres. The World Trade Organisation will be taking this opportunity to remind people how important natural fibres are to the well being of society. When you think it about the world went nuts...
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Purple Sheep Project - Business As Unusual
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The business models that created iconic brands of the past are now guaranteed models of business failure. Incredibly we still see major businesses and even governments, in fact even the European Union embracing thinking that is almost certain to deli...
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Purple Sheep Project - The Death of Retail
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Here is a short story about an everyday experience. If you want your company to vainsh be like these guys... It is bizarre how many companies out there are blaming the economic downturn for their downfall. Companies can grow now if they get smart!...
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Purple Sheep Project - Fuzzy Innovation
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Fuzzy innovation is about getting stuff done. But getting stuff done that is worth getting done. Fuzzy as we have to explore, be open to new ideas, and always strive to be doing things in new and better ways. Fuzzy is not straight, defined, or boxed...
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Purple Sheep Project - Innovation Workplace
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Business success is not luck. Great companies have great products and great service not by chance but by design. To create a business that has delivers a great experience is a relatively simple formula and its all about creating the right environment...
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Purple Sheep Project - Magnetic Business
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Stop thinking like a bean counter and start connecting with your audience to provide things that people absolutely must have. Is your product something that consumers are lining up for? Or is your product just one option in an overcrowded market?...
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Steven Parsons & The Purple Sheep Project
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After several years as a designer in the wool carpet industry I decided it was time to share some of what I have learnt to date. The problem is the more you get into the world and start really listening the more you realise there is just so much to l...
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Purple Sheep's Traffic Hits Guide
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The best way to get more traffic is to get more links out there.. But remember its not clicks that count.. You want targeted traffic that will stay and read what you have to say, maybe even visitors that are looking for information and will be tempte...
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How to be Fantastic & Purple
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This is me. Steven is my name. So What?! Why should you listen to me? I have something to tell you, something you may already know, but I'm telling it differently and with the most noble intentions. I want to help you to be Fantastic. You will fin...
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Sustainable Brands
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Increasingly people (customers) are looking for stories. The story of how your product got to market. The story they can tell their friends about the discovery they made. Right now people are more critical than ever before about spending on things w...
Hey! Say Hello....
Got a great sheep story - leave a link below..
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Reply
- sam3erry sam3erry Aug 27, 2009 @ 1:37 am
- nice lens;) Go the little sheep!
fuzzy little creatures of warmth.
NYLON BAD I now know!
cheers
sam
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Reply
- NigelaOliver NigelaOliver Aug 22, 2009 @ 6:40 am
- See what The Global Boss of Saatchi & Saatchi has to say about the new Wools of New Zealand brand strategy!!!
Kevin Roberts Blog
by purplesheep
I like great things. I hate lazy inventions.
I was trained in textile design and interior design and spent many years as a carpet design... (more)
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