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Concept | Wool & Flow

5 Ws what, who, when, where, why

what

Wool & Flow: the role of water in the processing of rustic wool

This project investigates how rustic wool can be cleaned, transformed, colored and combined with other materials beyond conventional textile applications while rethinking the role of water.

Rather than producing finished products, the project focuses on experimental workflows that explore material behaviors, ecological impact and support lab-level research.

The project is organized into four experimental buckets:

  • Washing: suint fermentation (water-saving cleaning method).

  • Felting: wet and needle felting with high-, medium-, and low-tech interventions.

  • Biomaterials: composites incorporating wool.

  • Biochromic coloration: local ingredients exploring low-water dyeing.

Expected Outcomes:

  • Preliminary samples and process documentation for each bucket

  • Insights on material behavior, limitations and potential applications

  • A foundation for future lab experiments and designer exploration.

Material & Context
The core material is Thônes et Marthod wool, a French rustic fiber with strong territorial and cultural identity but limited applications in fashion. Its coarse texture and the high water demand of conventional treatments often leave it undervalued.

Lyon Lab is a key partner of the EU project Woolshed, which aims to revitalize Alpine wool value chain through design, innovation and small-scale technologies.

who

The project is primarily aimed at Woolshed partners and lab-based collaborators who can test, replicate and extend the experimental processes. It also engages a broader community of local artisans, wool associations, foundations, and educators working on wool innovation and sustainable practices.

when

The project is developed over three months (Jan–Mar 2026) and will serve as a foundation for broader experimentation beyond this period. Detailed planning on Deliverables page.

where

Primarily based in France with Woolshed partners across France, Switzerland, Italy and Slovenia. Inspired by my Sardinian background, I am also interested in adapting these workflows to Mediterranean rustic wool contexts.

why

  • Rustic wool processing often involves high water use and infrastructure costs, leaving many fibers unused or discarded

  • The project promotes low-impact, sustainable techniques suitable for lab-scale exploration

  • Aligns with Woolshed partners’ priorities and market insights

  • Explores wool beyond traditional textiles, including design and material experimentation.

Role of water

Like a river with its tributaries, the water in this project takes on different roles, but they all contribute to creating the flow.

Water is:
- Biological Medium in Washing
- Chromatic Carrier in Coloring
- Material Medium in Felting
- Fiber Activator in Biomaterials

References

Fabricademy students

wool Photo credit: Petra Garajová

  • Javin Gohel in her final project explored wet felting through the use of a sanding machine, to activate wool fibers with water and movement.

sanding Credit: Javin Gohel


  • Alberte Holmø Bojesen explored Icelandic seaweed as a material creating a narrative-driven, ecocentric project that connects material experimentation with nature and ecosystems.

Wool projects

  • Felt like a sheep by Guilhem de Cazenove is a mobile wool-processing workshop that travels between shepherds, transforming raw fleece into worked products.

mood1 Credit: Guilhem de Cazenove

  • Favini is an Italian paper manufacturer that developed an ecological paper made from wool processing waste, transforming residual fibers into a new material.

  • Lainamac is a French wool sector association and training centre that supports the development of a living wool value chain by promoting traditional skills, local fibre processing, and creative innovation across washing, carding, spinning, natural dyeing, felting, knitting, and weaving.

  • Lainovation is a sustainable startup developing an eco-friendly wool processing method that uses an ancestral fermentation technique to wash and clean raw sheep’s wool with far less water and no harmful chemicals, making it easier for small farmers and artisans to valorize wool.

Keywords and Moodboard

mood1

mood2

Credits: Unsplah - Frances Van Hasselt - Figures in Thread - The Fabric Of a Place - Vanessa Barragao - Pinterest

Sounds is an important source of inspiration: growing up on an island, I was surrounded by the rhythm of the sea and the bells of animals during countryside visits or traditional Sardinian celebrations. Living in cities later made me acutely aware of noise pollution. In this project, I aim to bring sound back to a calm, far from the urban chaos.

Images: Martina Muroni unless otherwise stated.