The Basque Country is home to just under 1 million sheep, most of which fall into one of the five native breeds shown below. Of these, the most common is Latxa (blackface and redface), bred solely for their milk that is used to make cheese. Consequently, their lambs are sold for slaughter as quickly as possible (around 21 days old) and marketed and sold as a delicacy under the label “Euskal Esne Bildotsa” (Basque milk lamb).
Latxa mutur gorria
A hardy mountain breed with coarse wool. High milk yield, good mothers. Mainly found in Gipuzkoa.
Latxa mutur beltza
A hardy mountain breed with coarse wool. High milk yield, good mothers. Mainly found in Bizkaia.
Sasi ardi
Elegant, but with a nervous character. Hardy sheep, lambs alone, excellent mothers. Small coarse long-wool fleeces.
Karrantzar mutur gorria
A hardy breed with coarse wool. High milk yield, found mainly in Western Bizkaia.
Karrantzar mutur beltza
A hardy breed with coarse wool. High milk yield, found mainly in Western Bizkaia.
Basque sheep are an iconic and hardy symbol of endurance. Whilst their wool is perfect for protecting against the wind, rain and cold, it is not so good for contact with human skin, although it does have a good staple and takes a dye well.
The name “Latxa” comes from the Basque word “latza” meaning “rough” or “coarse”. Until not so long ago, it was traditionally used for mattress filling and for making socks and hats. Various cottage industries still try to find uses for the wool, but for the most part, it is a by-product that is considered worthless. Each year farmers lose sleep worrying about how to get rid of their wool. Some try burning it, others try to bury it. Most end up dumping it hoping that the council will take it away. They don’t as it clogs up their recycling machines.
And therein lies the problem… what to do with Basque wool?
”Because of its rough texture, Basque wool is considered worthless. Each year farmers try to burn it or bury it. Most end up dumping it. So what can we do with Basque wool?
Shearing
Alongside my design and branding work, I also work as a professional sheep shearer, travelling to over 200 different farms around the Basque Country shearing mainly Latxa sheep.
In December 2019, myself and another shearer (Ipar Arrinda) headed to Antzuola in the early hours of the morning to shear a flock of 200 ewes. That’s where we met Edu Uribesalgo, the Marketing Director of Ternua, a leading Basque outdoor clothing company.
Artileshell by Ternua
Artileshell is a sustainable project initiated by Ternua, that fuses thousands of years of shepherding tradition with the very latest in technology and recycled materials to create a pilot test piece called ARTILE JKT (FW 2020). An elegant and functional winter jacket that is well insulated, warm, wind-resistant and water repellant.