Woven through the generations
For Exquisite Wool Traders founder Polly McGuckin, wool is more than a natural fibre. It’s a family legacy.
The story begins with Christchurch family business Yaldhurst Wools, which has supplied New Zealand wool to England’s AW Hainsworth mill for generations. Established in 1783, the mill began purchasing New Zealand wool in 1893, with records of those early transactions still held in Yorkshire today.
Remarkably, Yaldhurst Wools continues to source wool from the same South Island farm recorded in those original logbooks.
In 2008, Polly established Exquisite Wool Traders, initially importing woollen bedding blankets. Today, the business works closely with AW Hainsworth and Abraham Moon & Sons, another historic English mill. Exquisite Wool Traders now has an extensive collection of throws, blankets, upholstery fabrics, scarves, woollen caskets and urns, and more.
“I love seeing people appreciate it in their home,” Polly says.
A collaboration with Nadia Lim and Carlos Bagrie of Royalburn Station has produced beautiful single-source woollen blankets and throws, alongside an entirely different innovation – The Wool Pot.
Designed as an alternative to plastic plant pots, the biodegradable woollen pots can be planted directly into the ground, gradually releasing nutrients into the soil.
The partnership has also inspired woollen tote bags and insulated chiller bags, demonstrating the fibre’s remarkable versatility.
For Polly, encouraging people to choose wool is also about supporting the farmers who produce it.
“There’s definitely a wee renaissance, but we’ve still got a long way to go,” she says.
Giving back is another important part of the business, with blankets donated to communities in need – from neonatal units to those affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and the Kaikōura earthquakes.
And with new collaborations and designs underway, Polly is determined to keep finding fresh opportunities for the natural fibre.
“I love to see wool working for you and the planet.”