We asked long time customer Sonia Engler to share her wool journey.  

My name is Sonia, I live in a 200-year-old farmhouse on the coast of Maine with my husband and three very active boys who are 8, 6, and 2 years old. We spend our days living close to the land, tending to our many flower and vegetable gardens, beekeeping, homeschooling, and watching nature slowly unfold.

There is little weather that will keep my boys from exploring the surrounding trees, paths, and fields that adorn our property. With this lifestyle, it is essential that we are dressed for all types of weather that Maine can bring, and for this we adore MamaOwl and the beautiful woolens they provide.

I was taught to knit at a young age. A large part of my childhood memories consist of my mom and I sitting in front of the wood stove. We’d have a cup of tea beside us while she would spin wool on her wheel and I would knit. At one time we even had sheep and llamas to shear. It’s very hard to find beautiful Scandinavian knitting patterns in the United States, and these styles are what we've always gravitated towards.

My Grandfather is from Copenhagen, Denmark so oftentimes we would buy patterns from Denmark and have him translate them into English for us. When I had my own children and came across MamaOwl and your variety of timeless knits, it felt very nostalgic for me—your sweaters remind me of the patterns we would search high and low for.

When choosing clothing or toys for my children, I lean towards timeless pieces that are chemical free and made from mostly natural materials. Pieces that are nourishing to their senses, their imagination and their sense of life.

I believe everything a child touches, feels, and sees becomes a part of them and forms their innermost being. It's all poetry--the toys they play with, the literature read to them, the clothing they wear. MamaOwl gives us all of this beauty along with durability and sustainability.

During the autumn and winter months here in Maine, I dress my boys in Siskin wool base layers. They are not only so soft and cozy, but they allow for breathability and body temperature regulation. The boys love sleeping in them on the coldest nights, and I have peace of mind that they’re cozy and warm.

During the days, I layer them with a Mormor or Siskin wool sweater. Depending on the weather, we’ll layer that with Siskin boiled Merino wool dungarees and a Kleine Schobbejak wool Sherpa coat. If the day is wet, we layer with Fairechild rain gear, this way nothing can come between them and their puddle jumping! These layering combinations foster curiosity without interruption from weather.

These heirloom pieces require very little care, in fact that’s my best kept secret that I have learned along the way. Best to wash as little as possible. Wool is naturally antibacterial and self cleaning so the best way to refresh your woolens is to hang them gently in the open air instead of washing. If needed, I spot clean with a gentle wool detergent. Using this method, I find I only need to wash our woolens once or twice a season. When I do wash, I make sure they are first inside out.  I then lay them in a large round enamel bowl with a touch of wool wash in cool water. I move them around and let them soak before gently squeezing out the water, being sure not to ring or stretch. I lay them to dry on a towel in front of the wood stove—I shape them at this time. With this little care, our sweaters remain virtually new looking as they are passed down through three boys, and then lovingly tucked away for a time to come.

Oh yes, many. I first fell in love with Mormor. A Danish brand handknit by actual grandmothers in Denmark. My boys call my Mom, “Mormor”  which means mother's mother in Danish, so this brand felt very special when we first found them. We were also using their knitting patterns. Now I love the Siskin sweaters and cardigans, which are crafted from 100% soft lambswool exclusively for MamaOwl. 

Siskin boiled Merino wool dungarees are a must for us, they're incredibly durable and are the perfect tree climbing pants! For footwear we love Bisgaard natural rubber boots, they are wool lined and keep little toes warm and dry in both rain and snow! Angulus is another wool boot with a timeless design that is favorite.