Loving this new option for organic wool stuffing! The Wool Bolus is essentially pre-felted; it's in little clumpy bumps that retain their springiness much longer than a more consistent organic wool batting/stuffing choice. Wonderful for pillows, stuffed animals, and more.

A pillow made from organic wool bolus stuffing is fluffable, crunchable, and pliable, similar to a down pillow. Wonderfully, because the wool is essentially pre-felted, the pillows are also fairly washable. We strongly recommend hand-washing in cold water, though you can certainly try machine-washing on delicate and hanging to dry. Do not use a heated machine-dry! While the pillow is drying, it is important to gently tease apart the bolus bits so the pillow remains lofty.

A standard wool pillow will use about two pounds of the Wool Bolus Stuffing, while a king-sized pillow will want three to four pounds depending on the amount of compaction you prefer. We recommend covering the pillow with a fairly heavy fabric -- a twill rather than a sateen, for instance -- to help even out the feel of the little bits. (Some people like the feel, while Winnie is convinced it would drive her crazy. To each her own, right?)

The organic wool used in this organic wool stuffing is from sheep raised organically in the United States, and it is processed in California. Organic wool processing is, of course, much kinder to both the fibers and the planet; mild biodegradable soap is used, much of the wastewater is recycled, harsh chemicals are never used to remove plant matter tangled in the fleeces, and the fibers aren't bleached. There are other differences to conventional processing too -- the wool isn't carbonized or chemically crimped, the sheep aren't dipped in pesticides or subject to mulesing, and the sheep have a proper amount of well-managed pastureland. The mill works with farmers to encourage predator-friendly approaches (using guard dogs and guard llamas to protect the sheep rather than killing the wolves and other predators that are an essential part of healthy ecosystems).

Swatches come in a small cellophane bag so you can get a real feel for this special organic wool stuffing. You can also choose a full-pound or half-pound quantity to purchase. Note that although we put one pound in a bag for visual purposes (so we could better take a picture), orders aren't bagged; they're wrapped in tissue paper instead. The one-pound bag of bolus pictured is fairly compressed, to look more like a pillow, just so you know. Two pounds of the wool bolus should be enough to stuff even a firm standard-sized pillow.