The “wool issue” is common to Sardinia, the US, India, and many places across the world. The dearth of mills and skilled people to clean and process wool (or cotton) has hindered availablity of wool for weavers and other artists, and hurt those who raise sheep and goats for their wool.
Grassroots efforts to address this are grow across the globe, and international organizations such as Fibershed.org help connect efforts. The World Hope Forum is also now addressing this issue, led by WHF founder Li Edelkoort (Founder of NY Textile Month and other initiatives) and actress Isabella Rossalini (who raises sheep for wool in New York State with her daughter).
WHF held several days of wool-related conferences in Rome in early October, and now offers a free one-day online conference on October 19. Yes, it’s early for those on the US West Coast, yet WHF forums are in my experience great, and worth the early coffee!
Learn more about the October 19, 2025 conference and register here.