Koigu
The Koigu headquarters are located in Chatsworth a few hours outside of Toronto. Harry and Maie Landra purchased the farm in 1972, and though it was intended to be their weekend retreat, within a decade it became the family's permanent residence.
In the early years, the farm was home to Maie, Harry, their three children, Karl, Karin, and Taiu, and of course, a flock of sheep. Though she knew next to nothing of raising sheep at the time, Maie was quick to learn. Koigu Wool started out as a small operation with Maie hand spinning and dyeing the fleece from the Landra flock.
As the business began to grow towards knitwear design and the hand knitting market, it became apparent that hand spinning their herd's fleece was not a cost-effective means of production. After graduating with a degree from the Ontario Agricultural Business, Taiu focused her energies on making Koigu Wool economically viable and decided it was time to put the herd to pasture and work with a commercial woolen mill. As luck would have it, around this time a retired industrialist with a background in textiles came to visit the Koigu farm and put the Landras in touch with a reputable mill that would spin fine merino wool to specification.
It was this partnership with a woolen mill that brought Koigu's Premium Merino yarn into existence. Koigu's signature KPPPM yarn became legendary, known for its wearability, its versatility, and above all, the stunning colorways. For the first 5 years, Koigu's Painter's Palette Premium Merino (affectionately known as KPPPM by its many admirers) was dyed in the kitchen of the Landra farmhouse and dried either outside on the pine trees, or hung inside over the bathtub. As demand for the exquisite yarn escalated, the family began work on a wool shed.
While demand is as high as ever, the Koigu yarn is still painted, hanked, labeled and shipped by the Landra women and a small handful of local employees. While they use the efficiency of machines where they can, every skein sent out into the world is lovingly painted by hand and is a truly unique work of art.
3 Generations of Koigu Women: Maie, Kersti, Taiu
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