From Wool to Burel.
When the shepherds send us the wool, it arrives washed of dust and natural fat, in 200kg bales, very dense and compact. The bales enter a machine called Loba Abridora or Loba Misturadora, which opens the fibres and mixes the colours while softening them. Once this process is over, it is set aside in a room to rest for a few hours before the carding process begins.
Carding
We work with three cards on Belgian machines that are over 100 years old, which were initially operated with steam, went on to naphtha, and only later were they adapted to electricity. The cards will blend the fibres to achieve a uniform colour and texture. The fibres are then tamed and positioned in the same direction, to form the veil in small strips, straightening the fibres to create a wick. The wick is not yarn, as it does not yet have the necessary endurance.
The Wiring
The rolls of wick are placed in the spinning mill to twist and stretch, and shape the yarn to the desired thickness, depending on the type of fabric - be it burel, blankets, flannel, or other fabrics.
We transfer the straws that come out of the cardboard spinning, to spools (on the winder), and some of these spools are transferred to reels (in the reel box).
The Weaving
It's time to start weaving.
The looms are equipped with bobbins and spools to be transformed into xerga. The xerga, when it leaves the loom, is weighed, and measured, and then goes to quality control where our skimmers sweep the fabric with their eyes to cut the knots and any thread that may have ended up with a different thickness.
The Finishing
Finishing is made up of several processes that will stabilise the fabric, varying according to the type of desired fabric.
The so-called miracle of the textile industry that transforms xerga into the final fabric, with the softness, colour, and endurance that we see in fabrics for clothing, decoration, and architecture. The fabric is tramped on the tamper, moistened with hot water, which causes it to shrink by around 30% to 40%, to felt, and gain the desired density.
Only after this long and meticulous process do we have the burel we know.
