Daaaaaaaaaaaaaang wool purists are snooty! I'm watching a video on machine washable wool, and the video starts with a description of how wonderful wool is (water resistant but water absorbant, warm, etc etc), but unfortunately it tends to felt if you're not careful with it. After describing the superwash process (which involves a coating of polymer, I had no idea!), she says "So what do we gain by doing this? Well, the wool is now machine washable and softer." *stares blankly at the camera with cricket sounds*
Oh pardon me, fancy fiberwear lady who thinks unadulterated wool is incomprehensibly superior, some of us have been using acrylic yarn that we can get from the craft store for years and are only just starting to explore wool! The switch from completely plastic yarn to mostly natural and a little bit plastic yarn is so much less intimidating than going directly to something that you have to give so much care to. I've seen so many instances of people not buying something if it says hand wash/dry clean only because "Ain't nobody got time for that!" so the wool now "only" being machine washable is actually a huge deal for people. Plus most people don't spend hours in frigid, windy, wet environments, so all of the main reasons that wool was such a super-fiber back in the day when people were more exposed to the elements are really just not much of a concern anymore. ALSO there's the fact that a lot of people are sensitive to textures and knowing that they can make something that touches their skin without worrying that they have proper under-layers that extend past the edges is pretty great as well.
Don't get me wrong, I think the fact that superwash wool is partially plastic is pretty important information that should be more widely known, but yikes. I will also concede the point that any industrial process is likely rife with all sorts of environmental concerns (the creator said she was an environmental chemist so it's not just "ooh, scary chemicals bad!).
She mentions that she does not judge people for their choices and points out that individual choice and systemic issues are very different things. I still think the video overall comes across as a bit disdainful.
