The pastures of Hiiumaa, overgrown with junipers, are cropped by the island’s hardy sheep that grow wonderful wool coats. The islanders shear their sheep and bring the wool to Vaemla Wool Factory. Here the wool is turned into yarn and our deft-fingered artisans use it to make beautiful knitwear.
The limestone house was built in 1841 as hay shed for Vaemla Manor. Throughout its history the building has served as village shop, flour mill, and in the 1950s the Estonian SSR Local Industrial Combine founded its wool factory here. The old machinery was brought from Estonian mainland and used up to 1987. In 1992, the Valdma family repaired the building as well as the machinery giving new life to the old house.
The oldest machines are from Poland. Anton Wieczorek’s metallurgical plant in Bialystok began to produce this kind of machines in 1860s. At first these machines were driven by steam, but in Vaemla Wool Factory old Soviet electric motors are used.