Swedish Wool Hat: The Unique Entrance Ticket for SM-veckan in Borås
As Borås prepares to host the SM-veckan (Swedish Championship Week) winter event from February 5-9, 2025, the city has unveiled a special entrance ticket – a hat made from Swedish wool, knitted in Sätila. This unique approach combines Borås’ textile heritage with modern sustainability efforts.
A Collaboration Rooted in Local Expertise
The hat is a result of collaboration between the local SM-veckan project organization, Science Park Borås, Klippan Yllefabrik, and Sätila of Sweden. It’s part of The Swedish Wool Initiative, a project aimed at utilizing high-quality Swedish wool that would otherwise go to waste.
Henrik Björnander, Assistant Project Manager for SM-veckan in Borås, explains: “We wanted to create a stylish hat that connects to Borås’ textile history and our current textile expertise. Plus, we have wool shears in our city coat of arms, so offering a wool hat felt natural. Together, we’ve created a product from a material that’s usually discarded.”
Innovative Use of Swedish Wool
The Swedish Wool Initiative, launched in 2020, has been instrumental in helping companies access high-quality Swedish wool. Linda Nydén from Science Park Borås notes: “Over half of all Swedish wool is discarded. One reason can be too much plant residue in the sheep’s wool. Klippan Yllefabrik found a solution by combing the wool instead of chemically removing plant residues. The result was a high-quality worsted yarn that we’ve now used to knit the Borås SM-veckan hat.”
Sustainable and Multifunctional
The hat, priced at 400 SEK, serves as an entrance ticket to all venues and sports during SM-veckan winter in Borås. Children under 18 enter free. A significant portion of the proceeds goes to organizing associations.
Maria Ericson, Brand Manager at Sätila of Sweden, emphasizes the hat’s sustainability: “It’s been fantastic to be part of this project and help highlight Swedish wool. By using worsted yarn, we’ve been able to create a high-quality hat with many sustainable values, such as Swedish undyed wool, meaning no unnecessary chemicals have been used.”
A Lasting Souvenir
The organizers hope the hat will be used long after the event. Björnander adds: “We want visitors who buy the hat to want to use it even after SM-veckan is over. It’s a stylish entrance ticket with a clear connection to Borås that lasts a long time. The label on the hat is sewn with a few simple stitches, instead of glued on, so that it can easily be removed and the hat used even when SM-veckan is over.”
For more information about the Swedish Wool Initiative and the SM-veckan hat, visit the official websites.
