OUR STORY
My name is Teemu, and I wanted to personally share how Wølmark came to life somewhere between the Andes, a severed finger, and Finland.
A few years ago, I was living in a small village high up in the Andes surrounded by towering peaks and unpredictable weather. Time didn’t feel linear up there. It felt like childhood summers: you woke up, headed out, and followed whatever came your way.
It was there I discovered alpaca wool. Warm, breathable, soft as hell and it just worked. Whether I was hiking, working, or hammocking, it kept me comfortable.
THE ACCIDENT
One morning, while helping build a sauna (that’s how Finnish I am) for a local farm, I had a nasty accident with a circular saw. My finger was left hanging inside the glove. There were no hospitals, no ambulances, not even a neighbour with a car. I hitchhiked to the nearest town with a severed finger and a bottle of local pisco as pain relief.
After a week in a Peruvian hospital (no miracles there), I flew back to Finland – finger still hanging in there and started piecing things together, both physically and mentally.
THE IDEA
While recovering, one thing became clear: I wanted to go back. Back to that Andean village, to the mountains, and to my hammock in the eucalyptus forest.
But I was broke as hell, so I figured I’d build a meaningful way back.
I’ve always admired the timeless style and spirit of traditional Norwegian sweaters. Sure, they looked good but it was the rugged statement they made that really stuck with me.
Putting all this together is how Wølmark came to life not just a clothing label, but my personal plan to return to the only place that’s ever felt like home besides Finland, by creating new [functional wool clothing] like the Norwegian icons I’ve always admired.
