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.
