About Asterra
Asterra was founded in 2005, as an ordinary shop in natural textiles, at the Hooigracht in Leiden by Helga van Ruijven. In 2007 the shop was converted into a web shop with an adjusted assortment of articles. The most important product are woolen, silk and woolen/silk underwear. Apart from this we sell other woolen baby articles, woolen socks, woolen hats shawls and gloves, cardigans, blankets etc.
Asterra stands for pure and responsible. We sell our articles mainly from smaller European family businesses. The lines are short and so we know where the materials come from and where the production takes place. We check with all our suppliers what they stand for, what their intention is and what the quality of the material and handling proces is. Each company makes its own choices, like for example for organic wool, organic silk, environmnetally friendly dying processes, producing without overstock, processing waist streams. With each article in our shop, you can read about the choices of the specific brand and the quality of the product.
The founding of Asterra originated from a longing to pay a contribution to care, warmth and comfort for children and adults. Clothing of natural materials can be an important means to support the feeling of 'being home in your own body'. Wool and silk stand out from all other natural (plant) materials because they consist of proteines. These proteines look a lot like the proteines of our own skin. A woolen or silk undershirt feesl therefore like a second skin. It helps to feel the difference between 'inside' and 'outside'; the difference between 'what's mine' and 'what's yours'.
The name Asterra is a conjunction of the Latin words “aster” (=star) and” terra” (=earth): a connection of heaven and earth. In between this we stand ourselves. If we are in connection with ourselves, we are also connected to the earth and the cosmos. In this great connection we are in love and peace. Let's work together to get a better world.