Jude Knitwear inspired by country life in New South Wales and Queensland

The fully-operational sheep station became a place to play in the off-season, but in the shearing season, it was filled with hustle and bustle.

Ms Wood said a prominent memory was her grandmother Barbara's jam roly-poly scones, cooked on a woodfire stove for the shearers.

"Growing up with those beautiful memories and experiences on the farm instilled an appreciation for agriculture," Ms Wood said.

A country woman, multi-talented by necessity, Barbara produced her own knitwear products.

With her hands working each step of the process, Barbara washed, spun, dyed and knitted her own wool creations, mostly clothes and toys.

She also worked collaboratively with her sister-in-law Shirley, and then later on, the women had a team of knitters operating out of Tenterfield, making products under the brand 'Shirbaa'.

These memories have been distilled into Ms Wood's knitwear business, Jude.

Jude is a dedication and celebration of Australian Merino wool, and the life that the special fibre represents.

First and foremost, her products had to be entirely Australian made.

"It was non-negotiable when creating Jude as a brand," Ms Wood said.

"There's absolutely no way I would ever produce offshore, just purely because of watching my grandmother create these garments from the sheep.

"I felt like that was such a core value that I can never depart from."

In such commitment to this brand value, Ms Wood said she would rather close her business than compromise her brand's philosophy.

"I've always thought if it gets too hard to manufacture in Australia, I will just have to fold the brand essentially," she said.

Australian Merino wool is globally revered, from agricultural practices to tangible products.However the processing in the middle has become lost over the years.

"It's a question of economics really, industries come and go throughout our history," Ms Wood said.

"I think it's also technology based, and staff based, the recession has played a massive part on the cost of workers and such.

"As our country has developed into the wonderful country it is to live in, it has come at the cost of certain industries," Ms Wood said.

Jude works with a knitter in Melbourne who takes care of all of the behind the scenes processing.

Ms Wood said she was guided by the manufacturer, however they work together on specific projects and colours.

"It's a lovely collaborative effort in that sense," she said.

With a new consumer focus on sustainability, fashion designers from all over the world have their eye on Merino wool, cementing the fibre's value in luxury.

And this is a vast difference from consumer attitudes towards wool products and wool clothing in the 1980s and 1990s.

"The '80s and '90s was that manufacturing boom, that fast fashion frenzy which has done a complete 180 now, we're more conscious of the environment and understanding.

"And I think it's come with the availability of social media and information sharing - it was just clothes on a rack with no back story.

"Businesses have to be accountable because information is so easily accessible.

"I think people have a new understanding and appreciation for natural fibres, slower fashion and quality over quantity."

The process of planning and designing started in 2011, envisioning a 'fresh, cute and colourful' interpretation of Australian wool products, which then launched properly in 2013.

The name 'Jude' is an alias of sorts, or persona to stand in for three special family members.

"Obviously Jude is very inspired by my family but I didn't want to name it after someone specific, because I felt that was too personal," Ms Wood said.

"But Jude represents three significant people, my grandmother, my grandfather and my step-grandfather.

"I loved Jude because it could be a male or female name, it's a persona I decided on that represented the people who inspired me to create the brand."