Wool was probably
the first animal fiber to be
made into cloth. The art of
spinning wool into yarn
developed about 4000 B.C. and
encouraged trade among the
nations in the region of the
Mediterranean Sea.
The first wool factory in
England was established in 50
A.D. in Winchester by the
Romans. In 1797, the British
brought 13 Merino sheep to
Australia and started the the
country's Merino sheep industry.
There are 40
different breeds of sheep in the
world producing a rough estimate
of 200 types of wool with
varying standards. The major
wool producers in the world are
Australia, Argentina, China and
South Africa.
Production of
Wool :
The processing of wool involves
four major steps. First comes
shearing, followed by sorting
and grading, making yarn and
lastly, making fabric.
In
most parts of the world, sheep
are sheared once a year, in
early spring or early summer.
The best wool comes from the
shoulders and sides of the
sheep.
This is followed by grading and
sorting, where workers remove
any stained, damaged or inferior
wool from each fleece and sort
the rest of the wool according
to the quality of the fibers.
Wool fibers are judged not only
on the basis of their strength
but also by their fineness
(diameter), length, crimp
(waviness) and color
The wool is then scoured with
detergents to remove the yolk
and such impurities as sand and
dust. After the wool dries, it
is carded. The carding process
involves passing the wool
through rollers that have thin
wire teeth. The teeth untangle
the fibers and arrange them into
a flat sheet called a web. The
web is then formed into narrow
ropes known as silvers.
Care of your woolen garment :
It
is better to hand wash your
woolen products. Shampoos can be
used to wash such garments. Use
a good shampoo not one
containing "crème rinse". If
shampoo can clean your hair
without leaving residues, it can
clean your woolen products too.
Be careful of what softener you
use because softeners may add
products to your wool. Some
types of softeners may leave a
coating on the fiber making it
feel softer and smoother, but at
the same time causing your wool
to lose its absorbency.
1)It is hard wearing and absorbs
moisture.
2)It does not burn over a flame
but smolders instead.
3)It is lightweight and
versatile.
4)Wool does not wrinkle easily.
5)It is resistant to dirt and
wear and tear.
Uses :
Wool is used to make sweaters,
dresses, coats, suits, jackets,
pants and the lining of boots.
It
can also be made into blankets
and carpets.
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