Wool Fibre from Sheep
The Merino is an economically influential breed of sheep
prized for its wool. Merinos are regarded as having some of the finest and
softest wool of any sheep.
Following are the common breeds of Merino Sheep:
- Booroola Merino
- Delaine Merino
- Fonthill Merino
- German Mutton Merino
- Medium-Wool Merino
- Merinolandschaf
- Poll Merino
- South African Merino
The sheep
was one of the first animals to be domesticated over 8000 years ago. Sheep were
usually seen with humans on the move because they could be herded easily and
they provided humans with their basic needs – food, clothing, and shelter. For
the early Stone Age hunter, the fleece served as a tunic or sleeveless shirt,
worn just as it came from the animal’s back. The first weavers used reeds, threads
or grass to make baskets and nets. By Neolithic times, a simple loom had been
invented and the art of weaving was well on its way.
As early as
4000 B.C. wool clothing was worn in Babylon, Babylon means “Land of Wool”.
Fifteen hundred years later, nations of the East began to trade wool, thus
making it one of the early items of international trade.
From Fiber to Fabric
Once each year the sheep can give us the coats off their
backs. The wool is removed with shears similar to those a barber uses. This
process of shearing does not hurt the sheep. In about five minutes the wool is
shorn from the sheep in a single piece, called the fleece. The fleece is
carefully rolled and tied for bagging. Most shearing is done between February
and June, just before lambing. Most shearers move from ranch to ranch. A good
shearer can shear from 80 to 125 head of sheep a day. A highly trained expert
can shear up to 225 head of sheep in one day.
Fleeces are rolled up and tied, then packed into sacks.
These sacks hold between 20 and 35 fleeces (of 4-12 lbs each) and weigh an
average of 200 to 400 pounds. From this step, the processing of the wool
begins.
The wool is washed by moving it gently with rakes through a
series of tubs containing a soap and water solution heated to about 140°F. It
is then rinsed. During the washing, process wool loses 30 to 70 percent of its
weight when natural grease (lanolin) and soil are removed. After washing, the
wool is passed through a series of squeeze rollers and finally dried. The
purified lanolin by-product is used in face creams, soaps, and other ointments.
Wool can be dyed at several stages in the processing – after
it has been washed, in which case it is called stock-dyed wool; after spinning,
when it is referred to as yarn-dyed wool; or after weaving or knitting when it
is called piece-dyed. Because wool is a porous fiber, color tints are absorbed
right into its core to give rich and lasting hues.
Carding blends wool fibers remove vegetable
matter and straighten the fibers so they will lie in the same direction. This
is done by passing the wool through a system of rollers covered with wire teeth
which form the fibers into a thin web. If the wool fibers are to be made into
fabric, the web is divided into strips which are rubbed together gently to form
the “roving” or “sliver.”
Spinning draws strips of roving through small
rollers, applying a twist that gives the resulting yarn strength and size. The
difference in size, twist, and ply give the woven fabric different texture
which is part of fabric design.
Woven fabrics are made on looms by interlacing at least two
sets of yarn at right angles to each other (put another way, weaving involves
two pieces of yarn running in different directions, one up and down, and one
across). The lengthwise (or up and down) yarn is the warp. Yarn running
crosswise in the loom is called weft or filling. As warp yarn passes through
the loom it is raised and lowered by a wire eyelet through which it is
threaded. To form the woven fabric, filling yarn is pushed through openings
created in the warp.
As the fabric comes from the loom it has a loose texture.
Fulling or milling by the application of moisture, heat, and friction causes
the material to shrink and thus tighten the weave. The fabric can then be
napped by a metal brushing process, or sheared to give a smooth, uniform
appearance
Processes in the Wool
Industry
BY-PRODUCT – something produced in addition to
the main product. In the case of sheep, wool and meat are the major products.
Other products that come from the sheep are lanolin for cosmetics; hides and
skins for leather goods; gelatin for photographic film; animal fat for soap and
special glues and medicines – to name only a few.
CARDING – blending and straightening out the
wool fibers.
DYEING – to impart color to something.
FLEECE – coat or wool covering a sheep.
FULLING – applying moisture, heat, and friction
to wool fabric to cause the weave to tighten.
