Where does it come from: Wool is the soft dense hair, sheared from the coats of various types

of sheep and other mammals, including goats and alpaca. Wool from Merino Sheep is very popular these days. Vicuna, Ilama and Alpaca are all used for textiles; baby alpaca makes extremely soft wool. Cashmere comes from the Cashmere goat. Mohair fibre comes from the Angora goat and Angora fibre is taken from the Angora rabbit. Fibre Construction: Very similar to human hair wool is made of keratin, a long-chain molecule protein fibre. All animal fibres are chemically classified as natural protein fibres. Mostly made up of two separate components, which have different chemical structures causing them to spiral around each other in a bilateral structure. This makes the fibre very elastic. *******These notes address sheep's wool, the most common on the market.******* How is it processed: -Shearing the sheep with electric shears should be done with care to avoid injury and also to keep the coat intack. The coat is called the fleece and the legs are kept separate due to it being short and course. -Classing occurs after shearing and the fleece is graded into 4 qualitites (1-4=Best-Worst) based on Breed, Fineness, Diameter, Length, Crimp, Waviness, Sources, Origin and Most Suitable Application -Scouring, cleaning. 40% of original weight removed is lanolin oil, dirt and burs. -Processing, carding fleece and spinning fibres into yarn. Worsting makes yarns more smooth, while the woollen process makes yarns more course. -Finishing can include; anti-felting treatment, DWR water repellency, fulling (felting) and raising (teasing), permanent creasing, chemical moth proofing, flame retardance chemical additive, decatizing (heat, moisture, pressure process to improve lustre and stability), carbonizing (removing vegetable impurities with sulphuric acid).

-Wool material products range from; fleece, roving, batting, felt, yarn, thread, worsted and woollen fabrics. Fabrics include; Donegal, Flannel, Fleece, Shetland, Tartan and Tweed. -Wool blends well with synthetic fibres, such as polyester, acrylic and nylon. Blending reduces chance of felting and improves durability. The wool content must be 50% of higher to retain comfort characteristics. Wool blended with other natural fibres such as silk and cotton is certainly very nice, as well as with soother fine animal fibres. -Wool end products include fine and robust sportswear and outerwear, scarves, shawls, hats, socks, mitts, carpets, rugs, furniture coverings,

Dyeing: Wool is sensitive to PH and therefore require an acid for a dye to take. Vinegar is a common additive in the dyeing process. Commercial acid dyes are best suited for protein fibres such as wool. Natural dyes are beautiful on wool. The fibre construction causes wools to absorb dye very well (like a sponge).

Where it's processed today: Sheep are found in almost every country in the world. Most important wool producers are - Austrailia, Russia, New Zealand, China, Argentina, South Africa, Turkey, Great Britain, Uraguay and Pakistan. Organi wool is also produced in the USA (Colorado, Maine, New Jersey, Montana, New Mexico and Vermont) and Canada. There's also a growing cottage industry of producers, some of whom produce yarn and end products for sale.

History: Wool felts known 7000 years ago in China, Babylon and Egypt. The invention of cutting materials in the Iron Age made shearing possible. Instead of pulling.

Merino sheep bred in 14th century Spain. Sheep breeding began 18th century. Since the beginning of the 20th century wool production roughly doubled

Properties and Benefits: -Wool is a wonderful fibre for all season use. With a bad rap for it's itchy scratchy texture, wool comes in a variety of types that range from course to fine. Softness of wool determines its softness and comfort next to the skin. Varieties such as Merino and Rambouillet can be spun to be soft, lightweight, drape able and easy to care for. -Fine wool holds less air and is less insulating and can be considered "cool wool". Bulky wool provides more thermal insulation due to it's looser structure. -Excellent elasticity and rebound, though can be stretched out when wet. Wool can be formed into durable shapes with heat and moisture due to its molecular structure. -Wool has adequate strength, lower than many textiles. Strength can be improved through blending, such as with nylon or hemp. -Felting, the matting of fibres, is a result of friction, heat and moisture. The scales on the fibres surface hook onto each other. Advantageous for making felted fabrics and objects, disadvantageous for aftercare of clothing, etc. -Wool is hydroscopic - able to absorb 30% of it's weight in moisture without feeling wet. Perspiration is also neutralized by wool. -Wool is also hydrophobic, its surface is water repellent. Wet wool dries slowly. -Wool does not burn easily and is naturally flame retardant. Suitable for protective clothing. -Since fibres contain some moisture always the electrostatic charges developed are low. -New Zealand merino sheep are particularly prized for their soft and warm wool.

Care:

Typically best suited for hand wash or dry cleaning to avoid felting or fulling, however (chemically) treated wool is machine washable (further motes in environmental). Not much if any pressing required, iron on low with steam or damp cloth. Wool stretches when wet, lay flat to dry. Should not be dired in a dryer, direct sunlight or over direct heat. Do not bleach.

Labelling: New or Virgin Wool labelled wool is shorn from living sheep. Pure Wool labelling can indicate products made from recovered wool. Lambs wool is from the first shearing, after 6mths.

Organic Certification: Organic wool requirements are as follows:

Livestock feed and forage used from the last third of gestation must be certified organic. Use of synthetic hormones and genetic engineering is prohibited. Producers must encourage livestock health through good cultural and management practices (e.g. no sheep dipping in insecticides to control external parasites such as ticks and lice, and no overgrazing). Certification by a third party to an organic standard.

Third-party certification organizations verify that organic producers use only methods and materials allowed in organic production. The Organic Trade Association has developed standards that apply to the processing of organic wool.
According to the Organic Trade Association, In order for wool to be certified as organic, it must be produced in accordance with federal standards for organic livestock production.

Additional Environmental notes:

-Wool is biodegradable and fully renewable. -Wool requires no pesticides since sheep, similar to goats, are able to graze successfully on a variety of grasses and other plants. -Wool cloth is usually treated to be machine washable, i.e. it won't felt, or full. The treatment that removes the minuscule barbed scales is chlorine pretreatment followed by a thin polymer coating to make the fibres smooth preventing the barbed scales on the fibres from interlocking (felting). This method is high in toxic wastewater deadly to humans (at levels below 1 part per trillion) and, while the final product is not hazardous to the wearer, it is not environmentally sound. Thankfully it's becoming more common to see chlorine-free wool which is treated with alternatives such as ozone and hydrogen peroxide. (Further reading http://www.cl2.com/)

Additional Ethical notes: -There's a lot of ethical controversy on the raising and shearing of sheep for wool. Organic certification is important for animal ethics more so than human health - though proper waste disposal affects environmental health, which of course affects human health. -New Zealand merino - New Zealand does not support mulesing (a very controversial surgical task that involves the removal of strips of woolbearing skin from around the breech (buttocks) of a sheep to prevent flystrike (myiasis).