Hi! Welcome to my wool blog. You might just say I’m kinda fanatical about wool. Actually, I just love wool clothing and accessories and the more I run into cool items and share them with friends, the more I feel like others would enjoy knowing that as well. So, I decided to do this and here you are.
There’s no doubt about it; wool is one of the best insulating fibers known to man. Imagine trying to warm up after a day on the slopes without your favorite wool sweater. Think how cold winter would feel without a wool blanket tucking you into bed. Versatile, temperature regulating, moisture wicking, and gorgeous.wool is the heavyweight champ of the fabric world.
It was only natural that mankind would want to imitate the sheep’s natural ability to stay dry and comfortable in pelting rain, freezing cold and even heat. For centuries, we’ve been doing just that, making sheep’s wool into all manner of clothing and textiles. But sheep aren’t the only animals to get into the wool act; angora rabbits, alpaca and the exotic camel all produce luxury “wool” fibers used in knitting yarns and fabrics.
The challenge lies in distinguishing one type of wool from another. Is camel hair finer than cashmere? Is mohair softer than merino? Shetland more luxurious than Super 100’s wool? Are manufacturers trying to pull the wool over your eyes? Certainly not! But it can be confusing. That’s why we’ve created this helpful Guide to Wool, so you can understand the benefits of one kind of wool over another and distinguish between the many types of wool fibers.
What’s So Great About Wool?
Wool is water resistant. The quality that distinguishes wool fibers from hair or fur is the presence of a hard, water-repellent outer layer that surrounds each hollow fiber, overlapping like shingles on a roof. The fiber’s core absorbs up to 30% of its weight in moisture vapor without becoming damp or clammy, while the hard outer layer protects against outside liquid moisture. Water is repelled, but humidity is absorbed, and that helps with thermal regulation.
Wool is moisture wicking. Besides keeping outside moisture away from the skin, wool also wicks away perspiration. When you sweat, that sweat cools your skin-which is not what you want when it’s cold outside. Wool fibers absorb perspiration and wick it away from your body, thus keeping you warm and dry.
Wool is a wonderful insulator. The crimp of the wool produces insulating air spaces that retain body heat. These warm air pockets next to the skin are kept dry while the hollow wool fibers absorb moisture vapors and the hard outer surface moves liquid moisture away from the body.
Wool regulates temperature and is breathable. Wool has a very wide comfort range, essential for adapting to changing weather conditions. This unique property makes wool the perfect fiber to be used in the production of outerwear, because it has the versatile ability to warm in colder conditions and cool in warmer conditions.
Wool blends well. Wool can be blended with many different natural and synthetic fibers to create a multitude of fabric options.
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