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.