We’ve worn wool for millennia. Socks from ancient Egypt, cloaks of the Medieval period, Fair Isle vests from the 1920’s, and the slightly itchy touques your Grandma may have made you - it’s all from the same, glorious animal. Sheep! There are over 1,200 breeds of domestic sheep in the world.
Wool has natural waterproofing properties, making it the main choice of garment for workers, especially those in the fishing industry. A sheep produces a natural oil called Lanolin. It’s the main ingredient in the moisture absorbing process. The lanolin keeps fluids away from the skin, and absorbs any moisture from the environment. It can easily absorb 30% of its weight in moisture before starting to feel damp. If you (or someone you know) is allergic to wool, it is more likely that there is a sensitivity to the lanolin, not the wool!
Wool, before it is spun into yarn, is graded by microns. A micron (also known as a micrometer) is the diameter of the wool fibre. The less microns, the smaller the diameter, the softer the wool. For comparison, a human hair, on average, is about 60 microns. A wool that is classified as coarse is measured at 24 microns or thicker.
B.C. has a small-scale, but ever-growing sheep industry, covering a wide selection of both meat and fibre sheep. We’re focusing on the fibre sheep today.
The Bluefaced Leicester, originally exported to Canada as a meat sheep, has skyrocketed in popularity within the spinning and knitting communities due to its average micron count of 26. It is renowned for its physical lightness. Plus, they are bald on their head and neck. It makes for a fun looking sheep!
Corriedale sheep are another popular breed. They are a 19th century experiment by New Zealand farmers, who crossbred Merino sheep with British longwool breeds. They have an average count of 24.5 - 31.5 microns.
Cotswold sheep are a heritage breed in Canada, and are known as “Gentle Giants.” They are friendly, have fantastic fleeces, and the wool fibres are extremely long! An average staple of wool is 2 - 3 inches, but the Cotswold staple length is 8 -12 inches. The micron count is often between 37 and 40.
There is so much more to be said about wool, but nothing will ever prove better than actually touching the fibre.
