Wool is an amazing fiber!

Wool provides the most warmth with the least weight.
• Keeps you warm, even when it is wet.
• Absorbs water vapor, but repels water.
• Wool can hold 30% of its weight in moisture and not feel damp.
• Insulates against colder or hotter air.
• Fiber crimp gives fabric greater bulk, and holds air, so the fabric retains heat. It impedes heat transfer, so is a good insulator fabric.

Wool is durable
• Elasticity of the fiber gives more durability.
• Resiliency of the fiber to spring back to original shape after being under tension.
• Fiber can stretch 1/3 of its length without breaking.

Wool is soil resistant
• The fiber surface covered with overlapping scales keeps dirt from going through fleece. The sheep’s skin keeps clean.
• Wool is easy to clean as the dirt does not penetrate the fiber.

Wool is not flammable.

There are many different sheep breeds worldwide, each with it own fleece characteristics and uses.
• Breeds: fine wools, long wools, multi-coated
• Variations in fiber length, fineness and luster
• Wool can be carded into batts, spun into yarn for knitting and weaving, or felted…
• Used for clothing, coats, hats, shoes, blankets, mattresses, comforters, rugs, insulation, yurts…
The dark yarn in this sweater was hand spun and knit from one of my fleeces by a friend.
Yarn spun and knit from my fleeces.
The fleece on the center back of three different sheep.
New born lambs
I would worry about ewes birthing in very cold spring weather, especially at night, and the wet lambs getting cold, hyperthermic and dying.

Then I realized…
lambs are born with “beautiful thick wool coats” which keep them warm even when they are wet!
Left is outside, lower right is cut sheared side of fleece.