100% Sheep Wool: Merino, Peruvian Highland, Norwegian, Lambswool, Superwash, Stretch, and Blends

Herd of Sheep (a detail), Ivan Shishkin (1832-1898).

There are two main types of wool yarn: worsted and woolen (woollen). They are determined by the type of wool used to spin them, the preparation of the wool, and the way the wool is spun. • Worsted yarns are spun from long fibers of similar length lying parallel to each other. Worsted yarns are smooth, firm, and strong, and have a characteristic sheen, especially when spun from a lustrous fleece. • Woolen yarns are spun from rolags. The wool fiber for woolens is usually shorter than one used for worsted preparation.

There are three main groups of wool: Fine Wools, Longwools, and Down Wools. The quality of wool is determined by the following factors: fiber fineness, length, scale structure, color, cleanliness, and freedom from damage. Long Wools are valued for their luster and strength, the Down Wools - for being bulky but without weight, having maximum elasticity and resilience. Fine Wools are the softest, with more elasticity and loft, and slightly lustrous.

The finest wool yarns are made from the fleece of the following sheep breeds: Merino, Rambouillet, Debouillet, then Cormo, Comeback, CVM (California Variegated Mutant), Dormer, Polwarth, Falkland, Patagonia Sheep, Romeldale, Targhee, Zenith, Corriedale, Columbia, NZ Halfbred, and others. Each breed grows fleece with a characteristic crimp pattern - the natural waviness or curl of the wool fibers. - Reference: In Sheep's Clothing, N. and J. Fournier.

The most popular breed in the US is Cormo. This is an Australian sheep breed developed by crossing large-framed Merino rams with a British longwood breed. Cormo sheep have a fine, soft, heavy fleece, and are used for woollen and worsted fabrics, handknitting yarns, and felts.

Global wool production is approximately 1.3 million tones per annum, 60% of which goes into apparel. Australia, China and New Zealand are leading commercial producers of wool. Most Australian wool comes from the merino breed. Breeds such as Lincoln and Romney produce coarser fibres, and the wool of these sheep is usually used for making carpets.

Take a step-by-step wool processing virtual tour in one of the biggest and oldest Canadian producers of sheep's wool: Briggs & Little Mills ». In Sheep's Clothing », a comprehensive guide to wool - hundred of breeds of sheep are described, with special attention to their fleeced characteristics, methods of preparation and spinning, and best end use. Did you know? Researchers have found that nine months is all it takes for Merino wool garments to biodegrade.

No Sheep Died in the Making of My Wool Sweater by Kevin Callan, Explore Magazine: "I like wearing wool. Some may think it’s because I’m too cheap to buy some of the "fancier" fabrics on the market, or that I'm too "traditional" to go beyond wearing an old wool sweater. But that's not it at all. Wool generally keeps you dry when wet, unlike a lot of other materials. The new-age stuff is also incredibly light-weight, so there’s no need to dress up in an over-sized sweater your grandmother knitted you a dozen or so years ago for Christmas. My favorite wool gears are high performance thermal undergarments..." Read more & YouTube Video »

 

Alpaca Superlight, Lang Angora, Lang Aquarella, Malabrigo Arequipa, Estelle Aurora Handpaints Cadenza , Estelle Cashmere Tweed, Lang Cloud 9, Cascade Cool Wool 2000, Lana Grossa Cool Wool Seta, Lana Grossa Dancing con Lurex Dancing Queen EcoDuo, Cascade Evita Merino, Katia

Falk, Dale of Norway Gobi, Lang Jawoll Bambus, Lang Jewel, Cascade Lambgora, Orkney Angora Lanalux, Lang Magnum, Cascade Merino 2000, Lana Grossa Merino Soy, Makalu Merino Worsted, Malabrigo Mulberry Merino, Diamond Nadeshiko, Noro Pashmina, Lana Grossa Pastaza, Cascade

Rialto Lace, Debbie Bliss Rios, Malabrigo Runo Mira, Makalu Schafwolle, Schoeller+Stahl Silk Dream, Lang Silk Road Aran, Jo Sharp Silky Merino Handspun Snuggle, Alpaca Yarn Co. Tosca Jaspé, Lang Woolly Merino, Sublime Yak, Lang Yuzen, Noro

Artisan, Handspun, and Artisan-Style:
Dancing con Lurex • Dancing Queen • Evita Merino • Runo Mira • Silky Merino Handspun • Yuzen

Silky Merino:
Cadenza Paint • Cool Wool Seta • Mulberry Merino • Silk Dream • Silk Road Aran • Silky Merino Handspun

Acrylic-Wool Blends »
Final Sale, Clearance »
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Lambswool, Lambgora

LAMBGORA by Orkney Angora FIBRE: 50% Lambswool, 50% Angora YARN WEIGHT: Double Knit TENSION: 10x10cm (4"): 20 sts / 24 rows NEEDLES: recommended 3.75 mm (US No.5) LENGTH: approx. 200 m / 223 yards BALL WEIGHT: 50g * hand wash | made in Scotland

AURORA HANDPAINTS by Orkney Angora FIBRE: 30% Lambswool, 70% Angora YARN WEIGHT: Fingering TENSION: 10x10cm (4"): 28 sts / 36 rows NEEDLES: 3.5 - 3.75 mm (US No. 5-6) LENGTH: approx. 200 m / 225 yards BALL WEIGHT: 25g * hand wash | made in Scotland

100% Merino and Blends

AQUARELLA by Malabrigo FIBRE: 100% Hand Dyed Pure Merino Wool YARN WEIGHT: Super Chunky TENSION: 1" = 2.25 sts NEEDLES: 7 - 9 mm (US No. 10-13) LENGTH: approx. 60 m / 65 yards HANK WEIGHT: 100 g * hand wash | made in Uruguay

COOL WOOL MERINO 2000 by Lana Grossa FIBRE: 100% Virgin Merino extra fine YARN WEIGHT: Double Knit TENSION: 10x10cm (4"): 24 sts / 34 rows NEEDLES: 3.5 - 4 mm (US No.5-6) LENGTH: approx. 160 m / 178 yards BALL WEIGHT: 50g * hand or machine wash | made in Italy

MERINO WORSTED by Malabrigo FIBRE: 100% Kettle Dyed Pure Merino Wool YARN WEIGHT: Heavy Worsted / Aran TENSION: 1" = 4.5 sts NEEDLES: 4.5 - 5 mm (US No.7-8) LENGTH: approx. 201 m / 210 yards BALL WEIGHT: 100g * hand wash | made in Uruguay

RIALTO LACE by Debbie Bliss FIBRE: 100% Extra Fine Merino Wool Superwash YARN WEIGHT: Lace TENSION: 10x10 (4"): 33 sts / 50 rows NEEDLES: 2.75 mm (US No. 2) LENGTH: approx. 390 m / 410 yards BALL WEIGHT: 50g * machine wash | made in Italy

RÍOS by Malabrigo FIBRE: 100% Hand Dyed Pure Merino Superwash YARN WEIGHT: Heavy Worsted TENSION: 1" = 4.5 sts NEEDLES: 4.25 - 5 mm (US No.6-8) LENGTH: approx. 200 m / 210 yards BALL WEIGHT: 100g * machine wash | made in Uruguay

COOL WOOL SETA by Lana Grossa FIBRE: 70% Merino extra fine, 30% Silk YARN WEIGHT: Double Knit TENSION: 10x10cm (4"): 22 sts / 28 rows NEEDLES: 3.5 - 4 mm (US No. 5-6) LENGTH: approx. 140 m / 162 yds BALL WEIGHT: 50g * hand wash | made in Italy

CADENZA Paint by Estelle FIBRE: 80% Superwash Merino Wool, 20% Tussah Silk YARN WEIGHT: Sport TENSION: 10x10 (4"): 30 sts / 36 rows NEEDLES: 2.5 - 3.5 mm (US No.0-1) LENGTH: approx. 350 m / 409 yards BALL WEIGHT: 100g * machine wash | made in Peru

PASHMINA by Linea Rossa FIBRE: 78% Merino extrafine, 22% Cashmere YARN WEIGHT: Worsted TENSION: 10x10cm (4"): 20 sts/ 24 rows NEEDLES: 4.25 - 4.5 mm (US No.6-7) LENGTH: approx. 125 m / 139 yds BALL WEIGHT: 50g * hand wash | made in Italy

GOBI by Lang FIBRE: 70% Merino extra fine, 30% Baby Camel YARN WEIGHT: Aran TENSION: 10x10 (4"): 17 sts / 26 rows NEEDLES: 4.5 - 5.5 mm (US No. 8-9) LENGTH: approx. 90 m / 102 yrd BALL WEIGHT: 50 g * hand wash | made in Italy

MERINO SOY by Makalu FIBRE: 70% Merino Wool, 30% Soy YARN WEIGHT: Worsted TENSION: 10x10cm (4"): 22 sts / 30 rows NEEDLES: 4 mm (US No. 6) LENGTH: 128 m / 131 yards HANK WEIGHT: 50 g * hand wash | made in China

EVITA MERINO by Katia FIBRE: 70% Virgin Merino Wool, 30% Synthetic Fur YARN WEIGHT: Bulky or Fancy TENSION: 10x10cm (4"): n/a NEEDLES: 8 mm (US No. 12-13) LENGTH: 60 m / 68 yards SKEIN WEIGHT: 100 gr * hand wash | made in Spain

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