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Woolisthefiberderivedfromthehairofdomesticatedanimals,usuallysheep.
Mostofthefiberfromdomesticsheephastwoqualitiesthatdistinguishitfromhairorfur:itisscaledinsuchawaythatithelpstheanimalmoveoutburrsandseedsthatmightembedthemselvesintoitsskin;anditiscrimped,insomefleecesmorethan20bendsperinch.
Boththescalingandthecrimpmakeitpossibletospinandfeltthefleece.Theyhelptheindividualfibers"grab"eachothersothattheystaytogether.Theyalsomaketheproductretainheat,astheytrapheatintheirbends.Insulationalsoworksthebothways;bedouinsandtuaregsusewoolclothestokeeptheheatout.
Theamountofcrimpcorrespondswiththefinenessofthewoolfibers.Afinewoollikemerinomayhaveuptoahundredcrimpsperinch,wherethecoarserwoolslikekarakulmayhaveasfewasonetotwocrimpsperinch.
Hair,bycontrast,haslittleifanyscaleandnocrimpandlittleabilitytobindintoyarn.Onsheep,thehairpartofthefleeceiscalledkemp.Therelativeamountsofkemptowoolvaryfrombreedtobreed,andmakesomefleecesmoredesirableforspinning,feltingorcardingintobattsforquiltsorotherinsulatingproducts.
Woolgrowsinseveralnaturalcolorssuchasblack,brown(alsocalledmoorit)greyandthemostcommonlyavailablewhite.Woolofanycolortakesdyeeasilyandcanbefelted.
Woolstraightoffasheepishighlywater-resistant.Itissaidtobe"inthegrease",thegreasebeinglanolin,andcanbeworkedintoyarnandknitintowater-resistantmittens,asdidtheAranIslandfishermen.Woolretainsheatbetterthanmostfabricswhenwet.
Thespinningcapacityofwoolisdeterminedbythetechniqueknownaswoolclassing,wherebyaqualifiedwoolclassermightgroupwoolsofsimilargradingstogethertomaximisethereturnforafarmerwishingtoyieldthemostfromthesheep’sfleeces.
Astherawmaterialhasbeenreadilyavailablesincethewidespreaddomesticationofsheepandsimilaranimals,theuseofwoolforclothingandotherfabricsdatesbacktosomeoftheearliestcivilizations.Priortoinventionofshears-probablyintheIronAge-theyprobablypluckedthewooloutbyhandorbybronzecombs.
Inmedievaltimes,thewooltradewasseriousbusiness.Englishwoolexports-whichborderedonEuropeanmonopoly-wereasignificantsourceofincometothecrown.Overthecenturies,variousBritishlawscontrolledthewooltradeorrequiredtheuseofwooleveninburials.In1699EnglishcrownforbadeitsAmericancoloniestotradewoolwithanyoneelsebuttheEnglanditself.
IntheRenaissance,MedicisofFlorencebuilttheirwealthandbankingsystemonwooltradewiththeaidoftheArtedellaLana,thewoolguild.SpainallowedexportofMerinolambsonlywithroyalpermission.Germanwool-basedonsheepofSpanishorigin-beguntoovertakeBritishoneonlyattheendof19thcentury.Australia’scolonialeconomywasbasedonsheepraisingandAustralianwooltradeovertookGermansby1845.
AustraliaandNewZealandareleadingcommercialproducersofwool.MostofthewoolcomesfromtheMerinobreedofsheepwhenbreedsofLincolnandRomneyproducecoarserfibersthatareusuallyusedformakingcarpets.IntheUnitedStates,Texas,NewMexicoandColoradoalsohavelargecommercialsheepflocksandtheirmainstayistheRambouillet,orFrenchMerino.Thereisalsoathriving’homeflock’contigentofsmallscalefarmerswhoraisesmallhobbyflocksofspecialtysheepforthehandspinningmarket.Thesesmallscalefarmersmayraiseanytypeofsheeptheywish,sotheselectionoffleecesisquitewide.
Inadditiontoclothing,woolhasbeenusedforcarpeting,felt,andpadding.Woolfeltcoverspianohammersanditisusedtoabsorbodorsandnoiseinheavymachineryandstereospeakers.AncientGreekslinedtheirhelmetswithfeltandRomanlegionnairesusedbreastplatesmadeofwoolfelt.Woolisalsothemainingredientincreatingflannel.