Wool Manufacturing Process

Spinning wool into yarn mostly likely began around 4000 B.C.. with the first wool factory established in Winchester, England, in A.D. 50. Nowadays, about 40 breeds of sheep produce about 200 types of wool throughout the world. The major countries for production are Australia, China and New Zealand.

  1. Shearing Sheep

    • Shearers in most countries shear sheep once a year, either in the early spring or early summer. Experienced shearers can manage up to 200 sheep in one day, obtaining from six to 18 pounds of fleece per sheep. Preferably, they obtain wool in one piece, with the best wool coming from the shoulders and sides of the animal. Although new technologies are now available, incorporating computers and robot-controlled arms, most shearers continue to clip by hand.

    Grading &Sorting Wool

    • Workers begin by removing any wool that has stains, damage or is of inferior quality. They then break up the fleece and grade the remaining wool on the quality of its fibers from each part of the body. The higher quality wool makes clothing, while the lower quality wool, from the sheep's legs, produces rugs. Workers judge quality based on the strength, fineness, length, crimp and color of the fibers.

    Scouring Wool

    • The raw, or grease, wool (untreated wool taken straight from the sheep) contains sand, dirt, grease and suint (dried sweat). These substances make up between 30 percent and 70 percent of the fleece before it is clean. Workers scour the wool with detergent to remove these contaminants.

    Carding &Drawing Wool

    • Dried wool passes through rollers with metal teeth that disentangles fibers and lays them into a flat web in a process called carding. Carded wool for worsted yarn then goes through a gilling and combing process that involves the separation of long from short fibers. The procedure of drawing compacts the slimmer fibers.

    Spinning Wool

    • Spun fibers form threads of yarn, each consisting of two, three or four strands. Fibers easily attach to each other, meaning it is easy for spinners to join, extend and spin the wool into yarn. Woolen yarn uses a mule spinning machine, while spinners produce worsted yarn on a variety of machines. After spinning, they wrap the yarn around bobbins, cones or commercial drums.

    Weaving Fabric

    • Manufacturers weave woolen yarn using a plain weave and worsted yarn with a twill. The twill weave produces elegant patterns, and is more tightly woven than the plain weave. These fabrics are more expensive and durable than those of the woolen yarn.

    Finishing Fabrics

    • To finish, the yarn is subject to a number of processes. The weaver wets the fabric and passes it through rollers, in a procedure called fulling. The fibers shrink, allowing them to interlock and gain strength and thickness. Worsteds additionally require crabbing to permanently fix the interlock. Here, the manufacturer places the fabric in boiling water followed by cold water. Dyeing can take place during finishing or before the carding process.