Wool is obtained from the fleece, that is, the hair of sheep or yak. Sheep are the main source of wool fibre and the commonly available wool in the market is also sheep wool. However, sheep are not the only source of wool. There are several other sources.

 

Let us know about these sources and the regions in which they are commonly found.

 

Yak wool is common in Tibet and Ladakh. Angora woolis obtained from angora goats which are found in the hilly regions of Jammu and Kashmir. You must have heard about the Pashmina shawls, the wool that goes in the manufacture of these fine shawls is obtained from goat hair. It is the soft underfur of the Kashmiri goat which is used for weaving these shawls.

 

The wool fibre comes from sheep, goats, yak, and some other animals. These wool-yielding animals bear hair on their body. Like us, the hairy skin of the sheep has two types of fibers that form its fleece: 

 

1. The coarse beard hair
2. The fine soft under-hair close to the skin. 

 

The fine hair provides the fibers for making wool. Some breeds of sheep possess only fine under-hair. Their parents are specially chosen to give birth to sheep who have only soft under hair. This process of selecting parents for obtaining special characters in their offspring, such as soft under hair in sheep, is termed �selective breeding�. 

 

Several breeds of sheep are found in different parts of our country. However, the fleece of sheep is not the only source of wool, though wool fibre commonly available in the market is sheep wool. Yak wool is common in Tibet and Ladakh.

 

The fur (hair) on the body of camels is also used as wool fibre Llama and Alpaca, found in South America, also yield wool. Camel is another source for obtaining wool. The hair or fur on the body of the camel is used to prepare wool. Llama and Alpaca, found in South America, are other interesting examples of animals that yield wool.

 

Processing fibres into wool

 

You are already aware that wool is obtained from the hair of different animals like sheep, goats, camels, etc. You must be wondering how this wool is processed and eventually converted into shawls, sweaters, and other woolen clothes. The processing of wool involves several steps.

 

Let us look at these steps one by one.

 

Step 1: In this step, the fleece of sheep along with a thin layer of skin is removed from its body. The process is known as Shearing and is carried out by machines similar to those used by barbers. Sheep are usually sheared during hot weather so that they could survive without their protective coat of hair.

 

Step 2: The next step involves cleaning the sheared skin and hair to remove the grease, dust, and dirt from them. This is carried out in big tanks and is called Scouring.

 

Step 3: After scouring, the hairy skin is sent to a factory where the fleece is separated according to its texture and type. This process is called Sorting.

 

Step 4: In this step, the small fluffy fibers called the Burrs are picked out from the hair. The fibers are then scoured again and dried. This wool is now ready to be drawn into fibers.

 

Step 5: In this step, the fibres that are usually black, brown, or white in color are dyed in various colors.

 

Step 6: Finally, the dyed fibers are straightened, combed, and rolled into yarn. The longer fibers are made into wool fibre for sweaters while the shorter fibers are spun and woven into woolen cloth.

 

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