صوف . (ع اِ) پشم گوسفند. (منتهی الارب ) (ترجمان علامه ٔ علائی ) (مهذب
الاسماء). پشم ، عِهْن . ج ، اَصواف . پشم بعضی حیوانات . (غیاث اللغات ). در اختیارات
بدیعی آرد: به پارسی پشم خوانند و طبیعت آن گرم و خشک بود و نیکوترین آن نرم بود و
پشم سوخته خشک بود در سیم و مجفف . صفت سوختن آن مانند سوختن ابریشم بود بگیرند دیگ
آهنی یاکواریی نو، و کواری دیگ سفالی را گویند بزبان شیرازی و اگر کواری بود بهتر بود
و پشم را بشویند و شانه کنند و در دیگ نهند و بر سر آتش نهند و طبقی که سوراخ داشته
باشد بر سر آن نهند تا آن زمان که سوخته گردد. ریشها را نافع بود و گوشت زیاد که در
ریشها بود بخورد و پشم ناسوخته که چرکین باشد چون با زیت و سرکه تر کنند و با شراب
ضماد کنند با جراحتهای چرکین در ابتداء آن ، موافق بود و بر جائی که ضرب زده باشند
یااستخوان شکسته باشد همچنین و چون با سرکه و روغن گل تر کنند صداع و درد چشم و مجموع
اعضا را نافع بود وشریف گوید: خرقه ٔ صوف چون بر گردن روندگان بندند خستگی بر ایشان
کار نکند و هیچ زحمت نرسد. رازی گوید: چون بپوشند صوفی که گوشت آن گرگ خورده باشد،
حکه در بدن آن کس پیدا گردد. (اختیارات بدیعی )
پشم . [ پ َ ] (اِ) موی [ نرم ] که بر تن حیوانات چون شتر و گوسفند و بز روید.
صوف . عهن . طَحَرَة. طَحرَة. طِحْریَّه . دف . سدین . وَبَر.عَثن . (منتهی الارب
). در کتاب قاموس مقدس آمده است که در میان قوم یهود پشم بجهت لباس بسیار معمول
بود و پشم دمشق در بازار صور بسیار مشهور بود...
صُهابی ؛
پشم که سپیدی آنرا سرخی آمیخته باشد. (منتهی الارب ). هفو؛ برباد پریدن پشم و
مانند آن . هرمول ؛ پاره ٔ پر و پشم باقیمانده . صهایح ؛ پشم که سخت سپید نباشد.
تذریة؛ ماندن پاره ای از پشم بر گوسپند جهت نشان . ذئبان ؛ باقی مو و باقی پشم بر
گردن و لب شتر. صوفه ؛ پشم گوسپند. صائف ، اصوف ، صوفانی ؛ بسیارپشم . جَحَشَة؛
پشمی که بر دست پیچیده ریسند. مِرعِزّ؛ مویهای ریزه ٔ بن پشم گوسپند. صوف
مُقَلفِع؛ پشم چرکین . مِرق ؛ پشم بوی بد گرفته . قُص و قَصَص ؛ پشم بریده ٔ
گوسفند. جِزّه ؛ پشم بریده و برهم پیچیده . الباد؛ پشم برآوردن و آماده ٔ فربهی
شدن شتران . اِملاس ؛ پشم ریختن گوسپند. انسال ؛ فروآوردن پشم و فکندن آنرا. تنفیش
؛ واخیدن پنبه و پشم و موی . منح ؛پشم و شیر و بچه ناقه خاص کردن جهة کسی .
لُبْدَة؛ پشم و صوف درهم شده و برهم چفسیده . لِبُدَة؛ پشم که در یکدیگر درآمده و
برهم چفسیده باشد. مُوَارَة؛ پشم که وقت زدن بیفتد. کِفل ؛ پشم که سپس ریختن پشم
برآید. جزجزة؛ پاره ای از پشم و گوی رنگین از پشم که بر هودج آویزند. جِزیزة؛ پاره
ای از پشم . لِبْد؛ هر پشم و موی نشسته برچفسیده . لَبَد، طَثرَة؛ پشم گوسپند.
طَرّ؛ پشم نو برآمده . عُثکولة؛ پشم و جز آن که جهت زینت به هودج و مانند آن
آویزند و از باد بجنبد. قِشبِر؛بدترین پشم . قَرثَعَه ، قَرثَع؛ پشم ریز ستور.
هدلَقة؛ پشم زیر زنخ شتر. عَبعَبَة؛ پشم گوسفند سرخ رنگ . عطم ؛ پشم رنگین زده .
عفریة و عفری ؛ پشم پیشانی ستور. عنکث ؛ پشم انبوه برهم نشسته . عقیق ؛ پشم شتربچه
. (منتهی الارب ).
یون . (ترکی ، اِ) به معنی مطلق پشم استعمال شود. (انجمن آرا) (آنندراج ).
کلمه ٔ ترکی است ، اوحدی آن را استعمال کرده است . (یادداشت مؤلف ). به معنی پشم
ظاهراً فارسی باشد، چه بزیون راکه سندس یا نوعی سندس است از مرغزی کنند که پشم نرم
زیر موی بز است و بز معز و ماعز است . رجوع به تاج العروس ذیل کلمه ٔ سندوس شود.
(یادداشت مؤلف ). یونک .
/////////////
صوف.
پارسی پشم خوانند طبیعت آن گرم و خشک بود بهترین آن گرم بود و سوخته وی خشک
بود در سئوم و مجفف بود و صفت سوختن وی مانند ابریشم بود بگیرند در دیگی آهنی یا کواری
نو بهتر بود و پشم را بشویند و بشانه زنند و در دیگ نهند و طبقی بر سر آن نهند و بر
سر آتش نهند و باید که طبق را سوراخی بود تا آن زمان که سوخته گردد ریشها را نافع بود
و گوشت زیاده که در ریشها بود بخورد و پشم ناسوخته چون چرکن باشد چون با سرکه و زیت
تر کنند یا به شراب ضماد کنند بر جراحتهای چرکن موافق بود و بر جایی که ضربی زده باشد
یا استخوان شکسته باشد همچنین و همچنین با سرکه و روغن گل تر کنند صداع و درد چشم و
درد مجموع اعضا را نافع بود ضماد کردن و شریف گوید که چون خرقه صوف بر گردن روندگان
بندند خستگی بر ایشان کار نکند و هیچ زحمت نرسد و چون پشمزده در میان انگشتان دست
و پای که شق کرده باشد نهند شقاق آن زایل کند و باید که یکشبانهروز رها کنند پس بیرون
آورند و دیگربار مکرر کنند تا زود زایل کند و رازی که چون بپوشند صوفی که گوشت آن گرگ
خورده باشد حکه در بدن آنکس پیدا گردد و دیمقراطیس گوید ریسمان پشمین در گردن گاوی
تند بندند زبون گردد و عاجز شود
اختیارات بدیعی، ص: 274
////////////////
ألياف الصوف نحصل على ألياف الصوف من جزة صوف الخراف والحملان أو من شعر ماعز الأنغورا أو الكشمير (ويمكن أن يتضمن مايسمى ألياف
خاصة فريدة الخواص تأتي من شعر الجمل، والألبكة،واللاما، الفكونة).
ألياف الصوف
تصنع في جلد الحيوانات لتحميها من الحرارة، والبرد، والشمس، والريح، والمطر. وقد
عرفته الشعوب منذ القدم، إذ قام الإنسان باختراع أداة صغيرة تسمى المغزل، فتلبواسطتها ألياف الصوف وحولها إلى خيوط
من صوف الحيوان ثم صنع له نولاً ونسج الخيوط لتعطي النسيج
الصوفي.
الإنتاج العالمي السنوي لألياف الصوف
الخاصة في عام 1990، يبلغ تقريباً 32 طن من الألياف المنظفة، منها 22 طن من ألياف
الموهير، و 4.25 طن من ألياف الكشمير، و 1 طن من ألياف الألبكا. ولا يتوفر سنوياً
أكثر من 454 كغ. فالألياف الصوفية الخاصة أكثر كلفة من صوف الخراف، وتستخدم في
الألبسة الفاخرة، المعاطف، والألبسة الرسمية. الخروف هو معمل لألياف يعمل 24 ساعة
في اليوم، حيث ينمو كل ليف بمقدار 2 ملم في اليوم. وخروف المارينو (نوع خاص من
الخراف موجود غالبا في أستراليا ونيوزيلاندا)
ينتج سنوياً
حوالي 8850 كم من الصوف، بمعدل 1 كم في الساعة. وألياف خمسة خراف مارينو متصلة
ببعضها البعض يمكن أن تحيط بالكرة
الأرضية.[1]
/////////////////
به پنجابی اون:
اون اک کپڑا بنان آلی پھٹی اے جیڑے پیڈاں تے کج اور ڈنگراں توں ملدی اے۔ ایہ والاں تے فر توں وکھری ہوندی اے تے ایدے نال رضائیاں تے گرم کپڑے بناۓ جاندے نیں۔
///////////
به
اردو اون:
اون (انگریزی:
Wool) ریشےدار (تخمی) لحمیات سے بنا مادہ ہے جو خاص قسم کی جلد کے خلیوں سے نکلتا ہے. اون پالتو بھیڑوں سے حاصل کیا جاتا ہے. لیکن بکری، ياک وغیرہ جیسے جانوروں کے بالوں سے بھی
اون بنایا جا سکتا ہے. کپڑا بنانے کے لیے دنیا بھر میں کپاس کی بعد اون کی سب سے زیادہ اہمیت ہے.
اس کے ریشے گرمائش جذب کرتے ہیں، اس لیے زیادہ تر اس سے تیار ہونے والا کپڑا سرد موسم میں پہنا جاتا ہے.
//////////////
به عبری:
/////////////
به آذری یون:
Yun — bəzi məməli
heyvanların dərisinin üstünü örtən və heyvandan (adətən qoyun, dəvə və s.)
qırxılan tüklər.
//////////////
به کردی هری:
Hirî
pirça (pûrta) çermê hin ajalan re dibêjin. Kurd ji ya mihê re hirî, ya bizinê
re mû dibêjin. Hirî di cûmkerîyê de tê bikaranîn. Kurd bi giranî ji guşên mihê
bidestdixin.
Hiriya
bi hevringê (cew) tê birrîn ji ya tê rûçikandin baştir e. Hevringên nûjen bi
motorê yan elektrîkê dixebitin. Ji hiriyê cilûberg, bestirên tekstîlên
dekorasyonê hwd tên hilberîn.
Gilokên
hiriya li ser pişta mihê zirav, ên ranan (hêt) hinekê stûr in. Hiriya merînosê
(bi latînî ovis aries hispanica) ziravtirîn hirî ye. Hiriya herî bêqîmet a
dewaran û ya ji ajalên mirarbûyî hatiye rûçikandin e.
Li
Kurdistanê berê zarokan ginciyên mihan dişûştin didan etaran (çerçî), pê leyzok
dikirrîn. Ji ber qedexeya zozanan, li Bakurê Kurdistanê pişta ajalvaniyê hate
şikandin. Niha bazirganiya hiriyê gelek kêm bûye.
/////////////
به ترکی یون:
Yün bazı memelilerden (özellikle koyun, keçi, deve, lama, ada
tavşanı) elde edilen hayvansal kıl kökenli
doğal bir elyaf türü. Sıcak tuttuğu için battaniye ve kışlık giysilerin
üretiminde kullanılır. Yün elyafı koyundan genellikle canlı
hayvanlardan kırkılmak suretiyle olmak üzere değişik yöntemlerle elde edilir.
Bu tür yüne kırkım yünü denir. Bu yünün ticari değeri diğer
yöntemlerle elde edilenlerinkinden yüksektir. Kasaplık hayvanların kesildikten
sonra derilerinin işlenmesi ile elde edilen yüne ise tabak yünü veya kasapbaşı
yünü denir. Herhangi bir nedenle ölmüş hayvanınpostundan elde
edilen yün ise post yapağısı adını alır. Tabak yünü veya post
yapağısı (yapak) deriden yolunarak alınmışsa kıl köklerini de içerdiğinden
kırkım yününe göre daha düşük kalitelidir.
Canlı
hayvandan kırkım işi genellikle el makası veya bu iş için geliştirilmiş motorlu
aletlerle yapılır. Yün elyafı genellikle dağıtılmadan bir bütün olarak kırkılır
ve toplanır. Buna yörelere göre (tulup, gömlek, dulup veya tulum gibi) adlar
verilir.
//////////////
Wool
is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including
cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, angora from rabbits,
and other types of wool from camelids.[1]
Wool
has several qualities that distinguish it from hair or fur: it is crimped, it
is elastic, and it grows in staples (clusters).[2]
Contents [show]
Characteristics[edit]
Champion
hogget fleece, Walcha Show
Fleece
of fine New Zealand Merino wool and combed wool top on a wool table
Wool's
scaling and crimp make it easier to spin the fleece by helping the individual
fibers attach to each other, so they stay together. Because of the crimp, wool
fabrics have greater bulk than other textiles, and they hold air, which causes
the fabric to retain heat. Wool has a high specific heat coefficient, so it
impedes heat transfer in general. This effect has benefited desert peoples, as
Bedouins and Tuaregs use wool clothes for insulation.
Felting
of wool occurs upon hammering or other mechanical agitation as the microscopic
barbs on the surface of wool fibers hook with popies.
The
amount of crimp corresponds to the fineness of the wool fibers. A fine wool
like Merino may have up to 100 crimps per inch, while the coarser wools like
karakul may have as few as one or two. In contrast, hair has little if any
scale and no crimp, and little ability to bind into yarn. On sheep, the hair
part of the fleece is called kemp. The relative amounts of kemp to wool vary
from breed to breed and make some fleeces more desirable for spinning, felting,
or carding into batts for quilts or other insulating products, including the
famous tweed cloth of Scotland.
Wool
fibers readily absorb moisture, but are not hollow. Wool can absorb almost
one-third of its own weight in water.[3] Wool absorbs sound like many other
fabrics. It is generally a creamy white color, although some breeds of sheep
produce natural colors, such as black, brown, silver, and random mixes.
Wool
ignites at a higher temperature than cotton and some synthetic fibers. It has a
lower rate of flame spread, a lower rate of heat release, a lower heat of
combustion, and does not melt or drip;[4] it forms a char which is insulating
and self-extinguishing, and it contributes less to toxic gases and smoke than
other flooring products when used in carpets.[5] Wool carpets are specified for
high safety environments, such as trains and aircraft. Wool is usually
specified for garments for firefighters, soldiers, and others in occupations
where they are exposed to the likelihood of fire.[5]
Wool
is considered by the medical profession to be allergenic.[6]
Processing[edit]
Shearing[edit]
Fine
Merino shearing Lismore, Victoria
Main
article: Sheep shearing
Sheep
shearing is the process by which the woolen fleece of a sheep is cut off. After
shearing, the wool is separated into four main categories: fleece (which makes
up the vast bulk), broken, bellies, and locks. The quality of fleeces is
determined by a technique known as wool classing, whereby a qualified person
called a wool classer groups wools of similar gradings together to maximize the
return for the farmer or sheep owner. In Australia and New Zealand, before
being auctioned, all Merino fleece wool is objectively measured for micron,
yield (including the amount of vegetable matter), staple length, staple
strength, and sometimes color and comfort factor. The sheep is given a dip in
antiseptic solution after shearing, so as to cure the wounds caused during
shearing.
Scouring[edit]
Wool
before and after scouring
Wool
straight off a sheep, known as "greasy wool"[7] or "wool in the
grease", contains a high level of valuable lanolin, as well as dead skin,
sweat residue, pesticides, and vegetable matter. Before the wool can be used
for commercial purposes, it must be scoured, a process of cleaning the greasy
wool. Scouring may be as simple as a bath in warm water or as complicated as an
industrial process using detergent and alkali in specialized equipment.[8] In
north west England, special potash pits were constructed to produce potash used
in the manufacture of a soft soap for scouring locally produced white wool.
In
commercial wool, vegetable matter is often removed by chemical carbonization.[citation
needed][9] In less-processed wools, vegetable matter may be removed by hand and
some of the lanolin left intact through the use of gentler detergents. This
semigrease wool can be worked into yarn and knitted into particularly
water-resistant mittens or sweaters, such as those of the Aran Island
fishermen. Lanolin removed from wool is widely used in cosmetic products such
as hand creams.
Quality[edit]
Various
types and natural colors of wool, and a picture made from wool
The
quality of wool is determined by its fiber diameter, crimp, yield, color, and
staple strength. Fiber diameter is the single most important wool
characteristic determining quality and price.
Merino
wool is typically 3–5 inches in length and is very fine (between 12 and 24
microns).[10] The finest and most valuable wool comes from Merino hoggets. Wool
taken from sheep produced for meat is typically more coarse, and has fibers 1.5
to 6 in (38 to 152 mm) in length. Damage or breaks in the wool can occur if the
sheep is stressed while it is growing its fleece, resulting in a thin spot
where the fleece is likely to break.[11]
Wool
is also separated into grades based on the measurement of the wool's diameter
in microns and also its style. These grades may vary depending on the breed or
purpose of the wool. For example:
< 15.5: Ultrafine Merino[7]
15.6 – 18.5: Superfine Merino
18.6 – 20: Fine Merino[7]
20.1 – 23: Medium Merino
> 23: Strong Merino[7]
Comeback:
21–26 microns, white, 90–180 mm long
Fine
crossbred: 27–31 microns, Corriedales, etc.
Medium
crossbred: 32–35 microns
Downs:
23–34 microns, typically lacks luster and brightness. Examples, Aussiedown,
Dorset Horn, Suffolk, etc.[12]
Coarse
crossbred: >36 microns
Carpet
wools: 35–45 microns[7]
Any
wool finer than 25 microns can be used for garments, while coarser grades are
used for outerwear or rugs. The finer the wool, the softer it is, while coarser
grades are more durable and less prone to pilling.
The
finest Australian and New Zealand Merino wools are known as 1PP, which is the
industry benchmark of excellence for Merino wool 16.9 microns and finer. This
style represents the top level of fineness, character, color, and style as
determined on the basis of a series of parameters in accordance with the
original dictates of British wool as applied today by the Australian Wool
Exchange (AWEX) Council. Only a few dozen of the millions of bales auctioned
every year can be classified and marked 1PP.[13]
History[edit]
Further
information: The medieval English wool trade
A
1905 illustration of a Tibetan man spinning wool
Wild
sheep were more hairy than woolly. Although sheep were domesticated some 9,000
to 11,000 years ago, archaeological evidence from statuary found at sites in
Iran suggests selection for woolly sheep may have begun around 6000 BC,[14][15]
with the earliest woven wool garments having only been dated to two to three
thousand years later.[16] Woolly-sheep were introduced into Europe from the
Near East in the early part of the 4th millennium BC. The oldest known European
wool textile, ca. 1500 BC, was preserved in a Danish bog.[17] Prior to
invention of shears—probably in the Iron Age—the wool was plucked out by hand
or by bronze combs. In Roman times, wool, linen, and leather clothed the
European population; cotton from India was a curiosity of which only
naturalists had heard, and silks, imported along the Silk Road from China, were
extravagant luxury goods. Pliny the Elder records in his Natural History that
the reputation for producing the finest wool was enjoyed by Tarentum, where
selective breeding had produced sheep with superior fleeces, but which required
special care.
In
medieval times, as trade connections expanded, the Champagne fairs revolved
around the production of wool cloth in small centers such as Provins. The
network developed by the annual fairs meant the woolens of Provins might find
their way to Naples, Sicily, Cyprus, Majorca, Spain, and even
Constantinople.[18] The wool trade developed into serious business, a generator
of capital.[19] In the 13th century, the wool trade became the economic engine
of the Low Countries and central Italy. By the end of the 14th century, Italy
predominated, though Italian production turned to silk in the 16th century.[18]
Both industries, based on the export of English raw wool, were rivaled only by
the 15th-century sheepwalks of Castile and were a significant source of income
to the English crown, which in 1275 had imposed an export tax on wool called
the "Great Custom". The importance of wool to the English economy can
be seen in the fact that since the 14th century, the presiding officer of the
House of Lords has sat on the "Woolsack", a chair stuffed with wool.
Economies
of scale were instituted in the Cistercian houses, which had accumulated great
tracts of land during the 12th and early 13th centuries, when land prices were
low and labor still scarce. Raw wool was baled and shipped from North Sea ports
to the textile cities of Flanders, notably Ypres and Ghent, where it was dyed
and worked up as cloth. At the time of the Black Death, English textile
industries accounted for about 10% of English wool production;[20] the English
textile trade grew during the 15th century, to the point where export of wool
was discouraged. Over the centuries, various British laws controlled the wool
trade or required the use of wool even in burials. The smuggling of wool out of
the country, known as owling, was at one time punishable by the cutting off of
a hand. After the Restoration, fine English woolens began to compete with silks
in the international market, partly aided by the Navigation Acts; in 1699, the
English crown forbade its American colonies to trade wool with anyone but
England herself.
A
great deal of the value of woolen textiles was in the dyeing and finishing of
the woven product. In each of the centers of the textile trade, the
manufacturing process came to be subdivided into a collection of trades,
overseen by an entrepreneur in a system called by the English the
"putting-out" system, or "cottage industry", and the Verlagssystem
by the Germans. In this system of producing wool cloth, until recently
perpetuated in the production of Harris tweeds, the entrepreneur provides the
raw materials and an advance, the remainder being paid upon delivery of the
product. Written contracts bound the artisans to specified terms. Fernand
Braudel traces the appearance of the system in the 13th-century economic boom,
quoting a document of 1275.[18] The system effectively bypassed the guilds'
restrictions.
Before
the flowering of the Renaissance, the Medici and other great banking houses of
Florence had built their wealth and banking system on their textile industry
based on wool, overseen by the Arte della Lana, the wool guild: wool textile
interests guided Florentine policies. Francesco Datini, the "merchant of
Prato", established in 1383 an Arte della Lana for that small Tuscan city.
The sheepwalks of Castile shaped the landscape and the fortunes of the meseta
that lies in the heart of the Iberian peninsula; in the 16th century, a unified
Spain allowed export of Merino lambs only with royal permission. The German
wool market – based on sheep of Spanish origin – did not overtake British wool
until comparatively late. The Industrial Revolution introduced mass production
technology into wool and wool cloth manufacturing. Australia's colonial economy
was based on sheep raising, and the Australian wool trade eventually overtook
that of the Germans by 1845, furnishing wool for Bradford, which developed as
the heart of industrialized woolens production.
A
World War I-era poster sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture
encouraging children to raise sheep to provide needed war supplies
Due
to decreasing demand with increased use of synthetic fibers, wool production is
much less than what it was in the past. The collapse in the price of wool began
in late 1966 with a 40% drop; with occasional interruptions, the price has
tended down. The result has been sharply reduced production and movement of
resources into production of other commodities, in the case of sheep growers,
to production of meat.[21][22][23]
Superwash
wool (or washable wool) technology first appeared in the early 1970s to produce
wool that has been specially treated so it is machine washable and may be
tumble-dried. This wool is produced using an acid bath that removes the
"scales" from the fiber, or by coating the fiber with a polymer that
prevents the scales from attaching to each other and causing shrinkage. This
process results in a fiber that holds longevity and durability over synthetic
materials, while retaining its shape.[24]
In
December 2004, a bale of the then world's finest wool, averaging 11.8 microns,
sold for AU$3,000 per kilogram at auction in Melbourne, Victoria. This fleece
wool tested with an average yield of 74.5%, 68 mm long, and had 40 newtons per
kilotex strength. The result was A$279,000 for the bale.[25] The finest bale of
wool ever auctioned was sold for a seasonal record of AU$2690 per kilo during
June 2008. This bale was produced by the Hillcreston Pinehill Partnership and
measured 11.6 microns, 72.1% yield, and had a 43 newtons per kilotex strength
measurement. The bale realized $247,480 and was exported to India.[26]
In
2007, a new wool suit was developed and sold in Japan that can be washed in the
shower, and which dries off ready to wear within hours with no ironing
required. The suit was developed using Australian Merino wool, and it enables
woven products made from wool, such as suits, trousers, and skirts, to be
cleaned using a domestic shower at home.[27]
In
December 2006, the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed 2009 to be
the International Year of Natural Fibres, so as to raise the profile of wool
and other natural fibers.
Production[edit]
Global
wool production is about 1.3 million tonnes per year, of which 60% goes into
apparel. Australia is the leading producer of wool which is mostly from Merino
sheep. New Zealand is the second-largest producer of wool, and the largest
producer of crossbred wool. China is the third-largest producer of wool. Breeds
such as Lincoln, Romney, Drysdale, and Elliotdale produce coarser fibers, and
wool from these sheep is usually used for making carpets.
In
the United States, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado have large commercial sheep
flocks and their mainstay is the Rambouillet (or French Merino). Also, a
thriving home-flock contingent of small-scale farmers raise small hobby flocks
of specialty sheep for the hand-spinning market. These small-scale farmers
offer a wide selection of fleece. Global woolclip (total amount of wool shorn)
2004/2005[28]
Australia: 25% of global woolclip (475 million kg
greasy, 2004/2005)
China: 18%
United States: 17%
New Zealand: 11%
Argentina: 3%
Turkey: 2%
Iran: 2%
United Kingdom: 2%
India: 2%
Sudan: 2%
South Africa: 1%
Organic
wool is becoming more and more popular. This wool is very limited in supply and
much of it comes from New Zealand and Australia.[29] It is becoming easier to
find in clothing and other products, but these products often carry a higher
price. Wool is environmentally preferable (as compared to petroleum-based nylon
or polypropylene) as a material for carpets, as well, in particular when
combined with a natural binding and the use of formaldehyde-free glues.
Animal
rights groups have noted issues with the production of wool, such as mulesing.
Marketing[edit]
Australia[edit]
"Wool: Fibre of the gods, created - not man-made" CSIRO marketing
poster describing the benefits of wool
Merino
wool samples for sale by auction, Newcastle, New South Wales
About
85% of wool sold in Australia is sold by open cry auction.[citation needed]
"Sale by sample" is a method in which a mechanical claw takes a
sample from each bale in a line or lot of wool. These grab samples are bulked,
objectively measured, and a sample of not less than 4 kg is displayed in a box
for the buyer to examine. The Australian Wool Exchange conducts sales primarily
in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, and Fremantle. About 80 brokers and agents
work throughout Australia.[citation needed]
Wool
received by Australian brokers and dealers (tonnes/quarter) since 1973
Wool
buyers' room at a wool auction, Newcastle, New South Wales
About
7% of Australian wool is sold by private treaty on farms or to local
wool-handling facilities. This option gives wool growers benefit from reduced
transport, warehousing, and selling costs. This method is preferred for small
lots or mixed butts to make savings on reclassing and testing.
About
5% of Australian wool is sold over the internet on an electronic offer
board.[citation needed] This option gives wool growers the ability to set firm
price targets, reoffer passed-in wool, and offer lots to the market quickly and
efficiently. This method works well for tested lots, as buyers use these
results to make a purchase. About 97% of wool is sold without sample
inspection; however, as of December 2009, 59% of wool listed had been passed in
from auction.[citation needed] Growers through certain brokers can allocate
their wool to a sale and at what price their wool will be reserved.
Sale
by tender can achieve considerable cost savings on wool clips large enough to
make it worthwhile for potential buyers to submit tenders. Some marketing firms
sell wool on a consignment basis, obtaining a fixed percentage as commission.
Forward
selling: Some buyers offer a secure price for forward delivery of wool based on
estimated measurements or the results of previous clips. Prices are quoted at
current market rates and are locked in for the season. Premiums and discounts
are added to cover variations in micron, yield, tensile strength, etc., which
are confirmed by actual test results when available.[citation needed]
Another
method of selling wool includes sales direct to wool mills.
Other
countries[edit]
The
British Wool Marketing Board operates a central marketing system for UK fleece
wool with the aim of achieving the best possible net returns for farmers.
Less
than half of New Zealand's wool is sold at auction, while around 45% of farmers
sell wool directly to private buyers and end-users.[30]
United
States sheep producers market wool with private or cooperative wool warehouses,
but wool pools are common in many states. In some cases, wool is pooled in a
local market area, but sold through a wool warehouse. Wool offered with
objective measurement test results is preferred. Imported apparel wool and
carpet wool goes directly to central markets, where it is handled by the large
merchants and manufacturers.[31]
Yarn[edit]
Worsted
wool yarn, the first step in the manufacture of most wool clothing.
Virgin
wool is spun for the first time.[32]
Shoddy
or recycled wool is made by cutting or tearing apart existing wool fabric and
respinning the resulting fibers.[32] As this process makes the wool fibers
shorter, the remanufactured fabric is inferior to the original. The recycled
wool may be mixed with raw wool, wool noil, or another fiber such as cotton to
increase the average fiber length. Such yarns are typically used as weft yarns
with a cotton warp. This process was invented in the Heavy Woollen District of
West Yorkshire and created a microeconomy in this area for many years.
Rag
is a sturdy wool fiber made into yarn and used in many rugged applications such
as gloves.
Worsted
is a strong, long-staple, combed wool yarn with a hard surface.[32]
Woolen
is a soft, short-staple, carded wool yarn typically used for knitting.[32] In
traditional weaving, woolen weft yarn (for softness and warmth) is frequently
combined with a worsted warp yarn for strength on the loom.[33]
Uses[edit]
Woolen
garments in the wool samples area of a wool store, Newcastle, New South Wales.
In
addition to clothing, wool has been used for blankets, horse rugs, saddle
cloths, carpeting, felt, wool insulation (also see links) and upholstery. Wool
felt covers piano hammers, and it is used to absorb odors and noise in heavy
machinery and stereo speakers. Ancient Greeks lined their helmets with felt,
and Roman legionnaires used breastplates made of wool felt.
Wool
has also been traditionally used to cover cloth diapers.[citation needed] Wool
fiber exteriors are hydrophobic (repel water) and the interior of the wool
fiber is hygroscopic (attracts water); this makes a wool garment able to cover
a wet diaper while inhibiting wicking, so outer garments remain dry. Wool
felted and treated with lanolin is water resistant, air permeable, and slightly
antibacterial, so it resists the buildup of odor. Some modern cloth diapers use
felted wool fabric for covers, and there are several modern commercial knitting
patterns for wool diaper covers.
Initial
studies of woolen underwear have found it prevented heat and sweat rashes
because it more readily absorbs the moisture than other fibers.[34]
Merino
wool has been used in baby sleep products such as swaddle baby wrap blankets
and infant sleeping bags.
As
an animal protein, it can be used as a soil fertilizer, being a slow-release
source of nitrogen.
Researchers
at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology school of fashion and textiles
have discovered a blend of wool and kevlar, the synthetic fiber widely used in
body armor, was lighter, cheaper and worked better in damp conditions than
kevlar alone. Kevlar, when used alone, loses about 20% of its effectiveness
when wet, so required an expensive waterproofing process. Wool increased
friction in a vest with 28–30 layers of fabric, to provide the same level of
bullet resistance as 36 layers of Kevlar alone.[35]
Carbon
footprint[edit]
The
carbon footprint of woolen products is difficult to determine and varies
considerably according to factors ranging from the conditions in which sheep
are bred to the processes used to manufacture the products.
The
average greenhouse gas footprint of wool in manufacturing carpets estimated at
5.48 kg CO2 equivalent per kg, when produced in Europe.[36]
The
carbon footprint of a 264.85g woolly jumper made from New Zealand merino wool
averages about 1.667 kg CO2 equivalent at the point of purchase by a consumer,
implying a carbon footprint of around 6 kg per kg of finished woolen
product.[37]
Events[edit]
Andean
woman sorting wool as part of the theme park Los Aleros in Mérida, Venezuela
A
buyer of Merino wool, Ermenegildo Zegna, has offered awards for Australian wool
producers. In 1963, the first Ermenegildo Zegna Perpetual Trophy was presented
in Tasmania for growers of "Superfine skirted Merino fleece". In
1980, a national award, the Ermenegildo Zegna Trophy for Extrafine Wool
Production, was launched. In 2004, this award became known as the Ermenegildo
Zegna Unprotected Wool Trophy. In 1998, an Ermenegildo Zegna Protected Wool
Trophy was launched for fleece from sheep coated for around nine months of the
year.
In
2002, the Ermenegildo Zegna Vellus Aureum Trophy was launched for wool that is
13.9 microns or finer. Wool from Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and South
Africa may enter, and a winner is named from each country.[38] In April 2008,
New Zealand won the Ermenegildo Zegna Vellus Aureum Trophy for the first time
with a fleece that measured 10.8 microns. This contest awards the winning
fleece weight with the same weight in gold as a prize, hence the name.
In
2010, an ultrafine, 10-micron fleece, from Windradeen, near Pyramul, New South
Wales, won the Ermenegildo Zegna Vellus Aureum International Trophy.[39]
Since
2000, Loro Piana has awarded a cup for the world's finest bale of wool that
produces just enough fabric for 50 tailor-made suits. The prize is awarded to
an Australian or New Zealand wool grower who produces the year's finest
bale.[40]
The
New England Merino Field days which display local studs, wool, and sheep are
held during January, in even numbered years around the Walcha, New South Wales
district. The Annual Wool Fashion Awards, which showcase the use of Merino wool
by fashion designers, are hosted by the city of Armidale, New South Wales, in March
each year. This event encourages young and established fashion designers to
display their talents. During each May, Armidale hosts the annual New England
Wool Expo to display wool fashions, handicrafts, demonstrations, shearing
competitions, yard dog trials, and more.[1]
In
July, the annual Australian Sheep and Wool Show is held in Bendigo, Victoria.
This is the largest sheep and wool show in the world, with goats and alpacas,
as well as woolcraft competitions and displays, fleece competitions, sheepdog
trials, shearing, and wool handling. The largest competition in the world for
objectively measured fleeces is the Australian Fleece Competition, which is
held annually at Bendigo. In 2008, 475 entries came from all states of
Australia, with first and second prizes going to the Northern Tablelands, New
South Wales fleeces.[41]
See
also[edit]
Production[edit]
Glossary
of sheep husbandry
Lambswool
Sheep
husbandry
Sheep
shearing
Wool
bale
Processing[edit]
Canvas
work
Carding
Combing
Knitting
Spinning
Textile
manufacturing
Timeline
of clothing and textiles technology
Weaving
Dyeing
Refined
products[edit]
Felt
Fiber
art
Tweed
Worsted
Yarn
Wool
crepe
Wool
satin
Wool
coating
wool
melton
Organizations[edit]
British
Wool Marketing Board
Worshipful
Company of Woolmen
IWTO
The
Natural Fibre Company (in the UK)
Miscellaneous
wool[edit]
Angora
wool
Cashmere
wool
Chiengora
wool
Llama
wool
Lopi
Mohair
Pashmina
Shahtoosh
Tibetan
fur
Alpaca
wool
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