100% Sheep Wool: Baby Merino, Lambswool, Merino, Peruvian Highland, Norwegian, 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, Wensleydale, Bluefaced Leicester, 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.

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Sweater Stones, made in United States, enlarge. An effective and environmental way to remove pilling and balling from knits and fabrics. A natural, pumice like stone pulls and removes irritating pills from knitwear, upholstery, shirts, towels, and bedding. Each stone is wrapped in a plastic cover, instructions are provided on a box. Notions » Price: $11.95 /each Quantity:

Alpaca Superlight, Lang Angora, Lang Aquarella, Malabrigo Arequipa, Estelle Aurora, Orkney Aurora Paints, Orkney Angora Cadenza , Estelle Cashmere Tweed, Lang Cashmerino Worsted, Lotus Cloud 9, Cascade Cool Wool, Lana Grossa Cool Wool Seta, Lana Grossa Dancing con Lurex, Manos Artesanas Dancing Queen, Manos Artesanas EcoDuo, Cascade Evita Merino, Katia

Falk, Dale of Norway Gobi, Lang Jawoll Bambus, Lang Jewel, Cascade Lambgora, Orkney Angora Lanalux, Lang Langamay, Orkney Angora Magnum, Cascade Merino 2000, Lana Grossa Merinogold 8, Grignasco Merino Soy, Makalu Merino Worsted, Malabrigo Mulberry Merino, Diamond Nadeshiko, Noro Pashmina, Lana Grossa Pastaza, Cascade

Rialto Lace, Debbie Bliss Rios, Malabrigo Rivoli, Lang Roma, Katia Runo Mira, Peace Fleece Schafwolle, Schoeller+Stahl Shiro, Noro Silk Dream, Lang Silk Road Aran, Jo Sharp Snuggle, Alpaca Yarn Co. Titus, Baa Ram Ewe Tosca Jaspé, Lang Woolly Merino, Sublime Yak, Lang Yuzen, Noro

Artisanal, Handspun, 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

Yorkshire Sheep Wool (Wensleydale, Bluefaced Leicester): Titus
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Lambswool, Lambgora

CASHMERINO WORSTED by Lotus FIBRE: 80% Lambswool, 10% Angora, 10% Cashmere YARN WEIGHT: Worsted TENSION: 10x10cm (4"): 22 sts/ 28 rows NEEDLES: 4 - 4.5 mm (US No.6-7) LENGTH: 270 m / 295.3 yrd HANK WEIGHT: 100g * hand wash | made in China

LANGAMAY by Orkney Angora FIBRE: 70% Lambswool, 30% Cashmere YARN WEIGHT: Double Knit TENSION: 10x10cm (4"): 25 sts / 32 rows NEEDLES: 4 mm (US No. 6) LENGTH: approx. 125 m / 137 yards BALL WEIGHT: 50g * hand wash | made in China

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 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

Yorkshire Sheep Wool

TITUS by Baa Ram Ewe FIBRE: 50% Wensleydale, 20% Bluefaced Leicester, 30% UK Alpaca YARN WEIGHT: Sport 4 ply TENSION: 10x10cm (4"): n/a NEEDLES: 3.25 - 3.5 mm (US No. 3-4) LENGTH: 320m / 350yds HANK WEIGHT: 100g * hand wash | made in UK

Baby Merino, Merino

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

Natural Merino Blends

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

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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