Wool is a natural fiber that is often used to make clothing. It has many advantages over other fabrics, such as cotton and synthetics. It can be woven into different types of textiles, and it is available in many colors and textures.
Unlike other types of fabric, it is a very durable material that retains heat and does not lose its insulation properties. This makes it a popular choice for outerwear.
Woven from the fleece of sheep, goats, camels and other animals, wool is a natural fiber made up of proteins called keratin. The keratin helps the wool stay together and makes it extremely elastic.
There are many types of wool, depending on what type of animal it comes from and how it is processed. The most common is the wool produced by sheep, but other animals also produce it. Some of these are mohair, cashmere and angora.
Once the wool tunic has been extracted from the animal, it goes through a number of processing steps to ensure it is ready for use as a textile. It is sorted to separate out loose dirt and sand, then washed by scouring it in a mild alkaline solution to remove perspiration and grease before being dried.
The resulting fleece is then spun into yarn using a spinning mill. It can then be woven into fabric using a variety of weaving patterns, including plain weave and twill. Usually, worsted yarns are preferred for more tightly woven fabrics.
After the yarn is woven into fabric, it is subjected to various finishing processes. These can include fulling, crabbing or deating, where the wool is soaked in water to interlock the fibers and keep them permanently in place.
When it comes to warmth, the key to wool is its crimp, which is the natural waviness in the fibers of a sheep’s fleece. The crimp makes the wool bulkier than other textiles, which traps air and allows it to insulate against cold weather.
Another way that wool insulates is by blocking the transfer of heat. This is the reason that wool fabrics are so popular among desert peoples.
Although cotton is also a very popular textile, wool has a unique advantage in this regard: it impedes heat transfer and thereby keeps the body warm. This property has aided Bedouins and Tuaregs in their desert journeys, as they were able to wear a wool dress to prevent freezing during their long treks.
Aside from the insulating qualities, wool also has other benefits that can make it a more versatile textile than other types of materials. For example, wool can be dyed or printed with patterns and designs. It can also be cut and sewn into various types of garments.
Throughout history, wool has been an essential component of the textile industry. It has been prized and traded in many regions of the world, especially by affluent nations.
In England, for example, the use of wool was so important that a pound of wool could cost a significant amount of money. In addition, it was an important source of revenue for the government, which taxed it heavily and regulated exports.