Wonderous Wool – Why Is It So Special?

wool

There’s nothing more comforting than the feel of cosy wool blanket draped around your shoulders while sat on your sofa on a dark, wet autumn evening. A wool jumper under your winter coat, a pair of wool socks with boots, a wool scarf wrapped lovingly around your neck, yes wool is definitely the staple of any winter wardrobe. So why is it so special? Wool and hair are properties us humans have used since at least 6000BC, to keep our bodies warm for survival in tough terrain, and keep us sheltered from the elements. Thousands of years later and the feeling of wool against our skin still makes us feel sheltered, cosy and protected.

What is wool?

Put simply, wool refers to the fleece on the outer skin of a sheep. There are many processes to create a yarn like wool to be able to knit it into a piece of fabric. Firstly, lambs younger than 7 months old are sheared, the fleece is removed, the undercoat is particularly soft – perfect to be used for knitwear with its soft handle. Next ‘skirting’ is performed to clean the raw material from dirt, oil and debris. After thoroughly washing the fleece is ‘teased’ or picked’ transforming the mass lumps of wool into a consistent fine web. The wool becomes a fibre during this process and eventually ready for carding, then roving and finally spinning where the material takes a yarn like appearance – which we are all familiar. Here are a few reasons why wool is everybody’s favourite fabric especially around the home:

It’s easy to care for

Many of us come out in a cold sweat when faced with having to wash a wool blanket or garment. The truth is many wool products are actually machine washable – washing machines often have wool settings meaning we don’t need to panic. Wool is hypoallergenic, it is resistant to mould, bacteria, mildew and dust mites. keeping nasty bacteria at bay. Wool is also a fabric that does not crease or wrinkle, and is easy to keep it’s shape.

It can regulate your temperature

Yes, really. It’s a little known secret that wool can help you to get a good night sleep due to its amazing temperature control properties. Being a natural fibre wool is breathable and keeps you cool, it’s also a natural

insulator keeping your body at it’s optimal temperature for sleep. It absorbs moisture, drawing sweat away from the body unlike synthetic fabrics.

It’s naturally sustainable

You can sleep peacefully knowing your lambs wool hand knitted blanket is an eco-friendly product, sustainable and costs no harm to the planet. It’s also animal cruelty free and bio-degradable.

It’s naturally flame retardant

Autumnal evenings call for scented candles and cosying up to the fire, you can relax having wool blankets around – they are naturally flame retardant and free from nasty chemicals. This makes it the perfect choice for home furnishings and accessories.

The sumptuous texture of a wool knitted blanket can bring so much pleasure and delight. It adds an element of cosiness to any room, a calming effect, the invitation to come sit and relax on an armchair to ‘feel at home’. The addition of using bold pattern on a knitted fabric adds another dimension, its tactile and inviting adding texture and colour to any space. – a fun and stylish element to fashion and accessories. So, go ahead and lovingly wrap yourself in lambs wool this winter, your mind and body will thank you for it.

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