Rearing of the animal is an old phenomenon. Man has been
domesticating the animals for varied reasons. Wool rearing is thus a tradition
that is, if not accurate then at least 4000 years old. For the early stone age
fleece served as a tunic or sleeveless shirt, worn just as it came from the
animal’s back. By Neolithic time a simple loom was invented and handloom
weaving was well on its way. The earliest record of woolen clothing is found
for the Babylon..Incidentally the Babylon means “Land of wool”
The word "wool" is used for fibers from
sheep, Angora or Cashmere goats, camel, alpaca, llama, and vicuna.
The soft, crimpy and curly fibres obtained chiefly
from fleece of reared animals. Wool is a
natural protein like human hair but one differentiating factor that makes its
ideal for textile is the scales on its outer surface. They are numerous and
interlock under pressure, the process commonly known as felting. Scales varies
with fineness and its crimp makes it a resilient fibre. High tensile strength,
resilience and elasticity allows it to retain its shape better than the other
fabric made from natural fibres. Another
important characteristic is its insulating properties, lightness and ability to
absorb moisture. This insulating property helps the animal living in extreme
weather conditions (extreme hot and extreme cold) to cope up with the nature.
The quality of the wool is dependent upon several
parameters. Fibre diameter, fibre length, amount of vegetable matter, dirt and
other impurities that are clung together with the fibre. Such dirts are removed through a process
called scouring.
Fibre diameter is probably the single most important
factor in determining the quality of fibre. Small diameter fibre are good for
apparels and clothing. The large diameter fibres do not work well during the
felting, but as they are stronger and less likely to break during carding and
combing, they are more suitable for rugs and carpets.
Characteristics of Wool Fibres
n Protein
fibre
n Flame
resistant, it generally extinguishes the fire itself, when the source is
removed
n When
wet, its weaker than cotton or linen
n Fibre
length, 1-14 inches
n Wonderful
insulator
n Must
be washed gently or dry cleaned
n Easily
acceptance to dyes
n Moisture
absorber
n Doesn’t
attract dirt
Animals reared for Woolen fibres
Sheep
Sheep, is one of the first reared animal for its
fibres. They are easy to herd and provides man with basic needs since ages;
food and clothing. Merino breed of
sheep is prized for its one of the softest and finest wool. Sheep are sheared
once every year in spring, between February and June. The shearing doesn’t hurt
the sheep and hardly takes 5 minutes. The wool is shorn from the sheep in a
single piece, called fleece. Fleeces
are rolled up and packed, the process of wool making starts from here.
Alpacca
This social herd animal is a wooly mammal. They are
gentle, inquisitive, observant and intelligent. Found mostly in South America,
a mature Alpacca weighs around 50 to 80 kgs and 34-38 inches tall. Alpacca are
valued only for their fleece hair-like fibres, unlike the woolen fibres found
in sheep. Alpacca fleece is primarily used for blankets, sweaters, hats,gloves, scarves, socks, coats, textiles, and ponchos (outer garment designed to
keep body warm). The fibre is 5 times warmer and more durable than sheep’s
fleece. Its also lightweight due to
microscopic air packets giving it high thermal capacity. Its fibre grows to 8-10
inches in a year and weighs anywhere between ½ to 4 kg. It is one of the finest
fibres and compares with Mohair, Cashmere and other rare fibres.
Qiviut
One of the finest fibres known to man Qiviut is the
downy, soft underside wool from the Arctic
Musk. The soft brownish under hair of Musk ox is known as Qiviut. They have the longest hair
found in animals sometimes ranging to 25 inches. It is 8 times warmer and
stronger than sheep’s wool. Also it is finer than Cashmere wool. Perhaps this
is the most valuable and expensive wool, mankind has ever known. Spun into wool,
Qiviut is used to make warm woolen clothing, hats, scarves and mitts (a woman's glove that extends over the hand but does not cover the
fingers). Musk ox shed their clothes during Summer and Spring. They are still
not domesticated and the wool that attached to the bushes while the Musk Ox
walks by is collected and used.
Kashmiri or Cashmere Goats are mainly found in Jammu and Kashmir state of India, China and Mongolia. The wool obtained from them is known as Pashmina. The body of Cashmere goat has two covering. The outer covering hair is straighter and coarser known as guard hair while the under layer of hair is extremely soft and warm. The Cashmere Goats naturally shed their hairs during several week period in Spring which is then collected by Kashmiris to form the Pashmina product in India. In China and Mongolia the under hair is removed using a coarse comb. The animals are sheared in Iran, Afghanistan, Australia and New Zealand. Their hair are extremely warm to protect from extreme cold in Himalayan region. Their fibres are very adaptable and constructed well into yarns. Though they are less durable than wool but they are very warm and hence very expensive. The Cashmere Goats fibre is used in making Shawls, Scarves, Sweaters, Jackets and Gloves.
Angora
rabbits/Bunny Hair
Angora hair is obtained from Angora rabbits
originally seen in France, It well, pure Angora wool is difficult to make as they are too fine to be
woven and simply unravel. Usually they are mixed with Cashmere Goats and Lamb’s
wool. They are very warm and used in trim sweaters or knit hats and scarves. Generally
viewed as Luxury fibres, they are very very expensive.
Angora
Goats/Mohair Fibre
Angora Goats are mainly found in mountains of Tibet
and Turkey. The long hairs ranging from 9-12 inches are silk-like fibres, known
as Mohair Fibre. They are very silky, lustrous and good absorber. They resist
the flame, dirt and often are anti-wrinkle. Mohair fibre is used for Carpets,Sweaters, Coats, Home Furnishing, Wigs etc.
Llamas
Llamas are the cousins of Alpacca. Llamas hair is obtained from animal which look like camel, 1/3 rd of its size. Its fibre is insulative, coarse, lightweight and brown (generally) in color. Their fiber is used for garments, rugs, blankets etc.
Camel
Camel
hair is collected from two humped Bactrian Camel found from East of Turkey to
China and North to Siberia. Their hair is also called high quality Coat fibre,
often mixed with wool protects from both cold and hot. Fibre is strong, lustrous,
smooth, warm, lightweight and thermostatic. End use includes Over coats and jackets, blazers and sweaters, Skirts, Paintbrushes, Gloves and hosiery items, Scarves, mufflers, caps Carpets and waterproofcoats etc . They are also the expensive fibers.
No comments:
Post a Comment