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Wool and Yarn > Wool/Craft Information > Facts About Wool And Yarn

Facts About Wool And Yarn

facts about wool and yarn
Wool is a fibre made from a domesticated sheep. It's a product that remains warm, even when wet and is flame retardant by nature. It accepts dying extremely well.

Wool sheds water better than any other yarn. Natural wool should be hand washed only. Some garments are called 'super wash wool,' which have been treated to allow the wearer to wash the garment in a washing machine, instead of solely by hand.

Wool will usually resume its proper shape when it is washed correctly but if it is mistreated and washed in too hot water, it will shrink - so don't do that!
There are lots of types of fibres which are mistakenly classed as wool, but they don't actually come from sheep!

Angora is a fibre made from rabbits. It is very fluffy soft and warm and is a fabric that has no stretch.

Silk is a fibre that comes from silk moths. Raw silk has the original moth secretions in it - yuk! Tussah, is a form of silk obtained from while moths and is brown in colour. The colour of silk depends upon the food that is fed to domesticated moths. It can be white, green or yellow. Silk absorbs moisture, and retains heat and is very strong when knitted. It doesn't shrink or stretch.
Mohair is a fibre that comes from an Angora goat. It's durable and dyes well , and sheds dirt easily.

Cashmere is a fibre from the undercoat of the goat by the same name. It is seriously expensive because only a few ounces are obtained from each goat per year. It's very delicate and much more fragile and is usually blended with wool to make it more durable.

Alpaca is a smaller relative of the llama but its hair is more commercially valuable. It can come in 15 natural colours and is denser than wool. Unfortunately, the fabric it is knitted into, may suffer from droop. The undercoat of the llama is very similar to alpaca.

Camel is a fibre from the two humped camel. It cannot be bleached, so is either used undyed or died a darker colour. It's very fragile and quite lightweight.

Vicuna is also a camel, but a South American relative. They are shorn like llamas and their hair is finer than any other animal fibre.

That's all the animals catered for now, onto the plants!


Linen comes from the flax plant with the same name. It is stronger and more durable than any other fibre known to man. Once it is spun into a fabric, it becomes softer and more beautiful with age. It absorbs moisture better than cotton and dries more quickly, making it extremely comfortable to wear in hot temperatures. It is easy to wash and doesn't stretch or shrink.

Cotton comes from the seeds in a cotton pod, which is usually white, but there are brown and green varieties to. Cotton is very heavy and dense. It also doesn't stretch , although it will regain its shape after washing.

Rayon is a fibre produced from natural ingredients, but artificially made. A product called cellulose, which comes from wood pulp or cotton, has chemicals put on its to draw it out into filaments. Rayon is unfortunately a week fibre, but in its favour, its absorbent, stretches and dries very quickly.


facts about wool and yarn
Now we move on to the man-made fibres:


Polyester is the most common type of synthetic fibre used by man. It retains it shape was made into garments to add strength and resilience to natural fibres, such as wool. It's very easy to wash and very comfortable to wear.

Nylon is strong, elastic and doesn't stretch or shrink and is very lightweight. It is very easy to wash and usually, once combined with wool, it gives the garment strength and elasticity. Pure nylon is available to strengthen sections of the garment that will encounter weakness - such as elbows and heels of socks.

So go ahead and have a play with lots of different yarns and see what suits you best. There is no rhyme and reason, no strict rules to follow. So go on experiment and be daring, why don't you!
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