Wool... quality information BEFORE you buy.

[Jimmy Carbomb]

TYPES OF WOOL YARNS

Woolens: A general term describing various fabrics woven from woolen yarn. Wollen yarn is spun from the shorter wool fibers, which are not combed to lie flat as in worsted yarn. Soft surface textures and finishes are produced and the weave of individual yarns does not show as clearly as in worsted fabrics. Woolen fabrics include tweeds, fleeces and meltons.

Worsteds: A general term describing various fabrics woven from worsted yarns containing the longer fibers spun from combed wool. Only the prime, longer fleece is used to produce worsted fabrics. Worsted wool refers to tightly woven, smooth, clear finished goods in a variety of twill and other stronger weaves.

Worsted is spun into a single piece of yarn and then two pieces of yarn are twisted together making a 2 ply yarn strand. The 2 ply is then twisted together making what is called 2/18 diameter yarn. Four pieces of yarn is then woven into the cloth. "2/18" yarn and woolen yarn of "3 run" is the same diameter. The difference is the 2 ply "2/18" twist is strong by nature than a single strand of "3 run yarn"... like a braided rope is stronger by nature than a single strand.

GRADES

Wool is graded on smoothness and softness. Sleeping Indian wool is graded at 56/58 the highest in the hunting clothes industry for that smooth look and comfortable feeling. Army blankets are normally associated when people think of wool. A typical army blanket might be graded at 30/34 , this would feel very scratchy and uncomfortable.

PROCESS FOR MAKING WOOL CLOTHES

Worsted yarn uses only the best fleece from the back of the sheep. It is the lognest, strongest and richest in lanolin. The fibers are combed to lie flat and spun in "two plys" that when spun together creates a "3 diameter run" piece of yarn. It looks much neater and tighter on a spool than woolen yarn. Since worsted yarn’s fibers are fairly uniform in length there are no short pieces to fail or cause that scratchey feeling. It is considered a stronger fabric.

Woolen yarn on the other hand is spun from all the various lengths of wool fibers found on a sheep’s body, both long and short fibers from the sheeps back, belly, bottom, legs etc. Since it is not combed to lie flat, wollen yarn has a fuzzy look because the shorter fiber ends stick out of the yarn imparting a dull appearance to the finished product. Clothes of woolen yarn will usually feel rougher or scratchier.

WHY WOOL SHRINKS OR WHY YOU WANT TO AVOID WASHING MACHINES

Wool is a natural fiber with many natural organic characteristics. Often those characteristics provide the product advantages you know and appreciate in wool clothing. The perfect example is the warmth created by the tiny packets of air which individual wool fibers trap naturally.

But, another characteristic of wool yields the secret of why wool sweaters and clothing knitted from wool yarn can sometimes shrink. Two conditions are required for wool to shrink. Water and heat. The outside of the wool fiber is hydrophobic—hates and repels water. The inside of the wool fiber is hydrophilic—hollow and absorbs water. Every fiber has a love hate relationship with itself. Even though wool wants to repel water around the fiber, at a certain point of getting wet, it reverses its process of repelling water to absorbing water. When this happens it brings water into it’s core and holds it. Some mills enhance the water repelling nature of wool by using a 4 ply weave. But you have to be careful not to overdo the weave or the fabric will not be able to breath. Has to be a balance to get the best water shedding and breathability.

In the microscopic view, that is under a microscope, the outside of the wool fibers look like they are made from overlapping shingles, like shingles on the roof of your house. When wool gets wet and heat and agitation is present, wool has a tendency to overlap and lock the shingles. Thus the impression of shrinking is created. This is inherent in all wool fibers!!! Wool is wool and the only way to maintain a wool garmets size and avoid shrinking is to let it dry in a cool area and block or stretch out the shingles when the fabric is still wet. Dry cleaning is the surest means of cleaning without shrinking. You can hand wash but the clothing must be cared for properly. The only way you can safely wash wool is if it has been chemically treated to "descale" the fiber. The American Wool Association requires a tag be associated with wool that can be safely machine washed. It is labeled SUPER WASH. If the garmet is not labeled as such, you risk shrinkage if you subject it to water, heat and agitation.

PRE SHRUNK - NOT REALLY

Pre-shrinking is really a Fulling Process that all wool yarn is subjected to. Before the fulling process you can actually see through the 4 ply woven yarn. It is very loose. The fulling process is used to take woven yarn and make it into usable cloth. The fulling process uses zero heat. The woven wool is wetted and is rolled along a stainless steel tube where it is pounded by wooden clappers. This pounding creates friction (thus its own heat) and after a predetermined amount of time the woven yarn shrinks up (or as we learned earlier, the fibers lock upon themselves) to create the predetermined thickness of the cloth. Some Mills begin this process with a 112” wide piece of 4 ply interlocked wool and mills it down to 64”, approximately 40%. Some manufacturers will tell you they pre-shrink their wool so you don't have to worry, but it is clearly the fulling process they are speaking of. Fulling is stopped at a predetermined point to offer the best combination of fabric thickness for insulation, water repellency, and breathability. You risk this balance if you machine wash and further the fulling in a rather elementary way.

READ THE INFORMATION that most kiltmakers provide you about the quality and grade of their kilt material. If they don't have it one the site... request it BEFORE you purchase the kilt. It's your money, and their business to know the material. IF it's not on their site... request it.

[Jimmy Carbomb]

TYPES OF WOOL YARNS

Woolens: A general term describing various fabrics woven from woolen yarn. Wollen yarn is spun from the shorter wool fibers, which are not combed to lie flat as in worsted yarn. Soft surface textures and finishes are produced and the weave of individual yarns does not show as clearly as in worsted fabrics. Woolen fabrics include tweeds, fleeces and meltons.

Worsteds: A general term describing various fabrics woven from worsted yarns containing the longer fibers spun from combed wool. Only the prime, longer fleece is used to produce worsted fabrics. Worsted wool refers to tightly woven, smooth, clear finished goods in a variety of twill and other stronger weaves.

Worsted is spun into a single piece of yarn and then two pieces of yarn are twisted together making a 2 ply yarn strand. The 2 ply is then twisted together making what is called 2/18 diameter yarn. Four pieces of yarn is then woven into the cloth. "2/18" yarn and woolen yarn of "3 run" is the same diameter. The difference is the 2 ply "2/18" twist is strong by nature than a single strand of "3 run yarn"... like a braided rope is stronger by nature than a single strand.

GRADES

Wool is graded on smoothness and softness. Sleeping Indian wool is graded at 56/58 the highest in the hunting clothes industry for that smooth look and comfortable feeling. Army blankets are normally associated when people think of wool. A typical army blanket might be graded at 30/34 , this would feel very scratchy and uncomfortable.

PROCESS FOR MAKING WOOL CLOTHES

Worsted yarn uses only the best fleece from the back of the sheep. It is the lognest, strongest and richest in lanolin. The fibers are combed to lie flat and spun in "two plys" that when spun together creates a "3 diameter run" piece of yarn. It looks much neater and tighter on a spool than woolen yarn. Since worsted yarn’s fibers are fairly uniform in length there are no short pieces to fail or cause that scratchey feeling. It is considered a stronger fabric.

Woolen yarn on the other hand is spun from all the various lengths of wool fibers found on a sheep’s body, both long and short fibers from the sheeps back, belly, bottom, legs etc. Since it is not combed to lie flat, wollen yarn has a fuzzy look because the shorter fiber ends stick out of the yarn imparting a dull appearance to the finished product. Clothes of woolen yarn will usually feel rougher or scratchier.

WHY WOOL SHRINKS OR WHY YOU WANT TO AVOID WASHING MACHINES

Wool is a natural fiber with many natural organic characteristics. Often those characteristics provide the product advantages you know and appreciate in wool clothing. The perfect example is the warmth created by the tiny packets of air which individual wool fibers trap naturally.

But, another characteristic of wool yields the secret of why wool sweaters and clothing knitted from wool yarn can sometimes shrink. Two conditions are required for wool to shrink. Water and heat. The outside of the wool fiber is hydrophobic—hates and repels water. The inside of the wool fiber is hydrophilic—hollow and absorbs water. Every fiber has a love hate relationship with itself. Even though wool wants to repel water around the fiber, at a certain point of getting wet, it reverses its process of repelling water to absorbing water. When this happens it brings water into it’s core and holds it. Some mills enhance the water repelling nature of wool by using a 4 ply weave. But you have to be careful not to overdo the weave or the fabric will not be able to breath. Has to be a balance to get the best water shedding and breathability.

In the microscopic view, that is under a microscope, the outside of the wool fibers look like they are made from overlapping shingles, like shingles on the roof of your house. When wool gets wet and heat and agitation is present, wool has a tendency to overlap and lock the shingles. Thus the impression of shrinking is created. This is inherent in all wool fibers!!! Wool is wool and the only way to maintain a wool garmets size and avoid shrinking is to let it dry in a cool area and block or stretch out the shingles when the fabric is still wet. Dry cleaning is the surest means of cleaning without shrinking. You can hand wash but the clothing must be cared for properly. The only way you can safely wash wool is if it has been chemically treated to "descale" the fiber. The American Wool Association requires a tag be associated with wool that can be safely machine washed. It is labeled SUPER WASH. If the garmet is not labeled as such, you risk shrinkage if you subject it to water, heat and agitation.

PRE SHRUNK - NOT REALLY

Pre-shrinking is really a Fulling Process that all wool yarn is subjected to. Before the fulling process you can actually see through the 4 ply woven yarn. It is very loose. The fulling process is used to take woven yarn and make it into usable cloth. The fulling process uses zero heat. The woven wool is wetted and is rolled along a stainless steel tube where it is pounded by wooden clappers. This pounding creates friction (thus its own heat) and after a predetermined amount of time the woven yarn shrinks up (or as we learned earlier, the fibers lock upon themselves) to create the predetermined thickness of the cloth. Some Mills begin this process with a 112” wide piece of 4 ply interlocked wool and mills it down to 64”, approximately 40%. Some manufacturers will tell you they pre-shrink their wool so you don't have to worry, but it is clearly the fulling process they are speaking of. Fulling is stopped at a predetermined point to offer the best combination of fabric thickness for insulation, water repellency, and breathability. You risk this balance if you machine wash and further the fulling in a rather elementary way.

READ THE INFORMATION that most kiltmakers provide you about the quality and grade of their kilt material. If they don't have it one the site... request it BEFORE you purchase the kilt. It's your money, and their business to know the material. IF it's not on their site... request it.

[Jimmy Carbomb]

TYPES OF WOOL YARNS

Woolens: A general term describing various fabrics woven from woolen yarn. Wollen yarn is spun from the shorter wool fibers, which are not combed to lie flat as in worsted yarn. Soft surface textures and finishes are produced and the weave of individual yarns does not show as clearly as in worsted fabrics. Woolen fabrics include tweeds, fleeces and meltons.

Worsteds: A general term describing various fabrics woven from worsted yarns containing the longer fibers spun from combed wool. Only the prime, longer fleece is used to produce worsted fabrics. Worsted wool refers to tightly woven, smooth, clear finished goods in a variety of twill and other stronger weaves.

Worsted is spun into a single piece of yarn and then two pieces of yarn are twisted together making a 2 ply yarn strand. The 2 ply is then twisted together making what is called 2/18 diameter yarn. Four pieces of yarn is then woven into the cloth. "2/18" yarn and woolen yarn of "3 run" is the same diameter. The difference is the 2 ply "2/18" twist is strong by nature than a single strand of "3 run yarn"... like a braided rope is stronger by nature than a single strand.

GRADES

Wool is graded on smoothness and softness. Sleeping Indian wool is graded at 56/58 the highest in the hunting clothes industry for that smooth look and comfortable feeling. Army blankets are normally associated when people think of wool. A typical army blanket might be graded at 30/34 , this would feel very scratchy and uncomfortable.

PROCESS FOR MAKING WOOL CLOTHES

Worsted yarn uses only the best fleece from the back of the sheep. It is the lognest, strongest and richest in lanolin. The fibers are combed to lie flat and spun in "two plys" that when spun together creates a "3 diameter run" piece of yarn. It looks much neater and tighter on a spool than woolen yarn. Since worsted yarn’s fibers are fairly uniform in length there are no short pieces to fail or cause that scratchey feeling. It is considered a stronger fabric.

Woolen yarn on the other hand is spun from all the various lengths of wool fibers found on a sheep’s body, both long and short fibers from the sheeps back, belly, bottom, legs etc. Since it is not combed to lie flat, wollen yarn has a fuzzy look because the shorter fiber ends stick out of the yarn imparting a dull appearance to the finished product. Clothes of woolen yarn will usually feel rougher or scratchier.

WHY WOOL SHRINKS OR WHY YOU WANT TO AVOID WASHING MACHINES

Wool is a natural fiber with many natural organic characteristics. Often those characteristics provide the product advantages you know and appreciate in wool clothing. The perfect example is the warmth created by the tiny packets of air which individual wool fibers trap naturally.

But, another characteristic of wool yields the secret of why wool sweaters and clothing knitted from wool yarn can sometimes shrink. Two conditions are required for wool to shrink. Water and heat. The outside of the wool fiber is hydrophobic—hates and repels water. The inside of the wool fiber is hydrophilic—hollow and absorbs water. Every fiber has a love hate relationship with itself. Even though wool wants to repel water around the fiber, at a certain point of getting wet, it reverses its process of repelling water to absorbing water. When this happens it brings water into it’s core and holds it. Some mills enhance the water repelling nature of wool by using a 4 ply weave. But you have to be careful not to overdo the weave or the fabric will not be able to breath. Has to be a balance to get the best water shedding and breathability.

In the microscopic view, that is under a microscope, the outside of the wool fibers look like they are made from overlapping shingles, like shingles on the roof of your house. When wool gets wet and heat and agitation is present, wool has a tendency to overlap and lock the shingles. Thus the impression of shrinking is created. This is inherent in all wool fibers!!! Wool is wool and the only way to maintain a wool garmets size and avoid shrinking is to let it dry in a cool area and block or stretch out the shingles when the fabric is still wet. Dry cleaning is the surest means of cleaning without shrinking. You can hand wash but the clothing must be cared for properly. The only way you can safely wash wool is if it has been chemically treated to "descale" the fiber. The American Wool Association requires a tag be associated with wool that can be safely machine washed. It is labeled SUPER WASH. If the garmet is not labeled as such, you risk shrinkage if you subject it to water, heat and agitation.

PRE SHRUNK - NOT REALLY

Pre-shrinking is really a Fulling Process that all wool yarn is subjected to. Before the fulling process you can actually see through the 4 ply woven yarn. It is very loose. The fulling process is used to take woven yarn and make it into usable cloth. The fulling process uses zero heat. The woven wool is wetted and is rolled along a stainless steel tube where it is pounded by wooden clappers. This pounding creates friction (thus its own heat) and after a predetermined amount of time the woven yarn shrinks up (or as we learned earlier, the fibers lock upon themselves) to create the predetermined thickness of the cloth. Some Mills begin this process with a 112” wide piece of 4 ply interlocked wool and mills it down to 64”, approximately 40%. Some manufacturers will tell you they pre-shrink their wool so you don't have to worry, but it is clearly the fulling process they are speaking of. Fulling is stopped at a predetermined point to offer the best combination of fabric thickness for insulation, water repellency, and breathability. You risk this balance if you machine wash and further the fulling in a rather elementary way.

READ THE INFORMATION that most kiltmakers provide you about the quality and grade of their kilt material. If they don't have it one the site... request it BEFORE you purchase the kilt. It's your money, and their business to know the material. IF it's not on their site... request it.

[Casey]

Jimmy,

Thanks for the techie info.

I have found interesting that manufacturers have been trying to duplicate and/or improve upon the qualities of wool for a number of years, with synthetics such as fleece. Now, a number of clothing manufacturers are returning to wool.

To me wool has always been the best. And, I have never found it difficult to take care of as long as I engage brain before commencing action.

Casey

[Casey]

Jimmy,

Thanks for the techie info.

I have found interesting that manufacturers have been trying to duplicate and/or improve upon the qualities of wool for a number of years, with synthetics such as fleece. Now, a number of clothing manufacturers are returning to wool.

To me wool has always been the best. And, I have never found it difficult to take care of as long as I engage brain before commencing action.

Casey

[Casey]

Jimmy,

Thanks for the techie info.

I have found interesting that manufacturers have been trying to duplicate and/or improve upon the qualities of wool for a number of years, with synthetics such as fleece. Now, a number of clothing manufacturers are returning to wool.

To me wool has always been the best. And, I have never found it difficult to take care of as long as I engage brain before commencing action.

Casey

[Mike n NC]

Some of it is pretty simple really, wool tends to hold it's shape much better, not packing or lumping like synthetics when it gets wet and it also retains much of it's insulating property when wet. I chose to stay with wool jackets and coats back in the 70's when the synthetics were coming on strong. Now days it looks like I'm vindicated in doing so.

Dating myself here...When I joined the Navy, the blue uniforms, dress and working, were of melton. Many is the time onboard ship or even ashore when cash ran short that I hand washed them with a scrub brush. Stretch (block) to dry then fold them and place them in my bunk pan to press them. Newer uniforms are of serge but I understand that they hold up well to the same treatment. Just don't forget and throw them in a dryer like one guy did. They would have be tight on a barbie doll when he took them out.

Jimmy is right, as usual, the melton was not a strong material but it sure was warm on those long cold nights of topside watch and lookout duty.

Mike

[Mike n NC]

Some of it is pretty simple really, wool tends to hold it's shape much better, not packing or lumping like synthetics when it gets wet and it also retains much of it's insulating property when wet. I chose to stay with wool jackets and coats back in the 70's when the synthetics were coming on strong. Now days it looks like I'm vindicated in doing so.

Dating myself here...When I joined the Navy, the blue uniforms, dress and working, were of melton. Many is the time onboard ship or even ashore when cash ran short that I hand washed them with a scrub brush. Stretch (block) to dry then fold them and place them in my bunk pan to press them. Newer uniforms are of serge but I understand that they hold up well to the same treatment. Just don't forget and throw them in a dryer like one guy did. They would have be tight on a barbie doll when he took them out.

Jimmy is right, as usual, the melton was not a strong material but it sure was warm on those long cold nights of topside watch and lookout duty.

Mike

[Mike n NC]

Some of it is pretty simple really, wool tends to hold it's shape much better, not packing or lumping like synthetics when it gets wet and it also retains much of it's insulating property when wet. I chose to stay with wool jackets and coats back in the 70's when the synthetics were coming on strong. Now days it looks like I'm vindicated in doing so.

Dating myself here...When I joined the Navy, the blue uniforms, dress and working, were of melton. Many is the time onboard ship or even ashore when cash ran short that I hand washed them with a scrub brush. Stretch (block) to dry then fold them and place them in my bunk pan to press them. Newer uniforms are of serge but I understand that they hold up well to the same treatment. Just don't forget and throw them in a dryer like one guy did. They would have be tight on a barbie doll when he took them out.

Jimmy is right, as usual, the melton was not a strong material but it sure was warm on those long cold nights of topside watch and lookout duty.

Mike

[GMan]

Jimmy,

You definetly rock Great that you share your knowledge with us. Great stuff