Page 19 - Shawl Weaving Artisan - TT

Textile & Handloom Related Theory for Exercise 1.1.05
Shawl Weaving Artisan - Textile Fibers and Safety

Wool, its nature and origin

Objectives: At the end of this lesson you shall be able to
• state what is wool
• list the composition of wool
• explain wool history
• describe processing of wool
• explain classification of wool
• state the physical and chemical properties of wool
• brief general structure of wool
• define woollen and worsted yarn.

Wool (Fig 1) (50% carbon, 12% hydrogen, 10% oxygen, 25%nitrogen
and 3% sulphur) and 26% of dirt, 28% suint, 12% fat and
Wool is the term used to describe the fiber from a sheep
or lamb fleece, goat hair, or angora, including the alleged 1% of mineral water.
“specific fibers” from camels, alpaca, and llamas. History of wool (Fig 3)
Wool was first used by man around 10,000 years ago-
Fig 1
during the Stone Age. Ancient peoples wore sheepskin
clothing to stay warm in the winter and cooler in the
summer. The basic human needs of ancestral man
were food, clothing, and shelter. Sheep and their wool
helped to fulfil these needs. Later, they learned to spin
and weave these fibres. Ultimately, yarn of wool and
fabric were produced, all being used to aid their survival,
particularly during harsh winters. It offers protection from
heat and cold, assisting the body to maintain a constant
temperature.

Fig 3

The soft, wavy, or curly and often thick undercoat of
numerous hairy mammals, primarily sheep, has been
used by man all over the world. The protein filaments of
keratin in wool are pliable, reactive, and biocompatible.
Wool differs from other vegetable fibers e.g.: cotton,
because it is made of protein and some lipids rather than
cellulose. Wool is a sustainable resource. (Fig 2)

Fig 2

Processing of wool (Fig 4)
The annual global production of wool is around 2 million
metric tonnes (2.2 million short tons), 60% of which is
used to make clothing. Worsted wool production refers to
the process of turning raw wool into thread, and then wool
textiles. Goods are then created from yarn by knitting
and weaving. The steps involved in wool processing
are shown in the following image and briefly discussed
Composition of wool below:-
The chemical composition of raw wool is highly
dependent on breed and environment but can be stated
that it consists generally of 33% keratin which consists of

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