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Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other animals, including cashmere and mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, angora from rabbits, and other types of wool from camelids.  Wool is a fabulous textile.  Did you know that wool fibers readily absorb moisture, but are not hollow. Wool can absorb almost one-third of its own weight in water.  The most amazing part is that it can retain heat even while wet.  Wool's scaling and crimp make it easier to spin the fleece by helping the individual fibers attach to each other, so they stay together. Because of the crimp, wool fabrics have greater bulk than other textiles, and they hold air, which causes the fabric to retain heat.  Wool has a high specific heat coefficient, so it impedes heat transfer in general. This effect has benefited desert peoples, as Bedouins and Tuaregs use wool clothes for insulation.  If you are planning on going snowboarding or playing outside in the winter, going with a wool sweater would be a fantastic idea.

• Learn about the many benefits of wool for textiles and fashion.

Sheep Industry News: The Sheep Industry News is a monthly publication of the American Sheep Industry Association. Each month, relevant stories about the industry are brought to our members.

Standard Wool News: Standard Wool is a global group of companies which sources, processes and supply's quality wool and its by-products to its worldwide customer base. The company's origins date back to the 18th century and they now have trading and sourcing facilities in the United Kingdom, Chile, China and New Zealand. The firm is headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom.

Techwool Trading News (Australia): Techwool Trading is an Australian family owned wool company, through and through. The company supplies wool to over 100 textile mills worldwide, from combing to carding to carbonising and fabric making operations.

WoolMark News: The Woolmark Company is the global authority on wool. Through their extensive network of relationships spanning the international textile and fashion industries, they highlight Australian wool's position as the ultimate natural fibre and premier ingredient in luxury apparel.

WoolNews.net: WOOLNEWS.net is a monthly on-line newsletter that brings the latest news from major wool producing countries such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, China, UK and Uruguay.

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• Wool News (Google)

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Learn a bit about shearing and a few other important tips if you want to be a true expert on wool.  Sheep shearing is the process by which the woolen fleece of a sheep is cut off. After shearing, the wool is separated into four main categories: fleece (which makes up the vast bulk), broken, bellies, and locks. The quality of fleeces is determined by a technique known as wool classing, whereby a qualified person called a wool classer groups wools of similar grading together to maximize the return for the farmer or sheep owner. In Australia before being auctioned, all Merino fleece wool is objectively measured for micron, yield (including the amount of vegetable matter), staple length, staple strength, and sometimes color and comfort factor. The sheep is given a dip in antiseptic solution after shearing, so as to cure the wounds caused during shearing.  The quality of wool is determined by its fiber diameter, crimp, yield, color, and staple strength. fiber diameter is the single most important wool characteristic determining quality and price.  Wool is also separated into grades based on the measurement of the wool's diameter in microns and also its style. These grades may vary depending on the breed or purpose of the wool.