Wool is natural, renewable, sustainable, and biodegradable. And unlike most materials on the earth, you may use wool for a wide variety of things, including making exquisite garments, insulation, and packing goods.
In the 13th century, people from the United Kingdom domesticated sheep for wool production, leading to an economic boom. And for this reason, you’ll notice many villages and towns have pubs with surprising names like The Lamb, The Drovers Arms, and The Fleece. This has been a tradition since King Edward III.
But since synthetic fibres have become more popular, many farms now focus on making meat instead of wool. However, the UK still produces over 22,000 tons of wool every year. This wool is a natural byproduct of a sheep’s lifecycle, produced from grass and other plants.
Moreover, wool serves as short-term carbon storage due to the plants the sheep consumes, which helps reduce carbon in the atmosphere. It is thought that organic carbon constitutes up to half of the weight of fleece. Wool is the most environmentally friendly material since sheep thrive in regions where crops and other food products are typically impossible.
Sheep are typically sheared yearly to reduce heat stress and parasite issues. Skilled specialists perform shearing per industry code. After they’ve been collected, the fleeces are placed in woolsacks and transported to a processing facility.
Sadly, farmers are constantly irritated by the little income they are given for these fleeces, especially when they recall how a year’s wool paycheck used to cover a whole year’s rent or even purchase a new tractor for their agricultural forebears. Hopefully, supply chain innovations and international acknowledgement of wool’s environmental merits can reverse this trend over time.
Here are a few things you can do with excellent wool:
- Making home insulations. Firefighters prefer wool because it is flame resistant and emits fewer hazardous gases and smoke in case of a fire outbreak, making it an excellent material for keeping houses warm.
- They are used for making beds, pillows, duvets, and blankets. Wool bedding makes a great sleeping environment, and wool’s naturally hypoallergenic and anti-bacterial properties make for an excellent night’s sleep.
- The wool from specific sheep breeds is perfect for making clothes. The fleeces from a UK sheep are best for making tweed and heavy-duty fabrics. Some people are afraid of wool products thinking they would feel itchy.
- They are perfect soundproofing. Areas with wool carpets have better sound quality. The carpets serve as a sound absorber and lessen any impact noise. The wool’s visco-elastic qualities transform sound energy into heat, thereby dispersing noise.
- Wools products offer great comfort for babies. Wool is great for keeping newborns warm without overheating them since it adapts to their body temperature. Adults aren’t exempt from this rule either.
- They are suitable for crafting. Wool is a go-to material for artisans of all ages; crocheting, knitting, wet felting, or needle felting
- wool carpets hold well. Synthesised carpets and rugs don’t last as long as ones made of wool. On the other hand, wool’s natural crimp gives it strength and elasticity; that’s why when you walk on a genuine wool carpet, it “bounces back,” making it last for years.
The National Security Agency (NSA) claims that the world’s oldest sustainable fibre is also the most contemporary and flexible material.
Sheep have a long and rich history in the UK. For more than a millennium, British sheep’s wool has been processed and used for garments and is a major export commodity for the country.
