More about Merino wool

Merino wool - fine and woolly In the broad spectrum of our textile fibers, a renewable raw material has accompanied us for centuries: wool. There are different breeds of sheep and correspondingly different types of wool. In order to be able to distinguish the main types, key figures of important distinguishing features, such as staple length, fineness, softness and the course of the fibers, help. The finest wool comes from the Merino sheep, a fine-wool breed of sheep whose wool is noticeably soft. Merino wool is also short-staple, extra fine and heavily wavy. Due to these specific properties, it does not scratch and is ideal for skin-tight functional clothing in the outdoor area, for accessories such as scarves, shawls, triangular shawls, gloves, wrist warmers or fine baby clothing. The clothing industry often speaks of different types of wool, which are differentiated according to the way the wool is obtained:   New wool = wool obtained by shearing; undamaged and most valuable wool. The differences in wool qualities also result from the wool fleece of the animal. Since the sheep spend most of their time in the wild, the parts of the sheep's bodies vary in quality. The shoulder area that gets the least soiled achieves the highest quality. Our Merino wool extra soft comes from these areas. Despite the increasing use of chemical fibers, wool is one of the most important fibers in outerwear, especially due to its good moisture behavior and heat retention properties. Merino wool is extra soft and especially kind to the skin, especially because of the short fibers. Notable fiber properties of merino wool are good tensile strength (dry), high stretchability, elasticity, dimensional and shape stability, high crease resistance and good crease recovery. The main reason for the very good heat retention is the natural crimping of the Merino fiber. Wool is a renewable natural fiber that can be decomposed within a short period of time under suitable landfill conditions. In addition, production waste can be ground up and used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Appropriate animal husbandry is supported by certifications such as kbT (controlled organic animal husbandry). The feeding of genetically modified plants, the use of fattening aids, interventions in the natural way of reproduction and mulesing are prohibited. In textile finishing, the human-ecological certificate Öko-Tex-Standard 100 supports the processing of the material and the ingredients - with a focus on avoiding harmful substances. Oeko-Tex Standard 100 is a worldwide certificate that sets the upper limit for harmful substances and minimum requirements for authenticity properties, including test methods. Sources: https://www.tierschutzbund.de/aktion/mitmachen/verbrauchertipps/merinowolle/ (as of April 6)   Fontaine (2011): Technology for clothing professions, 14th edition, Bildungsverlag EINS GmbH, Hansestraße 115, 51149 Cologne (p. 34-40;161).