From Sheep to Shop: Transforming Wool🍁

How Does Wool Turn into Yarn, Blankets & so much more.....?

Each product starts as raw wool and they go through a process which allows the raw wool to be turned into the finished product.

First, the raw fleece is sorted and washed. By washing the wool, dirt, oil and grease are removed. After washing, the clean wool is dried.

 

Second, if required, the wool is dyed. This is where colour is added to the wool. This is done by using natural dyes from pigments found in plants and bugs, or chemical dyes created in a laboratory. Sometimes this is done after the spinning and twisting of the wool.

Third, the wool goes through a process called carding which is the most important step. During carding, the wool is brushed to straighten the wool fibres. The brushed wool is fed into the carding machine where the fibres are aligned by wire teeth. This allows the colours of the wool to blend, the fibres to be straightened, and 99% of vegetable matter to be removed.

 

Fourth, the wool goes through a process called spinning and twisting. This is where the wool is spun into thread, then twisted to ply the multiple threads together. Spinning frames take the primary strands of wool and spin them into yarn. The bobbins turn which causes the wool to spin. After spinning the yarn, it is twisted which plies it together.

 

Fifth, skeining and pressing. This step makes the yarn more relaxed instead of creating tension. The wool is wound to a skein when making yarn. However, when making a blanket, the wool is wrapped in a loom instead of a skein.

 

Sixth, this is the final step. The yarn or blanket is finally packaged and shipped. The Real Wool Shop receives these finished products, and they are now ready to be tagged and sold!

 

References:

customwoolenmills.com

briggsandlittle.com

macauslandswoolenmills.com


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