Why Wool?
Wool is a superior natural fibre. It is not harmful to the environment and has the following advantages
- Renewable resource
- Saves energy
- Cruelty free
- Biodegradable
- Can be recycled
Wool provides comfort the healthy way
- Maintains ideal body temperature
- Complete rest in warm and cold conditions
- Non allergic
- Ability to absorb and repel moisture puts wool in a class of its own
Wool is a natural fibre with unique properties for maintaining body temperature levels. Wool is a temperature modulating fibre and although most people associate wool with keeping us warm it also keeps us cool. A sheep farmer knows that his flock will be fine in all weather conditions, it doesn’t matter that sheep are long-fleeced in summer or shorn in winter. Most sheep farming areas are in the hottest areas like the Karoo and Queensland.
Wool fibres are constructed from a complex protein with a visible crimp and tiny scales on each strand. Both are important in imparting wool’s special thermal abilities.
The ability of wool to deal with moisture is what puts wool in a class of its own. Wool both repels and absorbs moisture (hydrophilic interior, hydrophobic exterior). On average the body produces about 500ml of moisture daily. The process of evaporation, which transfers heat from the body to the atmosphere, cools us off. Some fabrics either blot up the moisture or block evaporation resulting in that sleep-disturbing clammy sensation. When we become too hot and perspire wool begins to draw off the excess moisture. It can absorb up to 30% of its own weight without becoming wet. Other fibres have a maximum capacity of 2%. This maintenance of comfort humidity level is wool’s vital attribute.