WOOL — FROM FARM TO FASHION
Wool production starts on the farm and bales are loaded onto trucks and taken finishes as a wide range of valuable to the warehouse for sale at auction. products used across the world. Did you know? Auction — wool is sold to the highest • A professional shearer can Sheep — wool production starts with bidder and sent for processing. remove the entire fleece in less the breeding and selection of Merino than five minutes. sheep with fine fleece. Scouring — fleeces are washed to remove dirt, dust, sweat and wool Shearing — shearers remove the fleece grease. The wool grease is recovered from the sheep. and from this lanolin is extracted. Lanolin is used in cosmetics and skin Wool handling — woolhandlers remove care products. any vegetation from the fleece and the wool classer grades the fleece according When the wool comes out of the scour to its quality. the fibres are tangled. In order to spin the fibres they must be untangled by Baling and transport — wool of the carding, which opens the tufts (tangled same grade is pressed into bales. Wool groups of fibres) and blends them into a uniform web.
Fast facts The carded wool is ready to process • Merino wool, produced on through one of two routes: woollen or Australian farms, is processed worsted. and made into products that end In the woollen process the carded up in retail stores all around web of fibres is split into many strips the world. which are rubbed into slubbings • There are two main types of wool (delicate yarn-like threads) ready for processing systems — woollen spinning into yarn. and worsted. The worsted process forms the carded • Most of Australia’s high-quality web into a sliver of fibres, which is Merino wool is processed through made into tops (gilling and combing) the worsted system and made into then drawn down into fine rovings ready high-quality fashion garments. for spinning.
Baling Wool auction
Shearing Wool handling Scouring Top-making
From fibre to fashion: Australian Merino wool goes through a number of processes from the farm to the fashion stores.
SECONDARY FACT SHEET - WOOL — FROM FARM TO FASHION Spinning: Spinning machines insert twist into the woollen slubbings and worsted rovings to produce Ready for sale: When garments are ready for a yarn. These yarns can be woven or knitted to produce fabric. sale they are labelled so consumers know how to care for them. Spinning — spinning inserts twist into Woven fabrics are constructed using Dyeing — dyeing is the process of the slubbing or roving to create yarn. a set of warp yarns, which run down colouring the wool. This can be done as There are three types of yarn: the length of the fabric and weft loose fibre, yarn, fabrics or garments. yarns, which that run along the width • Woollen yarns are hairy and contain Dyes can be natural, such as plant of the fabric. more short fibres and tend to be materials, or synthetic. Patterns may used for jumpers and blankets. Knitting — this is the process of also be introduced through printing. interlocking yarns across the width Making up — individual panels of • Worsted yarns use longer fibres to of the fabric. produce smoother yarns which are garments are cut from flat fabric and used in products like suits. Fabric finishing — woven fabrics sewn together to form a garment. and knitted fabrics go through many Knitwear panels can be shaped on the • Semi-worsted yarns are ‘half way different processes to make them knitting machine, so don’t need cutting. between’ woollen and worsted and suitable for end use. These panels are normally ‘linked’ are made by worsted processing together instead of traditionally sewn. without the combing stage. These Processes carried out depend on yarns can be used in upholstery, the type of fabric and its end use but Ready for sale — after pressing, the socks and knitwear. comprise four key stages: preparation, garments are ticketed and labelled so washing, drying, stabilisation. These consumers know how to care for their Weaving — this is the process of processes will improve the appearance, Merino wool garment. interlacing yarns usually at right handle and performance of the fabrics. angles to each other.
Glossary Bales — bags of wool that have been pressed and ready for sale. Lanolin — a greasy substance coating the wool fibres. Vegetation — small pieces of plants, such as thistles and burrs, which are trapped in the fleece on farm. Yarn — fibres of wool twisted together to form a rope-like thread.
Weaving: Weaving is the process of interlacing Making up: Woven fabrics are cut and sewn to yarns to form fabric. produce garments ready for finishing.
More information • woolmarklearningcentre.com For more information about wool processing, go to: • The Woolmark Company YouTube channel: • learnaboutwool.com youtube.com/WoolmarkOnline • Beyond the Bale: • The posters that came with the beyondthebale.wool.com LEARN ABOUT WOOL kit.
SECONDARY FACT SHEET - WOOL — FROM FARM TO FASHION GD3270_G