HOW WOOL GROWS

Before shearing After shearing

Skin layer Wool fibre (epidermis)

Wool follicle Skin layer shaft (dermis)

Follicle bulb

Nerve fibres

Blood and lymph vessels

Source: Adapted from The Story of Wool, Kondinin Group How wool grows Did you know? Glossary Wool is a natural fibre grown by sheep to form a Calcium — a nutrient found in wool, but also in • When knitted into clothing, the natural protective fleece that covers most of their body. bones. Calcium is important as part of a healthy diet crimp in wool provides insulation and to keep our teeth and bones strong and healthy. The fleece is shorter around the face, legs and belly, but helps keep us warm. longer and softer across the back and sides of the body. Fleece — the wool that covers the body of a sheep, • The surface of each wool fibre is usually removed by shearing. The fleece protects sheep from the weather — keeping covered in tiny scales, which makes them warm during winter and cool during summer. Protein — a nutrient found in wool, but also in all wool ideal for making felted products. body cells. Protein is important as part of a healthy Wool fibres are made of protein, with a small amount of diet to build and repair all our body cells. fat, calcium and sodium. • New technology can be used to remove or hide the scales on wool Sodium — a type of salt. As wool grows out from the sheep’s skin, it naturally fibres to prevent clothes from forms into groups of fibres called staples. shrinking during washing. Wool fibres grow with a natural crimp (wave), which gives wool its elasticity (springiness). More information Each wool fibre grows outwards from the sheep’s skin. Just like human hair, wool continues to grow, even after To find out more about how wool grows and protects sheep, it has been cut (shorn). take a look at: Wool grows about six millimetres per month, but • learnaboutwool.com this varies with the breed of the sheep, nutrition and • Beyond the Bale magazine: beyondthebale.wool.com environment.

• Human hair grows about 10mm per month and wool grows about 6mm per month. FUN • The natural grease in FACTS wool (lanolin) coats ABOUT each fibre. WOOL • During processing, lanolin is removed and Shearing: After shearing, wool grows back, just like our hair after used in beauty products. a haircut.

PRIMARY FACT SHEET - HOW WOOL GROWS GD3262_D