As the weather gets colder and wetter, people start to reach for their winter clothes and warm woolly sweaters. It’s hard to find a better way to warm up on a cold day than by turning on the heating, snuggling up in a cosy jumper and watching your favourite television show or reading a book. Nothing quite beats the comfort of a soft, woollen sweater when there is a biting chill outside!
Wool is a fabric staple that has been around for many, many centuries. It comes in many types such as camel and sheep’s hair. You can even find artificial types of wool. Wool is an interesting material with many fascinating facts. Did you know that you can use wool as a substitute for macrame fabrics? This is a popular choice for those wishing to make their own sweaters using macrame techniques. Find out about Macrame Kit ranges by viewing the Macrame Kits from Wool Couture
Celebrate all things wool
Every year, the Wool Week takes place in October to celebrate all things wool. This event, having now been celebrated yearly for over a decade, was created to promote the use of wool and its benefits. There are many events held across the country that promote the use of wool.
A place in history
Since the Stone Age, wool clothing has been valued as a precious commodity. Cistercian Monks paid part of the ransom demanded by the Holy Roman Emperor in 1192 in wool, when Richard the Lionheart was captured. They used 50,000 bags of wool. It would have taken an entire year for the monks to clip this amount of wool from their sheep.
Perfect properties
Wool is a material with many impressive qualities and properties. Wool is both water-resistant and fire-resistant. It has wonderful moisture wicking properties, making it great for waterproofing, which you might not realise.
Wool has a natural oil and has a high ignition temperature (750 degrees Celsius). Wool is biodegradable, and it breaks down slowly and fertilises the soil because it contains 17 percent of nitrogen in its fibres. Wool is also wrinkle-resistant, which will be a great benefit to anyone who avoids their ironing board and hates using it. Wool is one of the few items of clothing you won’t have to iron.
