The Spanish proverb goes well, "Wherever sheep's feet touch the
ground, the land turns to gold." If it had been Merino sheep, it would
have added the highest value to the animal. Merino is the finest sheep wool
fabric in the world. It has superior shine and legendary softness. Apparel
made of the merino fabric has the maximum absorbent quality with great
breathability. It is resistance to dirt and wrinkle. It has the ability to
hold dye. It gives warmth to the wearer without giving weight.
The reason merino is finest and purest of wool in the world is the climate
of the region where it is found and the quality of the pastures. Merino is
generally raised in high mountainous regions such as of Kashmir (India),
Australia and New Zealand, which are not tainted with pollutants. In these
kind of pastures, the sheep produce wool which are very rich in lanoline
(wool grease) and naturally silky luster. These protect the wool from the
moth damage. Today, Australia is the largest producer of merino wool in the
world.
Very little is known about the origin of Merino, but it is believed that
the oldest and most established breed would have come from North Africa. The
Moors introduced the sheep into Spain and it became the highly prized and
valuable. After the decline of Spanish Empire in the 18
th
century, few sheep were exported to other countries. Today, there are more
than ten varieties of the merino worldwide, each one having its own special
characteristics. Some well known merino are Australian, Peppin, Saxony,
Rambouillet, Vermount and South African.
Characteristics of Merino Wool Fabric
- It is luxuriously soft.
- It has natural elasticity.
- It is dense and strong.
- It has warmth and softness.
- It is a non-scratchy wool.
- It absorbs moisture and transfer it into the air making dry layer next to skin.
- It repels liquids like rain.
- It absorbs odors from the body.
- It has a higher level of UV light protection.
Uses of Merino Wool Fabric
- The soft quality of merino wool fabric along with being a flame
retardant has made it a much-wanted fabric for baby wear (infant wear).
- Golf wear market is a very strong market, traditionally, for merino
wool. Children's, men's and women's underwear and undergarments are also
made of merino wool fabric.
- Soft and itch-less hats, felted mittens, hand woven scarves and
shawls are being made from merino wool.
- Merino wool is used as medical textiles. Its quality of trapping
toxins naturally and absorbing it has made it widely used as non-woven
bandages.
- Recent developments have made high-density merino wool fabrics as
the protective clothing. The dense structure of the wool carries lesser
oxygen, hence it is retardant to flame. Moreover, the fabric protects
against light, radiation, external physical pressure and molten metal
splash.
- Due to its luxuriously soft quality, one of the most unusual use of
merino wool is in the form of fine concert piano hammers like
'Steinways'.
