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 18th 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.
- 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'.
