Wool Week 2015

The Campaign for Wool

Launched in 2010, The Campaign for Wool is a promotion to educate the public about wool and wool-rich products.  HRH The Prince of Wales convened a coalition of industry leaders in manufacturing, fashion and home furnishings.  This year the 6^th annual Wool Week takes place from Oct 5-11 with activities throughout the United Kingdom.

Check YouTube for 3 short videos starring sheep and farm animals: “Braaad Pitt”, Sheep of the Year” and “No Sweat”.  Also check www.campaignforwool.org.

          London advertisement for Wool Week at Saville Row

Although the Campaign for Wool features the wool fibers from various  breeds of sheep, wool is a fiber from the fleece of various animals such as camels, llamas, alpacas and angora goats.

The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook, Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius, Storey Publishing, North Adams, MA, 2011

Wool has unique characteristics and it one of the first fibers to be used for textiles, as early as 4,000BCE in Mesopotamia.  Wool resists dirt and has a high degree of thermal insulation.  It is also flame resistant and has the ability to absorb large quantities of water.

Wool-producing countries include Australia and New Zealand, South Africa and US as well as Turkey, India, Iraq and Argentina.

Merino sheep is considered the finest marketable wool and a major source for apparel.  Through selective sheep breeding there are over 30 major varieties in various grades and colors of wool.