Processing fibres into wool

The wool which is used for knitting sweaters or for weaving shawls is the finished product of a long process,
which involves the following steps:
Step I: The fleece of the sheep along with a thin layer of skin is removed from its body. This process is called
shearing. Machines similar to those used by barbers are used to shave off hair. Usually, hair are removed during the hot
weather. This enables sheep to survive without their protective coat of hair. The hair provide woollen fibres. Woollen
fibres are then processed to obtain woollen yarn. Shearing does not hurt the sheep just as it does not hurt when
you get a hair cut or your father shaves his beard. Do you know why? The uppermost layer of the skin is dead. Also, the hair of sheep grow again just as your hair does.

Step II: The sheared skin with hair is thoroughly washed in tanks to remove grease, dust and dirt. This is called
scouring. Nowadays scouring is done by machines
Step III: After scouring, sorting is done. The hairy skin is sent to a factory where hair of different textures are separated
or sorted.
Step IV: The small fluffy fibres, called burrs, are picked out from the hair. These are the same burrs which sometimes appear on your sweaters. The fibres are scoured again and dried. This is the wool ready to be drawn into fibres.
Step V: The fibres can be dyed in various colours, as the natural fleece of sheep and goats is black, brown or white.
Step VI: The fibres are straightened, combed and rolled into yarn . The longer fibres are made into wool for sweaters and the shorter fibres are spun and woven into woollen cloth.

The processing of fibre into wool can be represented as follows:
Shearing → Scouring → Sorting → Cleaning of burrs

Rolling ← Dyeing

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *