Wool Underwear: From Shearing to Becoming a Part of Your Wardrobe

February 28, 2010

Wool is a very versatile fabric. Some of the commonly associated problems with it were that it was heavy, bulky, or caused allergy and itchiness in people. However, with all the processes that wool is exposed to, and treated with, these are no longer relevant. In fact, wool has become softer, lighter, and more comfortable, along with its usual warming properties. So much so, that wool is even used to make tricot undergarments that are so comfortable that they can be worn during the day and even as sleep-ins.

To make wool suitable for something as intimate as your undergarments, which need to be so comfortable that they actually feel like your second skin, wool has to undergo a lot of chemical treatments and processes. The process of wool being sheared from animals like lambs, sheep and camels and ending up as your wool underwear (woollen vests, underpants, socks and warmers), is one that involves many steps. But to give you a quick rundown on how your woollens are made, here is what actually happens:

·The first step is, of course, shearing in which wool in its most raw form is obtained from some animals of the cattle family- mainly sheep, lambs etc. The sheared wool is separated and graded according to its quality. The finer, softer quality is used to make dresses, pullovers, warmers, socks, tricot undergarments etc. The second grade consists of wool that is a little coarser, and so goes to making rugs, blankets, mats etc.

·The next step is the complete cleaning of the wool, to make it suitable for use, in a process called scouring. This can be done simply by using warm water, or through processing it with detergents with the help of sophisticated machinery and technology.

·The clean wool is then mixed together with other bundles and piles so as to create an interesting mix of colours and to ensure uniformity in length and diameter. Although wool has a particular colour, it absorbs dyes really well, so it can be dyed to almost any colour, and the best part is that it does not even fade very soon, if taken proper care of. Your woollen garments in different colours and patterns come from this stage of dyeing.

·Next, the wool is passed through heavy machinery called rollers to straighten and turn it into a series of fine fibre like structures called slivers. These slivers are converted into strands rolled into balls, which are then further spun into yarn.

·These balls of slivers are then spun into yarn to make them ready for weaving and knitting. The yarn that is spun will vary in terms of the size, strength etc, and this determines what kind of clothes it can be best suitable for.

·The yarn can be weaved in looms, or can be knitted through machines. While weaving entails interlocking the yarn at right angles to each other, knitting interlaces yarns and loops to produce garments. Most of our woollen clothes and undergarments, including tricot, are produced through this process of knitting.

Finally, post the knitting and weaving, the fabric undergoes the finishing touches through a variety of processes including sponging, worsting and crabbing. Certain chemicals are also applied to make the woollen fabric softer, lighter and stronger. Today it is possible to make wool suitable for machine wash, and control its propensity to shrink, and add certain other properties to it that make it ideal for woollens clothes and tricots.