It takes 10 processes to get wool from sheep to cloth March 23 2023

 

Did you know?

 

Did you know it takes at least 10 processes to get wool from sheep to cloth? 

  • Shearing
  • Grading
  • Auction
Once the wool is sheared from the sheep it is then graded by hand and eye and sorted in to types these types are then sold at auction and can go on to sell worldwide.
  • Scouring
Once bought by the mill it arrives to be scoured which is similar to being cleaned and combed. This removes all impurities down to 0.3% of the fleece.
  • Dyeing
The wool will then be dyed using a precise combination of dye, pressure, temperature and time. The secret to creating beautiful rich colours is in the blend. Upto 7 different coloured wools can go into a recipe for each yarn.  
  • Carding
  • Combing
Here the wool is lubricated with water and oil and run through a series of combed rollers. This process will take out any of those last impurities and ensures the finished fabric will be smoot and soft to touch. It is then wound onto a spool ready for the spinning machines
  • Spinning
The wool is drawn out to put a precise number of twists per inch to create a strong thread. here the yarn get wound onto cones where it goes through a check to ensure the continuity of thickness. faults can also be removed here, the ends can be thermally joined rather than knotted like previous years. 
  • Weaving 
The cones of yarn are wound over a drum and a warp is made for weaving, depending on the pattern of the tweed these can be complicated. upto 2000 threads may be required for a width of fabric. These are all checked by hand and must be held in an exact order to ensure the pattern is accurate and uniform. mills now use an automatic rapier looms to take the weft across the warp thread. this can be capable of weaving 30,000meters of cloth per week. after this is woven a strict quality control process begins 
  • Finishing
 Every inch of fabric is inspected at 3 stages in the manufacturing process, when it comes off the loom, after finishing and before it leaves the factory. This ensures the consistency of the fabric quality. after weaving the fabric is scoured (washed) this removes the oils used to aid the manufacture of the fabric. treatments such as fire retardant and water resistant can be added at this stage. finally each length of fabric is pressed using steam and a specialised equipment to remove shrinkage. this completes the creation of tweed