Sheep wool is one of the first materials that people learned to use for clothing and everyday life. It consists of a protein compound and is the most common spinning material for knotted and woven carpets. Wool is the basis for the creation of pile and threads. So how do you determine the quality of your own wool?
Instructions
Step 1
Sheep wool of the best quality is capable not only of repelling water from itself and retaining a lot of heat, but also should not change its elasticity and initial volume over time, remaining sufficiently elastic for many years. Decent and good quality coat - very heavy, slightly greasy to the touch. The only exception in this case are Persian carpets, the wool of which is rough and dry to the touch, however, it does not contain excess fluff and is not brittle.
Step 2
Tabbakhi wool is used for making cheap carpets, it will not be difficult to identify it by touch. It is enough just to rub the pile on the carpet, and you will feel that the wool is quite tough, in contrast to quality wool, which is resilient and elastic. In addition, if you stroke the coat with the pressure of your hand, you may notice that the nap breaks.
Step 3
Excessive fluff on the carpet is a sign of poor quality wool carpet. At first glance, it is impossible to see it, but if you rub the pile intensively in one direction for two minutes, fluff will appear on the surface. But the carpet of good quality will also fluff for the first time, but if after repeated rubbing the fluff continues to be knocked out - this is a clear sign of poor quality wool.
Step 4
There is one simplest and most reliable way that will help you to accurately determine the quality of wool. Take a small piece of this material and light it. Good quality wool will give off a burnt chicken smell, and the ash will crumble into small particles without forming a viscous substance.
Step 5
If you decide to determine the quality of wool on a sheep, then it is better to do this when the animal is one year old. The wool of an old sheep will be more difficult to assess due to physiological development. It is worth noting that sheep that do not bear offspring have a better quality wool than animals that have already given birth. Divide the sheep in half with a horizontal line mentally, there are three areas on which it is worth considering the wool: in the middle, after the last rib, on the shoulder and on the outside of the thigh of the hind leg. Spread the wool with your hands, as if laying a path, and evaluate the following: the fiber diameter (it should be the same in all places), the nature and length of the fiber, density and elasticity.
