Activity Books Wool & Sheep Activity Book | Page 30

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REFERENCE MATERIAL
wool and the sheep's growing ability. If you were to walk onto a sheep
ranch or Midwestern farm today, it would not be uncommon to see all
members of the family involved in feeding, herding, shearing or in some
way caring for the sheep. Sheep are a major source of income to the
family and are as important as any agricultural product.
Because sheep are so important for income and as an
agricultural product, producers work hard to protect them from
predators. Sheep producers will use Great Pyrenees, Komondors,
Akbash dogs, donkeys, llamas or a combination with their flocks.
FROM FIBER TO FABRIC
(Underlined words are defined in the glossary)
Once each year the sheep can give us the coats off their
backs. The wool is removed with shears similar to those a barber uses.
This process of shearing does not hurt the sheep. In about five minutes
the wool is shorn from the sheep in a single piece, called the fleece.
The fleece is carefully rolled and tied for bagging. Most shearing is
done between February and June, just before lambing. Most shearers
move from ranch to ranch. A good shearer can shear from 80 to 125
head of sheep a day. A highly trained expert can shear up to 225 head
of sheep in one day.
Fleeces are rolled up and tied, then packed into sacks. These
sacks hold between 20 and 35 fleeces (of 4-12 lbs each) and weigh an
average of 200 to 400 pounds. From this step the processing of the
wool begins.
The wool is washed by moving it gently with rakes through a
series of tubs containing a soap and water solution heated to about
140 o F. It is then rinsed. During the washing process, wool loses 30 to
70 percent of its weight when natural grease (lanolin) and soil are
removed. After washing, the wool is passed through a series of
squeeze rollers and finally dried. The purified lanolin by-product is used
in face creams, soaps and other ointments.
Wool can be dyed at several stages in the processing - after it
has been washed, in which case, it is called stock-dyed wool; after
spinning, when it is referred to as yarn-dyed wool; or after weaving or
knitting when it is called piece-dyed. Because wool is a porous fiber,
color tints are absorbed right into its core to give rich and lasting hues.
Carding blends wool fibers, removes vegetable matter, and
straightens the fibers so they will lie in the same direction. This is done
by passing the wool through a system of rollers covered with wire teeth
which form the fibers into a thin web. If the wool fibers are to be made
into fabric, the web is divided into strips which are rubbed together
gently to form the "roving" or "sliver."
Spinning draws strips of roving through small rollers, applying
a twist that gives the resulting yarn strength and size. The difference in
size, twist and ply give the woven fabric different texture which is part of
the fabric design.
Woven fabrics are made on looms by interlacing at least two
sets of yarn at right angles to each other (put another way, weaving
involves two pieces of yarn running in different directions, one up and
down, and one across). The lengthwise (or up and down) yarn is the
warp. Yarn running crosswise in the loom is called weft or filling. As
warp yarn passes through the loom, it is raised and lowered by a wire
eyelet through which it is threaded. To form the woven fabric, filling
yarn is pushed through openings created in the warp.
As the fabric comes from the loom, it has a loose texture.
Fulling or milling by the application of moisture, heat and fricton causes
the material to shrink and thus tighten the weave. The fabric can then
be napped by a metal brushing process, or sheared to give a smooth,
uniform appearance. Various chemical finishes can be applied to obtain
such advantages as moth-proofing, stain resistance and washablilty.
PROCESSES IN THE WOOL INDUSTRY
BY-PRODUCT - something produced in addition to the main product. In
the case of sheep, wool and meat are the major products. Other
products that come from the sheep are lanolin for cosmetics; hides and
skins for leather goods; gelatin for photographic film; animal fat for soap
and special glues and medicines - to name only a few.
CARDING - blending and straightening out the wool fibers.
DYEING - to impart color to something.
FLEECE - coat or wool covering a sheep.
FULLING - applying moisture, heat and friction to wool fabric to cause
the weave to tighten.
LANOLIN - the natural grease taken from the wool of sheep. It is used
in many cosmetics and other facial preparations.
LOOM - piece of equipment used to weave cloth.
ROVING - a slightly twisted roll of fiber.
SACKING - packing the fleeces into sacks or bales, each containing
between 20 and 35 fleeces and weighing 200 - 400 pounds.
SHEARING - cutting off or removing the wool from
the sheep.
SPINNING - the act of twisting fiber into yarn or thread. In colonial
times males, who did this were known as spinners. The older,
unmarried girls in the family who did this were known as spinsters.
SCOURING (WASHING) - the process of removing the natural grease
and soil from the wool.
WARP - vertical threads attached to beams on looms.
WEAVING - forming cloth or fabric by interlacing strands
of yarn.
WEFT - filling or yarn which interlaces across and through warp.
YARN - thread made by spinning fibers.