Even though there is a feeling that the seasons might be turning, there is still a chill in the air here in Norfolk. People may be turning away from the very chunkiest of wools, but they are still thinking about knitting jumpers. And I have been giving some thought to the wools that I stock, not just the weight of them and their uses, but the sheep from which they come. In particular, I thought I would talk about merino wool – where it comes from and what it is best used for.
Merino has a long history. It comes from the Merino sheep – originally a breed of sheep native to Spain. Its wool is noted for being fine and very soft. There is some debate about how the sheep came to Spain but the most dominant theory at the moment is that the breed was created in Spain over several centuries – being a crossing of the original native sheep (churro) with a variety of other breeds at different periods, including Italian rams in the Roman period, North African rams in the medieval period and English rams from the fine-wool breeds in the 15th century.
During the early medieval period, fine English wools were preferred over all others, but the Spanish wool began to be exported to the Low Countries and Italy in the 13th and 14th centuries. It was only in the mid-16th century that the most expensive grades of cloth could be made entirely with Merino wool, after its quality had improved to equal that of the finest English wools which were in increasingly short supply at that time, partly because most English wool was woven and made into textile goods within England.
Spain built up a virtual monopoly in fine wool exports throughout the 16th century and until the 18th century it was a crime punishable by death to export the sheep from Spain. Once they were able to be exported small flocks began to be built up elsewhere, Sweden, France, Hungary. In 1787 Sir Joseph Banks procured 4 rams and 2 ewes for King George III to found the royal flock at Kew. The Napoleonic Wars (1793 – 1813) almost destroyed the Spanish Merino industry with most of the flocks either being dispersed or slaughtered. Over the following centuries, the sheep were imported all over the world, and now the most successful flocks are in the Southern hemisphere – Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America.
The sheep is bred predominantly for its wool, and it does not survive well without regular shearing by its owners. They must be shorn at least once a year because their wool does not stop growing and if neglected the overabundance of wool can cause all sorts of problems for the animal. There have also been issues around their welfare with regard to the practice of mulesing to prevent fly strike. The Australians still practice mulesing but it has been banned elsewhere. We are careful to stock mulesing free wool here.
Why is merino so desirable? Well, the main thing is that it is very soft and it does not itch like other wools. This is because its fibres are very fine (16.5 to 24 microns across), about half the thickness of most wool fibres, so that instead of sticking into your skin and prickling, they bend and feel super soft. The sheep evolved to cope with temperatures fluctuating between extremes of hot and cold and as a result the wool has almost magical qualities of temperature regulation – supplying excellent thermal warmth when it is cold and yet being able to keep you cool when it is hot. It lets your body breathe, and when you sweat the fibres absorb the moisture and wick it away from your body through a process of evaporative cooling which stops you from overheating. It even boasts a naturally occurring protein that breaks down the bacteria in your sweat responsible for making your clothes smell. In my view these characteristics make it an excellent wool for babies, but it is also considered to be the best thing to wear next to your skin, especially for outdoors activities.
Here we stock Lang Merino 120 (DK weight) and 150 (4ply), and of course Malabrigo’s lovely Sock (fingering weight), Rasta (super chunky) and Rios (worsted weight) all of which are 100% merino. So if you are looking for some scrumptious wool, wearable in winter and in summer, and perfect for babies, look no further!