Some of the finest wool comes from Italy, where there is a centuries-long tradition of sheep herding and fabric production. Wool can be very fine and soft, sometimes it’s combined with silk for extra softness and sheen. Wool is also used in summer clothing, a typical classic men’s summer suit is made from the finest of wools. This is because the wool fiber breathes, keeping the body cool, and keeping the garment’s shape. A truly versatile fiber that drapes beautifully. An Elizabetta fine wool scarf or shawl will last indefinitely if cared for properly.
Wool is a fabulous fabric made from the fur of mammals, primarily sheep, although the of other mammals can be used.
It’s a fabric full of contradictory attributes, for example: It is porous and absorbs moisture while at the same time it repels liquid, thus it can keep you dry on both a rainy day and a hot sticky day.
There are many different breeds of sheep that grow many different types of wool, but the fiber from one breed to the next has the same structure.
Wool is made up of short, wavy fibers that have tiny overlapping scales on the surface. These scales vary in different wools and can be quite sparse and coarse or numerous and fine. The coarse scales of some wool can be scratchy and it is this that makes people believe that they are allergic to wool, when in fact, it is just the itching that results from a scratchy wool. The wools which have fine scales are very soft.
There are two basic categories of wool: carpet wool and apparel wool. As you can imagine, carpet wool is coarse and wiry, suitable to stand up to its use as a floor covering. Apparel wool, on the other hand, is much finer. Most of the sheep produce wool for clothing are raised in North America, Europe, Australia and South Africa.
The wool used for scarves and shawls is usually the finest available, and can be so fine that it can be printed.