What is Merino wool?

Merino wool can be as fine as 80 counts or more, and most of them are in the range of 26 to 70 counts, with 70 tops or more, and the length of the wool is 4 to 10 cm, with flat ends, no medulla in the fiber, and a double-sided structure with positive cortical layer and secondary cortical layer or parallel arrangement, forming a dense and uniform curl (4 to 10/cm). The fiber surface is covered with fine scales, with high oil content, and the net wool rate is lower than that of ordinary semi-fine wool and long wool. After washing, the color is white with an elegant luster like silver or pearl. Merino wool has excellent spinning performance, high spinnability, soft and elastic feel, and is suitable for making excellent fine fabrics. It also has good shrinkage and is also an excellent raw material for coarse fabrics with plump and tight surface.
Merino sheep were first bred in Spain around the 15th to 17th century. Under different natural environments and feeding and management conditions in different regions, various Merino sheep strains have been derived: such as Spanish Merino, French Rambouillet Merino, German Saxony Merino, Australian Merino, American Merino, South American Merino and Soviet Merino. Although the wool quality of these Merino strains is slightly different, because they all come from the same ancestor, their genetic performance is stable and the wool quality is excellent. They can all be used as raw materials for high- and medium-grade worsted and high-quality woolen. Fine-wool sheep with Merino bloodline are distributed all over the world, and their wool production accounts for about one-third of the world's wool production. Among them, Australia produces about 350,000 tons of Merino wool (raw wool) annually, which is equivalent to 40% of the world's fine wool production. It is the largest producer and supplier of Merino wool. Australian Merino wool can be divided into four types according to its fineness: superfine wool, with a quality count of more than 70, an average diameter of less than 18 microns, and a length of 5 to 9 cm; fine wool, with a quality count of 70 to 66, an average diameter of 18 to 20 microns, and a length of 5 to 10 cm; medium wool, with a quality count of 66 to 64, an average diameter of 20 to 22 microns, and a length of 6 to 11 cm; coarse wool, with a quality count of 64 to 60, an average diameter of 23 to 25 microns, and a length of 6 to 12 cm. The textiles made from these four types are suitable for use as medium-, high-end, and even high-quality clothing.
Quality is world-renowned
Fine-wool sheep, mainly of Merino descent, are found all over the world, and their wool production accounts for about one-third of the world's wool production. Australia produces about 350,000 tons of Merino wool (raw wool) annually, equivalent to 40% of the world's fine wool production, making it the largest producer and supplier of Merino wool. Australian Merino wool can be divided into four types according to its fineness: superfine wool, with a quality count of more than 70, an average diameter of less than 18 microns, and a length of 5 to 9 cm; fine wool, with a quality count of 70 to 66, an average diameter of 18 to 20 microns, and a length of 5 to 10 cm; medium wool, with a quality count of 66 to 64, an average diameter of 20 to 22 microns, and a length of 6 to 11 cm; coarse wool, with a quality count of 64 to 60, an average diameter of 23 to 25 microns, and a length of 6 to 12 cm. The textiles made from them are suitable for use as medium-, high-end, and even high-quality clothing. Merino fine wool sheep are also a major parent for breeding semi-fine wool. For example, New Zealand uses long-haired Lincoln sheep and Merino sheep to crossbreed and breed semi-fine wool varieties such as Corriday sheep. The quality of Corriedale wool is between Lincoln wool and Merino wool; using Merino rams and Lincoln and Merino hybrid ewes, the offspring are bred through ideal self-breeding to produce sheep with three-quarters Merino bloodline, such as Porwasser or Columbia sheep, with a wool count of 60 to 58, an average diameter of 23 to 25 microns, and a length of 10 to 13 cm.