12 oz Merino Wool Tartan?

[Piedmont Highlander]

Hello All,

I've been looking at the specials on wooltartan.com and I've identified some tartans I like. But I was wondering if some of you could answer a few questions I had. I see that they use merino wool (which I have found out is a different kind of sheep...hooray for research) from Australia but that the wool is processed into fabric in Scotland. The weight of most of their most commonly available tartans is 12 ounces. So here's my question: does anyone know or have experience with kilts made from merino wool or with this seller? What's the difference from the traditional Scottish sheep? I have read that merino wool is softer than regular wool, but how does that translate to kilts? I've seen a quote that merino has a different "hand" from standard wool, but what does that even mean? Different nap? More fuzzy? And, also, how noticeable will 12 ounce wool be from 13 or 16 ounce? My preference, in general, is 16 ounce, since it's easier to dress it up, but if anyone could fill me in, I'd appreciate it.

I'm thinking hard about getting some wool and having an 8 yard kilt made. Maybe this is a good wool to start with...

[The Wizard of BC]

This is a word for word copy of what I posted just last week about the same topic.

"The website you refer to - wooltartan.com - is the site of Gordon Kirkbright, who until recently owned Fraser & Kirkbright Weaving located in Vancouver, BC.

Gordon is a good friend and I used to visit with him in the mill anytime I got over to the mainland.
Our friendship grew out of Gordon weaving the first three runs of the X Marks Tartan.

The individual hairs of merino wool are finer than other wool. Think of them as the redheads of the wool sheep. This has always meant that Merino wool was considered to be the most luxurious, softest and finest.
Gordon wove exclusively with Australian Merino wool. His Tartans were distinctive for this with a very soft and fine hand. I am currently wearing my Hudson's Bay Company Tartan kilt woven by Gordon and it is one of my favorites.

Due to issues beyond his control Gordon had to shut down F&K. He now has a working relationship with a mill in Scotland to weave his fabrics. I do not expect that the fabrics from Scotland will still be woven in Merino.

There are two issues with Merino wool that I should mention. Although the feel of the fabric is fine, soft and luxurious, it feels much lighter than it really is. 16oz Merino feels more like 13oz. and 12oz feels like 9oz. This means that I would not consider the current stock listing from wooltartan.com to be suitable for kilts. It feels very light. It is not really supposed to be for kilts as most of Gordon's business is used for ties, vests, and other apparel items.

The second thing is that Merino wool does not hold a crease as hard or as long as other wools. My HBC Kilt needs to be basted and re-pressed at least twice a year where my other kilts have never needed to be re-pressed.

So the answer to the question is Yes, Merino wool has always been considered better, finer, more luxurious, with the associated higher cost, but does have trade-offs. "

[Pleater]

The Merino sheep produces a very fine fibre, and it is usually considered to be a more luxurious form of wool, making a softer and slightly fluffier yarn.
It is not as hard wearing as fabric made with coarser fibres, but it feels smoother against the skin. The hand of a fabric is a complex combination of the various factors which are detectable by handling, the resistance to deformation, the 'slither' the texture of the surface and its weight and density all contribute to the hand of a fabric.

A 12 oz fabric will be fairly light in kilt terms, but as a 'proper' kilt it would be a good start if you have only ever worn lesser versions, though the merino fabric might spoil you for harsher fabrics in future.

Anne the Pleater.

[Piedmont Highlander]

Thank you both, that is really good information!

Anne, I do have some "proper" kilts now, but I was wondering what it would be like with this wool. While the softer feel does have some appeal, to be sure, I'm beginning to think I should hold out for a more traditional wool to have my custom kilt made. I was thinking about the MacFarlane tartan, since I really want a red kilt.

However, being spoiled doesn't sound too bad. At the same time, if it wears like a 9 ounce kilt...hmm. Since I live in California, it's not like I'd need it for warmth all that often. It's rarely really cold here. But the issue of holding pleats will be an ongoing one. You have both given me something to think about. Thank you very much!

[bonnie heather]

Steve and Anne both gave a lot of information and made good points about merino wool. I'll add a little bit.

Several years ago I made a lot of kilts for The Scottish Weaver with merino tartan fabric woven at that time by Fraser and Kirkbright. The feel was definitely lighter than the actual tartan weight. The field of the fabric was very nice. Sometimes there were selvedge problems with the 12 oz. fabric, so because of that I almost always had to make hems. The inch or so of double fabric thickness gave some extra weight to the bottom of the kilt. That helped, but it's unfortunate that hemming was necessary.

Here are pictures of kilts I made with their merino wool tartan. The tan one (AMO) is 12 oz. with a hem and the dark blue (DHS) is heavier weight with a perfect selvedge. Sorry the colors look a bit pale in that photo.

I felt that they both held a pleat crease well.

[Piedmont Highlander]

Beautiful work, Bonnie! Thanks for the information! I don't think anything looks "less than" with either of those.

[Liam]

I have a kilt made from Fraser and Kirkbright "Clan Claus" tartan. As Bonnie suggests, my kilt maker used a bottom hem to add some weight. It is a very comfortable kilt. It is 8 yds+ but does feel much lighter. It holds its pleats well and is one of my most comfortable kilts. I wore it today to an Xmas brunch.
Slainte

Here is a picture of the kilt:

[figheadair]

What's the difference from the traditional Scottish sheep?

In the 18th century the standard fleece used for tartan came from the Scottish Dunface but that was 'improved' (effectively bred out of existance) in the 1800s. Today a good worsted cloth will be woven from a Crossbred yarn but don't ask me what the cross sources are as I haven't the faintest idea. It might surprise some to learn that most yarn for tartan is actually imported, often from New Zealand.

[The Wizard of BC]

This poster is prominently displayed in the Lochcarron mill showing where they get their yarns.



Notice that they use no Scottish grown wool. I asked, as I do when I visit weavers, and this was repeated at every one I visited.

Some small, independent weavers may use Scottish grown wool.

I was told that there simply are not enough sheep in Scotland to meet demand and the price would be too high due to labor costs.

We who wear kilts need to realize that the fabric we treasure may be woven in the UK but we are wearing a product of a truly global industry.
Much of the spinning, some of the dyeing and almost all of the carding, felling and further treating, is done all over the world.

[Father Bill]

I do not have a kilt of merino, but my cassocks are indeed made of them. My experience is that they are comfortable to wear and wrinkles hang out quickly making them pretty well ideal for my purpose.