is wool wool

[kilted redleg]

I have a question for the kilt makers in the rabble which I'm sure will show my ignorance. Is wool the same no matter what animal it comes from.
Say I want a kilt made from Alpaca wool. Is that as durable as sheep's wool or does its wool [Alpaca] has less durability due to its softness.

[Steve Ashton]

Wow, you have really opened a BIG can of worms with this.

While there are specific differences between Hair, Fur and Wool, to a biologist, they are all share the characteristics of being made up of proteins and lipids produced by follicles on the skin of mammals.

But in general, while all are hair, fur is usually defined as short, very thick hairs covering the entire body. Humans have sparse, less thick or dense "hair" while dogs have full body, thick "Fur.

Wool grows from follicles like hair and fur, but is wool is produced only in secondary follicles, does not fall out (shed), while also having crimp, elasticity and the ability to absorb moisture without being hollow.

With that said however, there are today over 4,000 different types of wool.
Sheep are the primary source of wool today but other animals produce wool including the Camelids which include the lLama, Vicuna, and Alpaca.

The wool of sheep is the most common animal fiber in use today but the Camelids have gained popularity in recent years due to being hypoallergenic and not containing lanolin. Many people claim that Llama and Alpaca wool is less irritating to human skin than sheep wool because the individual fibers are finer and softer to the touch having fewer or finer scales.

Camelid wool has less elasticity than sheep wool meaning that while having a higher tensile strength does not 'give' as much when spun into yarn as sheep wool. Knitted Camelid yarn does not offer the same stretch and 'ease' of sheep wool. It is also more susceptible to wear by friction.

Sheep wool is better for felting, and when woven, at taking and holding a crease.

While I personally do not think Llama or Alpaca wool would make as durable a kilt with pleats that would require more frequent pressing, that is not the problem.

The problem is that currently, I do not know of any commercial weaver producing a kilt quality fabric from either Llama or Alpaca. That is to say - worsted spun, tightly twill woven with a selvedge edge with weights between 13 and 16 oz per linear yard. That is not to say that smaller wool mills do not prepare, spin or weave Llama or Alpaca, they do. Llama and Alpaca are currently quite popular but are much more expensive simply because there is less of it and Llama and Alpaca wool are more difficult to work with due to being finer, softer and 'slipperier'. They also do not take dye as readily, but naturally come in at least 22 recognized colors.

If you have access to Llama or Alpaca woven fabric and wish to make a kilt from it - I say go for it and let us know what you think.

[ThistleDown]

Super answer to a super question. Thank you, redleg and Steve.

[kilted redleg]

Thanks Steve ! Once again another well thought response to a rambling thought.

[MichiganKyle]

Many people claim that Llama and Alpaca wool is less irritating to human skin than sheep wool because the individual fibers are finer and softer to the touch having fewer or finer scales.

I can't tell you the mechanism for the irritation, but I discovered the wonders of alpaca socks a while back when I realized I was getting red itchy painful rashes from my sheep's wool socks. It also dawned on me at the time that that's why my forehead was always red and itchy after I wore my wool hats. For me, it very well could be an acquired allergy - I've got a bunch of weird allergies, mainly to foods. But I've never had a problem with my alpaca socks.

Only downside I've found is that the alpaca gear I have is all spun very loose, which is great for warmth but tends to get a little frizzy between wearing and washing. But they are by far the warmest socks I've ever had.

That said, if anyone does make an alpaca kilt or alpaca hose, please PLEASE let me know. I would love to try them.

[Katia]

Wow, you have really opened a BIG can of worms with this.

Never mind the fact that there are many breeds of sheep with many different types of wool... some of it has a quite long staple, some quite short; some is very crimpy and some is hardly crimpy at all; some is very fine in the size of the individual "hair" and some is more coarse... there's a can of worms just in keeping to sheep's wool!

Then it comes down to how it's spun. Just a difference in the preparation and spinning method can make a difference whether you get a "harder" worsted yarn or a "softer" woolen yarn, and there are so many nuances in a whole spectrum of types of yarn...

[ZoenthePuppy]

I can't tell you the mechanism for the irritation, but I discovered the wonders of alpaca socks a while back when I realized I was getting red itchy painful rashes from my sheep's wool socks. It also dawned on me at the time that that's why my forehead was always red and itchy after I wore my wool hats. For me, it very well could be an acquired allergy - I've got a bunch of weird allergies, mainly to foods. But I've never had a problem with my alpaca socks.

Only downside I've found is that the alpaca gear I have is all spun very loose, which is great for warmth but tends to get a little frizzy between wearing and washing. But they are by far the warmest socks I've ever had.

That said, if anyone does make an alpaca kilt or alpaca hose, please PLEASE let me know. I would love to try them.

When I worked for a merino wool clothing companies I had the pleasure of meeting one of the ranchers. He explained that wool allergy is actually an allergic reaction to lanolin oil. In the absence of lanolin oil, irritations caused by wool fibres are actually sensitivities to the rough microscopic scales inherent in wool strands. There is a trick he says works for about 1 in 10 people that is sensitive to wool scales. Start wearing wool in the summer (in less sensitive areas of the body), make sure skin in contact with the wool are well moisturized, and wear them for small periods of time. For some people, he claims, this can decrease the sensitivity over time. Can't tell you for sure if the trick works unfortunately, as I never had a problem with wool.

[gun eagal]

But in general, while all are hair, fur is usually defined as short, very thick hairs covering the entire body. Humans have sparse, less thick or dense "hair" while dogs have full body, thick "Fur.

Another aspect of fur is that it is shed at least once a year. Dogs with hair, like poodles, need to be groomed because they don't shed. Dogs with fur, like a German Shepherd, for example, shed their fur all over the house.

[Katia]

I have hair, and I can assure you that it is shed all over the house.

(Does a poodle need to be groomed because they literally don't shed hair, or is it because shed hairs get caught up and need to be groomed out before they mat?)