The Evolution Of Wool
Written by Alexander Stone on March 12, 2010 – 10:24 am -Wool has been one of the fabrics extensively used by men since the earliest of times. When prehistoric man domesticated sheep, he observed that the coat of wool had properties to resist chill and dust and protected the delicate skin of the sheep. Encouraged by their findings, man began to utilize this wool off the back of sheep to weave together a fabric.
The history of wool is an interesting one. In the ages before metal was invented and the first shears were made, wool was probably plucked out by hand by the forefathers of the modern wool shearers. Then came the Iron Age and with it, brought various metallic tools including the metallic shears which made the extraction of wool a much easier task for men and a much more painless experience for the sheep.
Wool was one of the main fabrics used in medieval Europe. In the Roman Empire, wool along with leather was the fabric that was used on a large scale by the people belonging to that age. This was mainly because the other fabrics that are commonly used now like cotton and silk were inaccessible then, for cotton was grown mainly in India and silk in China.
With the development of trade, the demand for wool gradually increased as merchants used to carry it from one place to another and sell it there. In keeping with these demands, the production of wool became more organized with the individual processes like weaving and dyeing evolving in to separate industries.
In the modern world, due to the increasing usage of synthetic fibers, the demand for wool has somewhat decreased. But regardless of that fact, wool remains to this day, a very popular fabric. Wool nowadays is used to make a wide range of articles including wool scarves, woolen sweaters, socks and caps. It is now a multimillion dollar industry that provides a livelihood to millions of people all around the world.
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