The journey of wool from a sheep's back to the wool products in your home, or wool fabrics in your favorite winter sweater, or a cozy blanket is a fascinating testament to both traditional craftsmanship and modern innovation. American wool production represents a sustainable, renewable, and completely natural process that has been refined over generations.
Everything Starts on the Ranch
The story begins on ranches across America's varied landscapes, where sheep operations manage flocks ranging from small heritage breeds to large-scale production operations. Companies such as Sonoma Wool Company use wool from sheep ranchers that have been tending flocks for generations. These hardy animals graze on natural pastures, converting vegetation that is often unsuitable for other agricultural purposes into valuable wool products. There are many types of sheep raised in the United States, from Merino sheep, which produce fine yarns suitable for apparel, to Suffolk, Dorset and other cross-breeds which have coarser wool, which is suitable for hand crafts, weaving, rugs, upholstery, and bedding. All wool fibers have the same qualities – they are breathable, absorb and disperse moisture, durable, and help with temperature regulation – but it is the diameter of the wool fiber, that determines whether the wool is headed for a clothing manufacturer, or to some other desirable use. Wool with smaller micron diameters are deemed “fine” or “super-fine” wool; and wool with a larger micron diameter are defined as “coarse”. Sonoma Wool Company uses coarse wool in its products, as the larger micron wools have more loft, which is suitable for bedding and felted products. Sustainability is woven into every aspect of sheep farming. Sheep are natural landscape managers, helping to prevent wildfires through grazing and maintaining healthy grasslands through their natural fertilization. Unlike synthetic fiber production, which relies heavily on petroleum products, wool grows naturally using just water, air, sunshine, and grass. Each year, sheep produce a new fleece, making wool one of the most renewable fiber sources available.
Shearing Season
As part of taking good care of the sheep, the animals must be shorn at least once a year to maintain their health and well-being. The annual shearing process typically occurs in spring. Professional shearers, whose skilled work is both an art and a science, can shear an average of 100-150 sheep per day. A good shearer removes the wool in one piece, called a fleece, which typically weighs 8-10 pounds. The sheep is not harmed in the process which is similar to a person getting a hair cut. And just like human hair, the wool will grow back.
The Skirting Table
Once shorn, the wool begins its transformation. The first step is skirting, where workers remove inferior wool and debris from the fleece. This process is done by hand to ensure the highest quality product. The cleaned fleeces are then graded based on several characteristics including fineness, strength, length, crimp (waviness), and color. American wool graders use a sophisticated classification system that helps determine the best end use for each type of wool.
Time for a Bath
After grading, the wool is baled and sent to scouring facilities. Scouring is essentially a deep washing process that removes lanolin (natural sheep oil), dirt, and vegetable matter. This process uses biodegradable soaps and controlled temperatures to clean the fiber while preserving its natural properties. The scouring plant sends the lanolin to be refined and ultimately used in cosmetics and personal care products, further demonstrating wool's zero-waste potential. Washing the wool reduces the fleece size by about 50%, so an eight-pound fleece (referred to as greasy wool) results in about four pounds of clean wool, ready to be shipped to the next mill.
The Carding Mill
Once washed, the wool then moves to the carding mill. The wool is loaded into balers, where the tufts are separated by air and spread onto rollers which lead to large rotating cylinders with tiny teeth. The cylinders basically comb and untangle the fibers and align them into a continuous web. At this point the wool is either gently spun into roving or kept in wide bolts of batting. Sonoma Wool Company uses wool batting for its bedding and felted products. Apparel companies will transport the wool roving to spinning facilities, where the roving is spun into yarn, and perhaps dyed at this stage for use in weaving fabric. Spinning transforms the wool roving into yarn by drawing out and twisting the fibers. Modern spinning facilities use advanced technology to ensure consistency while maintaining the wool's natural properties. These properties are remarkable: wool fibers can bend 20,000 times without breaking, naturally resist fire and water, regulate temperature, and control odor through moisture management. All of this is accomplished without the need for chemicals or special treatments. Wool is simply a naturally occurring and amazing product. A Word About Carbonization. Most wool in the world is carbonized as part of the processing. Carbonization is an acid wash that burns out and removes any vegetation matter (“VM”) that still may remain in the wool. Sonoma Wool Company does not carbonize its wool – preferring an all-natural fiber with as little chemical treatments as possible. Wool that has not been carbonized may contain remnant pieces of vegetation matter and some vegetation dust. A Word About Super Washed Wool. Some wool yarns are treated with polymers and chemicals that coat the fibers so that they may be machine-washed and dried by consumers. Sonoma Wool Company does not use wool that has been super washed, again, preferring to use the wool fiber in its most natural state, with as little chemical treatments as possible.
Weaving and Knitting
The next phase depends on the intended end use. For woven fabrics, the yarn proceeds to weaving, where vertical (warp) and horizontal (weft) yarns interlace to create fabric. For knitted goods, the yarn feeds into knitting machines that create everything from fine jersey to chunky sweater knits. Some specialty producers use traditional methods, including hand-weaving on looms or hand-knitting, particularly for luxury or artisanal products. Finally, the fabric undergoes finishing processes to enhance its appearance and performance. These might include washing, fulling (which tightens the weave), and various treatments to improve wear or add special properties.
Felting and Sewing
After carding the wool into large bolts of batting, Sonoma Wool Company, then uses these batts in two ways. For some of its products the wool is felted into different densities. The batts are needle punched into rolls of non-woven fabric, which are then cut, for example, into Dish Drying Mats or Ironing Board Pads. For its bedding products, the wool batting heads to the sewing room where Sonoma Wool Company uses it as fill for comforters, pillows and mattress toppers. Sonoma Wool Company also sells its all-natural batting to quilters, upholsterers, and other craft people. This is where the wool goes through its final transformation into practical, all-natural and cozy products for you and your home.
Final Thoughts on the Journey of Sustainability
Throughout this journey, wool's natural advantages shine. It is biodegradable, breaking down in soil to release valuable nutrients. Unlike synthetic fibers, it does not contribute to microplastic pollution. Wool garments typically need less frequent washing than synthetics, reducing water and energy use during the product's lifetime. The fiber's durability means wool products last longer, providing better value and reducing waste. From the rancher's careful stewardship of land and animals to the technical expertise of textile manufacturers, American wool production represents a model of sustainable fiber creation. As consumers increasingly seek out environmentally responsible products, wool's natural advantages – renewable, biodegradable, and endlessly versatile – position it well for the future. The next time you snuggle up under your wool comforter, remember you are sleeping soundly as a result of a remarkable journey that begins in America's pastures and ends with a product that is as kind to the environment as it is to you.