Looking to choose the right wool for your tufted rugs?
Here, you’ll learn about the top wool yarns and their benefits.
Discover why New Zealand wool is highly prized for its purity and durability.
Explore the differences between wool from sheep and goat breeds.
Eager to find the perfect wool for your rug? Dive into the details now!
Wool Yarn Types
Here are the main types of wool yarns suitable for making tufted rugs.
New Zealand Wool
Specially designed for high-quality tufted rugs.
This yarn works great with loop pile, cut pile, robot tufting, and manual hand tufting machines.
It is moth-proofed and comes in 3-ply with a yarn count of 3/37.
Persian Rug Yarn
A worsted weight 100% wool yarn that is spun and dyed in American mills.
This durable 3-ply wool fiber is perfect for creating rugs, wall hangings.
And other projects requiring a strong fiber.
Heavy Rug Wool
A heavyweight 100% wool yarn used as weft in rug weaving.
It is spun from long-staple fleece and comes in both solid dyed colors and natural heathers.
Geo Rug Yarn
A 100% wool yarn perfect for rug hooking or punching.
It is recommended to use two skeins (8 oz) per square foot.
This yarn is also great for woven or knitted outerwear.
Super 4-Ply Bulky Wool
Ideal for rug hookers and punchers, this 4-ply wool yarn also works well in super bulky knit and crochet patterns.
In general, wool yarns are the best choice for tufted rugs due to their durability, resilience, and natural dirt-resistance properties.
When selecting a wool yarn for tufting, it is important to choose a fiber that is not too soft, as it needs to hold its shape well under foot traffic.
Features of New Zealand Wool
New Zealand wool has several unique features compared to wool produced in other countries:
Exceptional quality & purity
New Zealand’s temperate climate with good rainfall, high sunshine, and rich soils contribute to the growth of high-quality wool.
The clean air, water, and pastures lead to healthier sheep and purer wool with minimal impurities.
Softness and comfort
Breeds like Merino produce some of the finest, softest wool in the world, with fiber diameters as low as 12 microns.
The Romney breed is also known for its high-quality, comfortable wool.
Whiteness and color retention
New Zealand wool has the best white color quality and cleanest fibers, allowing it to hold dyes better than wool from other regions.
Strength and durability
New Zealand wool fibers are strong and resilient, ensuring long-lasting performance in products like carpets, rugs, and clothing.
Moisture management
Wool fibers can absorb large amounts of moisture without feeling damp, keeping the wearer dry and comfortable.
Sustainability and eco-friendliness
Wool is a renewable, biodegradable resource.
Many New Zealand farms practice sustainable grazing methods to maintain healthy pastures and reduce environmental impact.
Why New Zealand Wool
These unique features can be attributed to several factors.
Climate and geography
New Zealand’s temperate climate with ample rainfall and sunshine provides an ideal environment for sheep to thrive and grow high-quality wool.
Selective breeding
Over centuries, New Zealand farmers have developed and refined sheep breeds.
- For example, the Merino, Romney, Corriedale, and Perendale.
- They are well-suited to the country’s conditions and produce superior wool.
Animal welfare
New Zealand farmers prioritize the health and well-being of their sheep.
This ensures they are well-nourished and free from stress, which contributes to the quality of the wool.
Sustainable practices
Many New Zealand wool growers employ sustainable land management techniques.
- Such as rotational grazing, to maintain healthy pastures and minimize environmental impact.
In summary, the combination of New Zealand’s favorable climate, selective breeding, strong animal welfare standards, and sustainable farming practices has led to the production of some of the world’s finest, most sought-after wool, prized for its softness, strength, whiteness, and eco-friendly qualities.
Types of Sheep & Goats
Here are the main types of sheep and goats that produce wool or fiber:
Sheep Breeds:
- Merino – Produces the finest and softest wool, with fiber diameters as low as 12 microns.
Wool is used for luxury clothing, sportswear, and next-to-skin items. - Rambouillet, Debouillet, Targhee – Fine wool breeds derived from Merino sheep, producing soft, high-quality wool.
- Cormo – A Merino-Corriedale cross that produces a fine, soft fleece with longer staple length.
- Romney, Bluefaced Leicester, Shetland, Icelandic – Breeds with coarser but longer wool that is popular with hand spinners and knitters for its unique characteristics.
- Suffolk, Hampshire, Southdown – Meat breeds that also produce a medium to coarse wool as a secondary product.
- Corriedale, Columbia – Dual-purpose breeds producing medium wool.
Goat Breeds:
- Angora – The main mohair-producing breed, yielding long, silky fibers that are shorn twice per year.
- Cashmere – Various breeds like Australian Cashmere, Hexi, and Inner Mongolia Cashmere produce the ultra-fine, soft undercoat called cashmere.
Yield per animal is low. - Pygora – A cross of Angora and Pygmy goats that produces mohair, cashmere, or a blend of the two fibers called cashgora.
- Nigora – A cross of Angora and Nigerian Dwarf goats, bred to produce both cashgora fiber and milk for small farms.
- Don – A Russian breed with the highest wool production among goats, though coarser than other breeds.
In summary, Merino sheep and their derivatives produce the finest wool, while dual-purpose and meat breeds yield coarser fleeces.
Angora goats are the top mohair producers, and Cashmere breeds grow the luxurious but low-yielding cashmere undercoat.
Crossbred goats offer a range of fiber types for small-scale producers.
Here are the main differences between wool produced by sheep and goats:
Types of wool
Sheep produce wool, which can come from various breeds like Merino, Rambouillet, Shetland, etc. The quality and characteristics vary by breed.
Goats produce fibers like mohair (from Angora goats), cashmere (from Cashmere goats), and cashgora (from a cross of Angora and Cashmere goats).
Fiber characteristics
Sheep’s wool contains lanolin, a natural wax that is water-repellent and has antibacterial properties. Goat fibers do not contain lanolin.
Cashmere and mohair are generally finer, softer, and lighter than sheep’s wool. Cashmere can be 7-8 times warmer than merino wool.
Merino wool, while very soft, is more durable and elastic than cashmere due to its fiber structure and crimp.
Production and processing
- Sheep are typically sheared once a year, yielding several pounds of wool per animal that then undergoes scouring and processing.
- Goats produce less fiber per animal.
Cashmere is combed from the undercoat during molting season, while mohair is sheared twice per year.
The fibers then require deharing to separate the coarse outer hairs from the soft undercoat.
Uses and products
Sheep’s wool is commonly used for knitwear, blankets, carpets, and upholstery.
Finer wools like merino are popular for clothing.
Cashmere and mohair are considered luxury fibers, often used in high-end apparel and accessories for their softness, warmth, and drape.
In summary, while both sheep and goats produce wool-like fibers, they differ in terms of specific fiber types, characteristics, production methods, and end uses.
Sheep’s wool is more abundant and widely used, while cashmere and mohair from goats are rarer, softer, and often more expensive luxury fibers.