The Lack of wool

Visiting some of the local second hand stores in search of my media, I have come across the startling fact that the majority of sweaters are made with synthetic fibres such as acrylic, Rayon, and polyester. While these fibres have their own pros, in terms of sustainability,  fire repelling and moisture properties, Wool as a natural fibre far surpasses them all. 

"Natural fibre, any hairlike raw material directly obtainable from an animal, vegetable, or mineral source and convertible into nonwoven fabrics such as felt or paper or, after spinning into yarns, into woven cloth,*  vs a synthetic fibre born from the result of a chemical process.

If you compare the impact on the environment, although synthetic fibres last longer, when placed in a landfill, synthetic fibres take longer to breakdown as their bases are not that of a natural foundation. Wool however can be added to your compost pile for later use in your garden. To think that something which came from the soil, into the  grass, into a sheep (or lamb), became the sheep's clothing in winter and into spun wool come summer, became your sweater and then will break down into the soil that it came from at the very start. Full circle.

In terms of safety, wool is again being used as type of insulation (bonded with natural rubber) with a potential r-value of 23. Wool is considered to be fire-resistant as it burns slower than synthetic fibers and will usually quit burning once the flame is removed. (Important when you and your baby are wearing and playing with wooly things such as my wOOly pretty to lOOk at Owl, or my mOmmies washable wOOly breast pads.

One of the most important facts about wool is its natural tendency to wick away and resist water...... oh yeah and that it is temperature regulating. My wOOly diaper cOvers hold in your baby's urine while keeping it at body temperature to ensure a uninterrupted sleep, (which means you sleep more and the whole family is happy again!!)

So I love wool. Hopefully my findings are a result that people realize wool's audacious characteristics and thats why acrylic teems within the second hand world as people clutch lovingly to their %100 Wool Sweaters.

{o,o}  The wOOly Owl

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*http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/406148/natural-fibre