What is wool? It is a mat that is formed from coats of an animal usually from a sheep or goat. It is also called a fleece. It keeps the animal warm and dry and it allows them to survive in cold and harsh climates. Also, wool has the ability to regulate temperature. It is also breathable as well as resistant. Wool has an excellent moisture wicking properties for it can pull the moisture into the fiber so it does not feel wet or damp at all. May it be woven or knitted by hand; wool is used by people in variety of textiles and other means.
Sheep’s wool is the most popular type of wool. Its widely availability and high versatility makes it the best and preferred by many. It is wrinkle resistant, static-free, and flame retardant, colorfast when dyed, maintains shape when stretched and most of all it is soft, durable, and easy to work with.
Wool rugs on the other hand are products that are made out of wool. They are one of the most sought after and desired home luxuries that are usually placed on the floor of in a home to add warmth and accent to a room. There are many types of wool and each of them is unique. It has different factors as to why each of them is one of a kind. It may depend on the gender and the age of the animal, its health, and the place where it originates. Not to mention Syrian wool, Australian wool and Libyan wool are of finest quality.
It is also vital to know that certain feel for wool which differentiates it better than other materials that are used for making rugs. The finer, short to medium fibers tends to felt quicker and better than the longer fibers. In many Oriental rug designs, the weavers gathered longer fiber bearing greater overall density sometimes twice the size of other fiber, thus giving rise to a very distinct feel for the rug making it a much more appealing to people.
Different breeds of sheep and goats produce wool which forms a wide variety of length, fiber diameter, color, crimp patterns and curls. Over 40 different breeds of sheep are being used from different places of the world. They all produce around 200 varying standard and types of wools. The major wool producers in the world are China, South Africa, Argentina and Australia. Wool rugs originated exclusively in the middle and Far East. China, Persia and Turkey are the most famous countries who contribute to a range variety of design and characteristic of wool rugs. Different techniques are applied to wool rugs depending on where they are made. Today, the highest value rugs are still from China and Turkey which are distributed throughout the world.
The wool rugs of today are durable, strong and beautiful ranging from traditional, Persian, oriental, machine made, handmade and contemporary. Others are hand tufted, hand knotted, made out of 100% wool and some have a mixture of wool and silk. They remain unique, maintaining it to be a masterpiece of design.
Although wool rugs are difficult to clean, if properly taken care of quality wool rug will last and be absolutely beautiful for many, many years to come. They are wonderful investments and beautify your home.
Wool rugs add beauty to the fixtures of your home or office. It displays an accent to the floors which will help enhance its appearance and ambience. Or you may want to try outdoor rugs for your children.