Bad sheep yarn refers to wool that comes from sheep with poor fleece quality. This can happen for a variety of reasons, from poor genetics to health issues. When wool is coarse, brittle, or uneven, it is considered “bad” quality and often difficult to spin into fine yarn. So who ends up owning this low-grade wool? Let’s take a look at the journey bad sheep yarn takes from farm to factory.
Where does bad sheep yarn come from?
All sheep yarn starts on the farm with shearing sheep for their fleece. Sheep are sheared annually, usually in spring or early summer. The fleece is removed in one piece and then sorted into various grades. Fleece grading takes into account factors like:
- Fiber diameter – Fine fibers under 24 microns are ideal for clothing; coarser fibers over 30 microns are lower quality.
- Fiber length – Longer fibers over 3 inches are best for spinning; shorter fibers under 2 inches are more difficult to spin.
- Crimp – Well-defined, tight crimp makes for more elastic yarn.
- Cleanliness – Vegetable matter, burrs, stains will downgrade fleece.
- Strength – Weak or brittle fibers prone to breakage are lower quality.
Fleece that ranks low in these areas is considered “bad yarn” quality. Poor genetics can cause high micron counts or poor crimp. Health conditions like disease, stress, poor nutrition can also downgrade fleece. These “reject” level fleeces with a lot of coarse, uneven, short, stained fibers get separated out at shearing time.
Who buys bad fleece at auction?
After shearing, most fleeces go to wool auctions to be sold. Mills, yarn companies, wool pools, and independent buyers attend auctions to bid on wool lots. Fine wools in the highest grades get bid on for clothing production. However, the poor quality reject fleeces often have lower market value. These bad fleece lots go for cheaper prices and are usually purchased by:
- Wool mills that specialize in medium/heavy yarn products
- Felt manufacturers
- Fiber craft hobbyists
- Garnet companies that use wool for abrasives
- Upholstery companies stuffing furniture and insulation
The key for these buyers is purchasing the cheap, poor grade wool for uses that don’t require fine, soft yarn.
How is bad fleece processed into yarn?
After purchase, the bad fleece moves into scouring and milling processes to transform into yarn. Here are the steps:
- Scouring – Raw wool contains lanolin grease, dirt, debris that must be washed out. Scouring cleans the fibers using a series of hot baths and detergents.
- Carding – Next, the wool goes through carding machines with coarse metal teeth. These teeth detangle fibers and blend them into webs or batts.
- Combing – Some mills use combing to further refine and straighten fibers into combed top form.
- Spinning – Fibers get drawn into yarn by pulling and twisting them together. Thicker yarns can accommodate shorter coarse fibers.
- Plying – Single yarns are twisted together into 2-ply or 3-ply yarns for strength and thickness.
This milling process turns the matted raw bad fleece into workable yarn for end products. Lower grades can be blended with higher wools or synthetic fibers to improve quality.
What products get made from bad yarn?
Bad quality wool yarn limits the kinds of products that can be made. But manufacturers have come up with various uses including:
| Product | Uses for Coarse Yarn |
|---|---|
| Heavy Sweaters | Thick, dense stitches help conceal rough yarn. |
| Carpets | Long pile hides scratchy fibers underfoot. |
| Craft Yarn | Affordable for hobbyists to work with. |
| Insulation | Loft and crimp traps warmth despite poor softness. |
| Felt | Heat and moisture binds fibers into felt regardless of quality. |
Rug and upholstery manufacturers are major users of lower grade wool like bad yarn. The wool provides durability and warmth at a lower cost once woven or felted.
Who are the major companies using bad wool yarn?
Certain companies have built their business models around being able to use cheaper, poor quality wool. Here are a few major corporations that commonly work with lower grade yarns:
- Pendleton Woolen Mills – Oregon-based mill producing wool blankets, fabrics, and apparel. Known for utilizing scoured virgin wools of all grades in their products.
- Johnson Woolen Mills – Over 150 years old, this Vermont company crafts lumberjack-style wool clothing and blankets from cheaper natural wool.
- Faribault Woolen Mill Co. – Minnesota mill creating woolen textiles for the U.S. Military using shoddy and recycled wool.
- United Wool Products – Makes insulation for aircrafts, automobiles and home using recycled wool and raw fleece.
- Slobodian Firm – Ukranian felt producer crafting traditional wool felt boots and slippers from low grade fleece.
These companies pride themselves on utilizing coarse and recycled wool that others would discard. Their niche products let them profitably work with the cheapest sheep yarn.
Is bad yarn quality improving over time?
Wool quality is always improving thanks to advanced genetics and sheep breeding programs. Technologies like laser scanning can accurately test micron counts on the live animal. Top stud rams can be selected to pass down finer fleece traits. As quality genetics expand, overall wool grades are gradually improving.
However, there will always be a range of good to bad fleece coming off any flock. External factors can affect individuals despite good breeding. So while the average quality is rising, there will continue to be a supply of reject grade wool for the lower end markets. Bad yarn is likely here to stay, even as the standards for “good” wool get stricter.
Conclusion
While fine wool demands top dollar for clothing uses, even poor quality yarn can find a purpose. Buyers with uses for coarser, uneven fabrics will continue purchasing these low grade fleece lots. After scouring and milling processes, bad sheep yarn takes on new life in heavy garments, home decor, crafts, and industrial products. Continued improvements in wool breeding may incrementally reduce the pile of bad fleece over time. But it seems certain that as long as there are sheep, there will be use for their wool – even the bad yarn.