Wool comes mostly fromsheep. It was the first fibre to be spun into yarn, and itprovides more warmth than other animal fibres. Apart from sheep, wool also comes from theangoragoat, yak, llama, alpaca, and even camels. All these animals have a thick coat of hair or fleece, which keeps them warm. Wool is obtained from thisfleece.
Sheep wool is more commonly available in India. In Tibet and Ladakh, yak wool is more common, whereas in Jammu and Kashmir, it is the angora wool. The famousPashminashawlscome from the soft under-fur of the Kashmiri goat. In South America, the llama and the alpaca are two animals that yield wool.Actually, there are many different breeds of sheep that are reared in different parts of our country to obtain wool. Some breeds of sheep are selectively reared. This means that their parents are chosen for their special characteristics to give birth to them. For example, some sheep are selected because they have soft under-hair. This process is called'selectivebreeding'.The Nali and Lohi breeds are found in Rajasthan and Punjab, the Rampur bushair in Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, and the Bakharwal in Jammu and Kashmir. Gujarat breeds the Marwari and Patanwadi sheep.Each breed yields wool used for different purposes.
- Nali breed woolis used to makecarpetwool.
- Patanwadi woolis used forhosiery.
- Lohi woolis of very good quality, and is used for makingclothes.
- Bakharwal woolis used forshawls.
