Abstract

Wool from lines of Romney sheep selected for high and low staple strength and a randomly selected control line were processed into worsted yarn for handknitting (ewe hogget fleeces) and semi-worsted yarn for carpets (adult ewe fleeces). Separate lots of wool were created for each line with the fleeces chosen to ensure that the lots had similar mean fibre diameter, staple length and medullation. Hogget wool yarns were knitted into panels and the adult ewe wool yarns were tufted into carpet. In the hogget wool processing trial, increased staple strength was associated with greater mean length after carding and higher combing yields, with small improvements in yarn tenacity and in knitted panel abrasion and pilling test results. The adult ewe wool processing trial also produced a significant difference in length after carding. At high spindle speeds the high strength line performed better in spinning, producing fewer "end-breaks". The trials indicate there are real advantages for worsted and semi-worsted processing and product performance, warranting premiums for high strength wools.

DC, Maddever, D Scobie, and A Bray

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 54, , 159-162, 1994