Cape Wool is any wool that originates from the

Republic of South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

; it is the generic name for South African wool. It has a white color with silky and fine staple, but

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. As ...

hairs are shorter in length with less elasticity and stained also. Cape snow-white was the British way of describing Cape wool when it was imported to England in the 18th century.

Mohair Mohair (pronounced ) is a fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat. (This should not be confused with Angora wool, which is made from the fur of the Angora rabbit.) Both durable and resilient, mohair is notable for its high luster ...

from South Africa was referred to as Cape mohair.

History

Historically, there was no wool production in South Africa. In 1680, the native South African sheep did not have wool. Then the first white settlers imported Spanish

merino The Merino is a breed or group of breeds of domestic sheep, characterised by very fine soft wool. It was established in Spain near the end of the Middle Ages, and was for several centuries kept as a strict Spanish monopoly; exports of the bree ...

s and crossed them with the local sheep. The production and export of wool commenced in 1716. Merino exports were begun only after 1775 when large quantities of merino were imported from Spain.

Quality and Use

Cape Wool has several variations from coarse to fine. It has less crimp, and it is more tendering and less elastic than

Australian wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. As ...

. Hence, used for

shawls A shawl (from fa, شال ''shāl'',) is a simple item of clothing from Kashmir, loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. It is usually a rectangular or square piece of cloth, which is often folded ...

and

hosiery Hosiery, also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the feet and legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also known generically as h ...

goods and the materials need less or no felting. The quality of "Cape Snow White Wool" is similar to Australian wool; its whiteness commends it for particular dress materials.

Cape Wools SA

Cape Wools SA functions similar to the

British Wool Marketing Board The British Wool Marketing Board (also now known as British Wool) operates the central marketing system for UK fleece wool. A farmer-run organisation, British Wool was established in 1950 with the aim of achieving the best possible net return f ...

. It is a

nonprofit organisation A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

that has many roles, including promotion of the term "Cape Wool".

References

External links

Cape Wools
Marketing boards Wool organizations Economy of South Africa Wool {{textile-stub

History

Quality and Use

Cape Wools SA

See also

References

External links