What is Fleece?
Fleece is a type of hair found on sheep, yaks, alpacas, some goats, rabbits, and several other types of animals. Most commonly, this unique hair is associated with sheep and yaks. This hair has a number of properties which make it very distinctive, and extremely useful. People have been collecting fleece and weaving it into various textiles for centuries, and some of the oldest known textiles in the world are made from fleeces. Also known as wool, fleece consists of hairs of varying lengths which have a great deal of loft and insulating properties. On the animal, the hair grows together in a mat, with the scales on the individual hairs interlocking. The hair keeps the animal warm and dry, allowing it to live in cold, harsh climates. Because the hairs interlock, it is also possible to remove fleece whole, using a pair of shears or an electronic clipper to quickly snip the mat away from the animal’s skin. The process of taking fleece from an animal is known as “shearing.” Shearing classi
The term “fleece” is generally used to describe synthetic or cotton fabrics with a soft, deep pile. Whereas the genuine fleece is made from sheep’s wool. Farmers who breed sheep for their fleece take great care in managing their sheep’s health, hygiene, nutrition and environment to produce the highest-quality fleece. To harvest the fleece, the sheep are typically shorn once or twice a year. This involves cutting or clipping the wool from the sheep. This is a painless procedure that does not harm the sheep. Once removed from the sheep, the fleece can be spun into clothing may be after dying or any other color treatment.
