Merino Wool Through My Eyes

Part One: What Is Merino Wool? Its Origins, Character and Essential Properties

For many years, Merino wool has been one of the main materials in my work.

I use other breeds and other fibres, and each of them has its own purpose, temperament and beauty. But I return to Merino again and again. It has accompanied me through garments, footwear, bags, sculptural forms, experimental samples and many years of teaching.

This is why I would like to begin a new series of articles—not as a formal encyclopaedia, but as a collection of thoughts, observations and practical knowledge gathered through working directly with materials.

I will begin with Merino.

This first article is the beginning of a longer conversation. Before discussing micron count, wool layout, shrinkage, fabric integration or the choice of wool for a particular project, I would like to step back and ask a simpler question:

What is Merino wool?

The answer may appear obvious. Merino is usually described as a very fine, soft wool produced by Merino sheep. But behind this simple definition lies a long history of selective breeding, migration, trade, craftsmanship and human fascination with fine fibre.

And even today, the word Merino does not describe one perfectly uniform material. Merino wool can vary considerably in fibre diameter, staple length, crimp, elasticity, colour, preparation and behaviour. Two wools sold under the same general name may feel and work very differently.

For a feltmaker, this distinction matters.

Merino is not simply “soft wool.” It is a living, highly responsive material whose behaviour depends not only on its micron count, but also on the structure of the fibre, the way it has been processed, the thickness and direction of the layout, the materials combined with it, and the purpose of the finished object.

Before we explore those differences, let us begin with its origins.

Where Does Merino Wool Come From?

Merino sheep are most strongly associated today with Australia, but the breed itself developed in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in Spain.

The exact origin of the Merino is not completely settled. Older accounts often describe the breed as having been introduced into Spain from North Africa during the Middle Ages. More recent historical and genetic interpretations suggest a more complex development: local Iberian sheep were probably selectively crossed over a long period with animals of different origins, including North African and possibly Mediterranean fine-wool types.

In other words, Merino was most likely not created in a single moment or through one imported flock. It developed gradually through centuries of selection, as breeders worked toward increasingly fine, dense and valuable wool.

By the late Middle Ages and the early modern period, Spanish fine wool had become one of the most highly prized textile materials in Europe. Spain tightly controlled its Merino flocks and restricted their export for centuries. The quality of the wool became closely connected with the wealth and influence of the Spanish wool trade.

During the eighteenth century, Merino sheep began to leave Spain and were introduced into other parts of Europe, including France, Saxony, Hungary, Prussia, Sweden and the Netherlands. Different countries continued breeding them according to local climates and textile needs, creating new strains and regional variations.

Merino sheep later reached South Africa and, at the end of the eighteenth century, Australia. The first Merino sheep connected to the Spanish royal flocks arrived in Australia in 1797. Over time, Australian breeders developed their own Merino types, adapted to the climate and conditions of the continent.

Australia eventually became one of the world’s most important producers of fine Merino wool and remains deeply associated with the fibre today.

This long movement—from Spain across Europe, through South Africa and into Australia—helps explain why the word Merino now covers such a broad family of sheep and wool types rather than one single, identical fibre.

What Makes Merino Wool Different?

The most recognised characteristic of Merino wool is its fineness.

The diameter of wool fibres is measured in microns—millionths of a metre. A lower micron measurement generally indicates a finer fibre. Fine fibres usually feel softer against the skin because they bend more easily under pressure and are less likely to create the sharp sensation often associated with coarser wool.

But fineness is only one part of Merino’s character.

Merino fibres usually have a pronounced natural crimp: a fine, regular waviness along the length of the fibre. This crimp helps create elasticity, loft and the ability to trap air. It is one of the reasons Merino wool can feel light while still providing warmth.

The fibre is also naturally flexible and resilient. It can bend, compress and recover its shape. In textile production, these qualities contribute to comfort, drape and resistance to creasing.

Like other sheep wool, Merino fibre has a scaly outer surface. These microscopic scales play an essential role in felting. With moisture, warmth, pressure and movement, the fibres migrate, overlap and become increasingly locked together.

For a feltmaker, this ability is fundamental. But the fineness and high crimp of Merino give the finished felt a particular character: it can become compact, smooth, flexible and extremely refined.

Depending on how it is laid and worked, Merino can produce anything from a delicate, almost translucent surface to a dense and strongly shaped material.

This range is one of the reasons it has remained so important in my own practice.

The Essential Character of Merino

When I think about Merino, I do not think only about softness.

I think about responsiveness.

Merino reacts clearly to every decision made by the feltmaker. It responds to the direction of the layout, the weight of each layer, the amount of water, the temperature, the pressure, the timing and the rhythm of the work.

It can be forgiving in one moment and surprisingly demanding in the next.

A carefully controlled layout can become a fine, elastic and beautifully integrated felt. An overloaded layout can become heavy without becoming truly strong. Too much aggressive movement at the wrong stage can disturb the surface. Too little attention to the structure can produce a material that appears finished but lacks internal quality.

This is why I do not consider Merino an “easy” wool simply because it is fine and popular.

It is accessible, but not simple.

It allows a beginner to create a beautiful surface, yet it continues to challenge an experienced maker. The more closely we study it, the more clearly we understand that its quality does not depend on softness alone.

For me, the essential properties of Merino wool are:

1. fineness and softness;
2. natural crimp;
3. elasticity and resilience;
4. strong felting potential;
5. the ability to create thin, refined surfaces;
6. good interaction with silk, viscose and many other fibres;
7. the capacity to produce both flexible and structured felt;
8. high sensitivity to layout, thickness and working method.

Each of these qualities deserves closer examination.

The next question is therefore unavoidable:

What does the micron count really tell us—and what does it fail to tell us?

That will be the next part of this conversation.

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If you are looking for Merino Wool, explore materials of my trusted supplier - DHG.