Material guide
Wool and wool blends
Choose wool by fibre, construction, finish and care—not by the word wool alone.
Fibre and yarn both matter
Fibre diameter and length, preparation, twist and blending affect softness, resilience, warmth and stitch definition. A blend can add strength or alter drape without behaving like either fibre alone.
Finish is not a care promise
Machine-washable treatments change how wool scales interact, but only the product label states the safe routine. Felting risk also depends on moisture, heat, chemistry, agitation and fabric structure.
Test wear as well as washing
Wash a representative swatch, then rub and flex it where the finished item will abrade. Pilling is a combined result of fibre, yarn, fabric and wear—not a simple quality grade.
How it behaves
Starting point
Wool is resilient and insulating, while fibre choice, construction, finish and blending determine hand, surface and recovery.
Useful for
Garments, accessories and textured work where warmth and recovery matter; test high-friction areas for the intended use.
Care
Follow the exact product label. Support wet fabric, reshape it without stretching and assess both dimensional change and surface wear.
Sources and provenance
- Woolmark Learning Centre — wool fibre scienceStandard or registry · Checked 27 Aug 2026
- Woolmark — what is pilling?Standard or registry · Checked 27 Aug 2026
- Woolmark — care for woolStandard or registry · Checked 27 Aug 2026
- Woolmark — machine-washable woolStandard or registry · Checked 27 Aug 2026
220 Superwash
Cascade Yarns
A plied superwash wool yarn with 200 m per 100 g.
- Fibre
- 100% Wool
- Dimensions / put-up
- 200 m / 100 g
- Gauge
- 21 Stitches / 10 cm
- Colour range
- 206 colours
Peer Gynt
Sandnes Garn
A traditional Norwegian wool yarn with elastic recovery and a 22-stitch gauge.
- Fibre
- 100% Wool
- Dimensions / put-up
- 91 m / 50 g
- Gauge
- 22 Stitches / 10 cm
- Colour range
- Colour range being verified
Pure Wool Superwash Worsted
Rowan
A machine-washable wool yarn with balanced drape and clear stitch definition.
- Fibre
- 100% Wool
- Dimensions / put-up
- 200 m / 100 g
- Gauge
- 20 Stitches × 25 Rows / 10 cm
- Colour range
- 24 colours
Rios
Malabrigo
A plied superwash merino yarn with 192 m per 100 g.
- Fibre
- 100% Wool
- Dimensions / put-up
- 192 m / 100 g
- Gauge
- 20 Stitches / 10 cm
- Colour range
- 131 colours
Catona 50 g
Scheepjes
A mercerised cotton yarn with a smooth surface, crisp definition and a broad tool range.
- Fibre
- 100% Cotton
- Dimensions / put-up
- 125 m / 50 g
- Gauge
- 26 Stitches × 36 Rows / 10 cm
- Colour range
- 150 colours
DROPS Air
DROPS Design
DROPS Air is a yarn made from alpaca / nylon / wool, supplied as 150 m / 50 g.
- Fibre
- 65% Alpaca, 28% Nylon, 7% Wool
- Dimensions / put-up
- 150 m / 50 g
- Gauge
- 17 Stitches / 10 cm
- Colour range
- 58 colours