merino – the thread

A Brief History of Wool – Domestication, Breeding, and Economics

April 16, 2015 by Deb Fuller 27135 1

The Fair Isle Jumper by Stanley Cursiter, 1923 Nothing says warmth like a cozy wool sweater but it took’ thousands of years of selective breeding to get it.’ Ancient’ sheep bear little resemblance to today’s wool sheep, selectively bred for their fine coats. Like other domestic animals, humans bred sheep for different traits to develop the breeds we…