Glossary of Terms

In weaving, the warp is the set of lengthwise yarns through which the weft is woven. Each individual warp thread in a fabric is called a warp end.

A lamb that has been weaned from its mother, or has stopped suckling from its mother (6 to 9 months of age).

Making cloth by interlacing yarns at right angles according to a predetermined pattern.

Yarns running width ways in woven fabrics.

Male sheep that has been castrated. The majority of male sheep on a farm are wethers.

Wool is shorn from around the eyes and face. This wool is usually combined with the second cuts and short crutchings to form locks.

The fibres covering the skin of a sheep.

Call made by shearer to wool handler to remove the shorn fleece from the shearing stand.

Is the dry weight of wool fibre free from impurities.

Book for recording wool bale information including number, content, weight and other pertinent information. This is maintained by the wool presser under direction of the woolclasser.

A marketing agent who sells greasy wool on behalf of a client.

Person engaged in the buying of wool.

A key member of a shearing team that works on the shearing board or wool table under the supervision of the woolclasser.

The whole operation from shearing to baling the wool for sale.

Specifically designed container made of nylon to pack and transport wool.

A machine used to compress wool into a bale, can be manual, electric or hydraulic.

A member of a shearing team who responsible for the pressing and branding of bales.

The dedicated area within a shearing shed where fleeces are skirted and classed.

Table made of battens onto which the fleeces are thrown for skirting and rolling.

A person registered by the Australian Wool Exchange Ltd employed to class wool.

Member of a shearing team responsible for classing the clip and supervising the wool handlers. Woolclassers are registered with the Australian Wool Exchange.

The owner of the sheep that are shorn.

Bulky and uneven yarn made from shorter wool fibres, and the fabric made from such yarns.

A method of yarn production from wool fibres that have been carded, but not combed or gilled. The fibres are not as well aligned as in the worsted system. Wool used for the woollen system are called carding types, which generally have a shorter fibre length than those used for the worsted system.

Firm-textured, compactly twisted woollen yarn made from long fibres, and the fabric made from such yarn. Suitable for dresses and suits.

Fabrics produced by interlacing yarns.