Ive read several mentions of merino wool. I recently bought a garment that is merino wool and it doesnt seem to make me itch like most wools. Got to wondering what is merino wool? Wondered if it is really wool or is that a term for synthetic? Doing a little research found that it is a breed of sheep--but several variations--almost like saying a 4 wheeled vehicle. Wondered if someone could give me a better definition of what merino wool is and how it differs from other wools? I know about virgin wool--it comes from ugly sheep. Virgin olive oil still has me confused(an easy thing to do)---I would really think they are all virgin as I don't see how they could do it to be otherwise.

The fibers of merino wool are finer than most worsted or virgin wool knits or fabrics. Superfine merino wool has a fiber diameter of 18 microns, while medium merino is 20-22 microns. It is the courseness of regular wool which makes it itch. So, merino wool is indeed from a sheep.

Merino is a type of sheep of which there are several varieties. The different varieties tend to produce different grades of wool from Ultra-fine to medium that like Jackfish is graded by the size of it tubes in microns. The finer the wool the less likely it is too itch.

When they make olive oil they do it in a press. The first pressing gets "extra-virgin" olive oil. When they let up and press it the second time you get "Virgin" olive oil. Successive pressings give lower and lower grades of oil........DJ