Uses for Raw Wool

• Raw wool can have a variety of textures.sheeps wool on a wire fence image by hazel proudlove from Fotolia.com
  
  Raw wool is wool that has been shorn from a sheep without being processed. It is often a variety of sizes and textures, depending on the breed of the sheep. It often contains short fibers, making some of the wool not appropriate for commercial fabric production, but there are alternative uses that make even "waste" wool valuable.
  
  

Fiber Crafts

• Raw wool may be used for a variety of handicrafts. The wool can be carded into roving, which is then spun into yarn. Wool roving may also be felted. There are two kinds of felting methods: wet and needle felting. Wet felting involves placing layers of roving on a screen. The wool is then dunked into soapy water and slightly agitated, felting the wool. Needle felting is a process in which dry roving is shaped into any design and repeatedly stabbed with a special felting needle. This needle grabs strands of wool and attaches them to other strands. Very detailed sculptures can be made with needle felting.
  
  

Bedding

• Raw wool can be used as filling for bedding. Humans have used wool to fill mattresses in the past, and it can also be stuffed inside blankets or quilts to increase the warmth. Raw wool is a good option for pet beds. The wool creates a soft, moisture-wicking bed that dogs and cats find comfortable. Small rodents and birds also like wool as nest-building material.
  
  

Pollution Cleanup

• Wool is extremely absorbent and is able to hold water and pollutants in the fiber. Bags filled with raw wool can absorb storm water and trap pollutants found in the runoff. Pollutants from roads, agriculture and construction products often find their way to rivers and streams in storm water runoff; wool bags can prevent these from contaminating clean water. Raw wool has also been used to absorb oil. It can be used for small-scale oil spill, such as car repair shops, or may be pressed into mats for large oil spills in the ocean.
  
  

Insulation

• Raw wool makes excellent insulation for homes. It can be placed inside walls or in an attic to prevent heat from entering or leaving a house or building. It is also resistant to fire and may be useful in preventing fires from spreading to other rooms.