Did you know?
Wool absorbs moisture. Although the outside of the wool fiber repels moisture, the inside of each fiber can absorb a lot of moisture. Wool can absorb as much as 30% of its weight without feeling wet to the touch (compared to only 8% for cotton and less than 5% for synthetics). Thus an inner wool garment can absorb perspiration without feeling clammy--the wearer feels less chilled in winter and more comfortable in summer. A very interesting characteritic of wool is that it actually liberates heat as it absorbs moisture. A single gram of wool gives off 27 calories of heat every time it goes from dry to wet. Wool actually helps to warm its wearer!
I love this Friday Farm Fact! Have actually been turning out warm wool mittens to keep some toddler sized hands warm this winter (made in red, by special request, lol!)
ReplyDeleteMy husband is an avid fan of wool for bicycling - even in warm weather. Most people think he's crazy, but he swears by it - for just the reasons you describe. Fascinating!
ReplyDelete