Merino Wool Fabrics

What makes merino different comes down to fibre diameter. Standard wool fibres are thick enough to bend against your skin rather than with it, and that's what you feel as itch. Merino fibres are fine enough to flex, so they don't trigger it. That's the reason merino ended up in everything from mountaineering base layers to luxury knitwear: it's the only wool most people will wear directly against the skin, and it keeps all the properties that make wool worth wearing in the first place.

Those properties are genuinely useful. Merino regulates temperature in both directions, insulating in cold and releasing heat and moisture as you warm up, which is why it works across seasons rather than just winter. It absorbs a good deal of moisture without feeling wet, and it resists odour far better than synthetics, so garments can be worn repeatedly between washes. Wool is also naturally flame retardant, which is worth knowing if you're making for children or for the home.

Jersey or fleece?

Merino wool jersey is a fine knit with stretch and drape. It's what base layers, T-shirts, long-sleeved tops, leggings and softly draped dresses are made from, and it's the one to choose where you want the fabric to move with you and sit close. Merino wool fleece is brushed and considerably warmer, with a soft, lofty surface. It suits sweatshirts, cardigans, jackets, blankets and cold-weather layering. Both are 100% merino, so the choice is about warmth and structure rather than fibre.

Sewing merino

Both are knits, so treat them as such. Use a ballpoint or stretch needle, which pushes between the loops rather than piercing them, and a stitch with give in it, such as a narrow zigzag or a dedicated stretch stitch. A straight stitch will snap the first time the seam stretches. You don't need an overlocker, though it gives a tidier finish. A walking foot helps if the layers shift. Merino fleece is thicker than it looks, so allow for the bulk at seams. Press with steam and a cloth, and let it cool flat before moving it.

Caring for merino

Wool needs gentler handling than cotton, and merino is no exception despite its toughness in wear. Heat and agitation are what cause felting and shrinkage, so wash cool on a wool cycle, avoid wringing, and dry flat rather than hanging, which stretches a wet knit out of shape. Many merinos will need washing far less often than an equivalent synthetic anyway, since the fibre resists odour. Always follow the care guidance on the individual product page rather than any general rule.

Related collections

To compare merino with other wool types, including British wool and traditional suiting cloth, see all wool fabrics. For other knits, try jersey fabrics, and patterns are in jersey and knit patterns.