Higher bulk and less lustre continue to be important. As these longer length fleece wools are generally processed on the semi-worsted system a minimum length of 100mm is required for higher prices. As many specifications request a length-after-carding test result, further price premiums will occur with increasing length. A strict adherence to soundness and avoidance of skirtings, face and top-knot wool is essential as these will inflate the short fibre-length percentage in the test result indicating wastage in processing.
For semi-worsted processing freedom from vegetable matter content is critical as to whether the wool can be used or not. 0.2% is usually the upper limit specified with 0.1% more preferable. Weak back wool, if present, can lead to discounts.
Finer micron values play an increasingly important role. For fault-free 4-6 inch fleece wools in the 34-36 micron category when compared to similar length and coloured 37-39 micron fleece wools premiums of 5-10% is commonplace. Greater premiums are evident when the comparison is made with the poorer-styled coarse wools particularly if heavily discounted cotts are taken into the equation.
Some demand exists for 33-35 micron Perendale ewe fleece wools for carpet yarn processing via the worsted processing pathway when spinning limits are critical. As combing removes vegetable matter contamination, higher (0.3 – 0.6%) VM content wools can be used without concern. If vegetable matter contamination is of an ongoing concern due to the type of country where Perendales are run, a preferred option in this instance should be towards finer wools. Flexibility for knitwear end-uses also occurs.