Lambswool vs Merino Wool: What's the Difference?

When you're looking for a quality wool jumper, you'll often come across two terms: lambswool and Merino wool. Both are natural fibres known for their softness, warmth and breathability, but there's more to the story than simply choosing one over the other.

At Pittari, we work with both lambswool and Merino wool, from our suppliers Z.Hinchliffe & Sons. But there's something particularly special about our lambswool: our lambswool comes from Merino sheep. This means you get the naturally fine, soft qualities associated with Merino wool, combined with the exceptional softness of wool from a lamb's first shearing.

In other words, you could say it's the best of both worlds.

What is lambswool?

Lambswool is wool taken from a sheep's first shearing. At this stage, the fibres are particularly fine and soft, making lambswool an excellent choice for comfortable, high-quality knitwear.

But not all lambswool is exactly the same. The breed of sheep also influences the characteristics of the wool.

At Pittari, our lambswool comes from Merino sheep, giving our sweaters a particularly soft and luxurious feel. You therefore get the benefits associated with Merino fibres, together with the softness and natural qualities of lambswool.

Our lambswool is used across a number of Pittari sweaters, including the Mini Cable Lambswool Sweater – Grey Mix, combining this soft natural fibre with a contemporary textured cable-knit design.

What is Merino wool?

Merino wool comes from Merino sheep, a breed renowned for producing exceptionally fine wool fibres.

The fine diameter of Merino fibres is one of the reasons the wool is so highly regarded. It has a soft feel, is naturally breathable and can help regulate body temperature, making it suitable for everything from lightweight layers to warm winter sweaters.

At Pittari, we offer Merino wool garments such as Mini Cable Merino Sweater – Clay .

So what's the difference?

This is where things get interesting.

Lambswool describes when the wool was obtained — the first shearing of the sheep.

Merino wool describes the breed of sheep.

That means the two terms aren't actually opposites.

Our Merino lambswool combines both characteristics: the wool comes from Merino sheep, while being obtained from the lamb's first shearing.

The result is a particularly soft and comfortable natural fibre that's ideally suited to premium knitwear.

Lambswool and Merino: the Pittari approach

Rather than asking whether lambswool or Merino wool is better, it's worth looking at what the individual yarn offers.

Our lambswool benefits from the naturally fine fibres of Merino sheep while retaining the particularly soft qualities of lambswool. It's warm, breathable and comfortable, making it an excellent choice for everyday sweaters.

Our Merino wool garments offer another take on this exceptionally fine natural fibre, with the Mini Cable Merino Sweater – Clay combining Merino wool with a contemporary cable-knit design.

Both demonstrate something important about wool: the breed, fibre and way the wool is processed all contribute to the final garment.

For Pittari, where our wool comes from is just as important as the type of wool we're using.

We work with trusted suppliers of lambswool and merino wool yarn, who take wool seriously and ensure that animal welfare and sustainability are high on their agenda. The raw materials they source are of the highest quality, ensuring a superior yarn and therefore a high quality Pittari product for us.

Animal welfare is of paramount importance to Pittari so we choose yarn suppliers who value this as much as we do.

Wool also has some impressive natural qualities. It is renewable, biodegradable and naturally breathable, while its resilience and odour-resistant properties can help garments remain wearable for longer.

Choosing a well-made wool jumper and looking after it properly can therefore be part of building a wardrobe based around quality, longevity and natural materials.

Which should you choose?

The good news is that you don't necessarily have to choose.

If you love the exceptionally soft feel associated with Merino wool, Pittari's Wool Knitwear offers exactly that.

If you want the softness of Merino sheep combined with the particularly fine qualities of a lamb's first shearing, our Merino lambswool offers something rather special.

Super-soft Merino. From a lamb. Made into contemporary British knitwear.

That's what makes Pittari's lambswool a little different.