Fasern, die dicker sind als etwa 30 Mikrometer, biegen sich auf der Haut nicht weg und reizen die Nerven. Je mehr grobe Fasern in einer Wolle, desto mehr kratzt sie.

Ist Lammwolle kratzig?

Weniger als gewöhnliche Schurwolle, weil die Faser der ersten Schur feiner ist. Ganz kratzfrei wie Merino oder Kaschmir ist Lammwolle nicht.

Was ist der Unterschied zwischen Schurwolle und Lammwolle?

Schurwolle ist jede Wolle vom lebenden Schaf. Lammwolle ist die erste Schur eines Schafs unter sechs Monaten und damit eine besonders feine Schurwolle.

Which wool blanket doesn’t itch? Lamb’s wool, virgin wool, merino and Gotland wool compared

Whether wool is scratchy is determined by the fiber thickness in micrometers, not the name on the label. What distinguishes virgin wool, lamb’s wool, merino, and Gotland wool, and what that means for wool blankets.

By Stephan Uhlenbusch

September 11, 2026 3 min read

Rohes Vlies, feines Wollgewebe und gesponnenes Garn nebeneinander auf Travertin

Why wool can feel scratchy, which types of wool are less likely to do so, and what this means when choosing a wool blanket. No buying advice for sweaters, no information on allergies, no care instructions.

Whether wool feels scratchy depends almost entirely on the thickness of the individual fibers, not on the type of wool or how it is processed. The skin registers fibers thicker than about 30 micrometers as prickly. Finer fibers bend away before the nerves react. Every type of wool is a mixture of fine and coarse fibers. What matters is how many coarse fibers it contains.

The number that counts: micrometers

A micrometer is one-thousandth of a millimeter. Human hair is 50 to 100 micrometers thick. Merino wool is usually below 24, fine lamb’s wool between 25 and 30, and coarse virgin wool and wool from old landrace breeds above that. These figures are averages. A fleece with an average of 27 micrometers will always also contain fibers measuring 35, and it is precisely these few that you feel. This is why a blanket made from the same type of wool may feel scratchy or not, depending on the batch.

Virgin wool, lamb’s wool, merino, Gotland: what the terms mean

Virgin wool is wool from a living sheep, unlike recycled wool from textiles. The term says nothing about fineness. Virgin wool can be fine or coarse.
Lamb’s wool is the first shearing of a sheep under six months old. The fiber is finer than in later shearings from the same animal because it has not yet fully grown. Lamb’s wool is also virgin wool, just a specific kind.
Merino wool comes from the merino sheep, a breed bred for fine fibers. It is the least likely to feel scratchy, but it is also the least durable and is rarely used for blankets because it pills more quickly.
Gotland wool comes from the Gotland sheep, an old Swedish breed. The fiber is long, shiny, silver-gray, and significantly coarser than lamb’s wool. It gives a fabric body and luster, but also texture.

What processing changes, and what does not

Combing removes short and coarse fibers before spinning. Combed yarn feels less scratchy than yarn made from the same wool that has only been carded. Brushing after weaving raises the fiber ends and makes the surface fluffy, but not finer. Fabric softener leaves a film on the fiber that disappears after the first wash. None of these processes turns a 32-micrometer fiber into a 22-micrometer fiber. If you are looking for a blanket for bare skin, you must start with the wool, not the finishing.

How this is distributed at Klippan

Klippan Yllefabrik weaves its blankets in two qualities. The pure lamb’s wool blankets Knut, Ralph, Velvet, Chevron, Stella, Harald, and Curve are made from 100 percent New Zealand lamb’s wool. They lie softer on the skin, but they are not merino blankets: a light texture remains. The Gotland wool blanket and Gotland Stripe contain a quarter Gotland wool and therefore feel noticeably scratchier. This is intentional: the Gotland wool makes the blanket thicker and more durable.

Within the lamb’s wool blankets, there is no demonstrable difference in texture. What you feel as a difference is the weave: the herringbone of Chevron feels more textured than the smooth surface of Ralph, without feeling scratchier.

When a wool blanket is the wrong choice

If you want to wear a blanket directly against bare skin, for example as a sleeping blanket, you will rarely be happy with wool, even fine wool. Cotton and cashmere are better suited for that. Wool is the right choice over clothing, at the foot of the bed, on the sofa, or on the terrace. That is where it plays to its strengths: it keeps you warm even when damp, absorbs almost no odors, and lasts for decades.

Good to know: A new wool blanket feels scratchier in the first few weeks than it does later. Loose fibers from the weaving process stand up and prickle. After the first wash on a wool cycle, they are gone, and the blanket feels noticeably smoother. If you judge after the first night, you are judging too soon.