100% wool can be itchy depending on its source. Sheep wool, often the most affordable of the wools, is often quite coarse, with stiff fibers that rub against the skin and cause itching and irritation. Lambs wool, alpaca wool, cashmere, and merino wool, on the other hand, are considerably softer and less rigid, so should be a lot softer to the touch from the get-go – especially when washed and looked after correctly.