A wool blend velour fabric article (12) is formed of yarns (14, 16) consisting of wool fibers (17a, 17b) in a blend with manufactured fibers (19a, 19b) (i.e., synthetic and/or regenerated fibers). The wool and manufactured fibers are blended, i.e. spun, together in a manner to control the distribution of the wool fibers and of the manufactured fibers, across the cross-section of the yarn such that each of the wool fibers is generally surrounded by manufactured fibers, and thus shielded from interaction with other ones of the wool fibers. The resulting velour fabric article exhibits reduced shrinkage and felting.