Angora wool or
Angora fibre refers to the downy coat produced by the
Angora rabbitThe Angora rabbit is a variety of domestic rabbit bred for its long, soft wool. The Angora is one of the oldest types of domestic rabbit, originating in Ankara , Turkey, along with the Angora cat and Angora goat. The rabbits were popular pets with French royalty in the mid 18th century, and spread...
. While their names are similar, Angora fibre is distinct from
mohairMohair usually refers to a silk-like fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat. The word "mohair" was adopted into English before 1570 from the Arabic: mukhayyar, a type of haircloth, literally 'choice', from khayyara, 'he chose'. Mohair fiber is approximately 25-45 microns in...
, which comes from the
Angora goatThe Angora goat is a breed of domestic goat that originated in Ankara , Turkey and its surrounding region in central Anatolia...
. Angora is known for its softness, thin fibres, and what knitters refer to as a halo (fluffiness). It is also known for its silky texture.
Angora rabbits produce coats in a variety of colors, from white to black. Good quality Angora fibre is around 12-16 micrometres in diameter, and can cost around $ 10 - 16 per
ounceThe ounce is a unit of mass with several definitions, the most commonly used of which are equal to approximately 28 grams. The ounce is used in a number of different systems, including various systems of mass that form part of the imperial and United States customary systems...
(35 to 50 cents/gram). It felts very easily, even on the animal itself if it is not groomed frequently.
The fibre is normally blended with
woolWool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
to give the yarn elasticity, as Angora fibre is not naturally elastic. The blend decreases the softness and halo as well as the price of the finished object. Angora fibres are hollow, which gives them their characteristic floating feel.
The Angora rabbit
There are four different
ARBAThe American Rabbit Breeders Association is a national club for domestic rabbit and cavy breeders. The ARBA is headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois in the United States...
recognized types of Angora rabbit: English, French, Satin and Giant. There are many other breeds, one of the more common being German. Each breed produces different quality and quantity of fibre, and has a different range of colors.
Fur production
Angora
furFur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
is produced in Europe, Chile, China and the United States. Harvesting occurs up to three times a year (about every 4 months) and is collected by
pluckPlucking or tweezing can mean the process of removing human hair, animal hair or a bird's feathers by mechanically pulling the item from the owner's body.In humans, this is done for personal grooming purposes, usually with tweezers...
ing,
shearSheep shearing, shearing or clipping is the process by which the woollen fleece of a sheep is cut off. The person who removes the sheep's wool is called a shearer. Typically each adult sheep is shorn once each year...
ing, or collection of the molting fur.
Most breeds of Angora rabbits molt with their natural growth cycle about every four months. Many producers of the fibre
pluckPlucking or tweezing can mean the process of removing human hair, animal hair or a bird's feathers by mechanically pulling the item from the owner's body.In humans, this is done for personal grooming purposes, usually with tweezers...
the fur of these breeds. Plucking is, in effect, pulling out the molted fur. Plucking ensures a minimum of
guard hairGuard hairs are the longest, coarsest hairs in a mammal's coat, forming the topcoat . They taper to a point and protect the undercoat from the elements. They are often water repellent and stick out above the rest of the coat...
, and the fur is not as matted when plucked as when it is collected from the rabbit's cage. However, plucking a rabbit is time consuming, so some producers shear the rabbit instead. While this results in slightly lower quality fleece, as the guard hairs are included, it does take less time and results in more fleece. Also, not all breeds of Angora molt, and if the rabbit does not naturally molt, it cannot be plucked. German Angoras do not molt.
The rabbits must be groomed at least once or twice a week to prevent the fur from matting and felting. There is also a danger a rabbit will ingest its own molted fur; unlike a cat, a rabbit cannot easily be rid of the build up.
http://www.joyofhandspinning.com/angora-care.shtml
Quality of wool
The premium first quality wool is taken from the back and upper sides of the rabbit. This is usually the longest and cleanest fibre on the rabbit. There should not be hay or vegetable matter in the fibre. Second quality is from the neck and lower sides, and may have some vegetable matter. Third quality is the buttocks and legs and any other areas that easily felt and are of shorter length. Fourth quality is totally unsalvageable, and consists of the larger felted bits or stained fibre. Third and fourth quality are perfect for cutting up for the birds to use in lining their nests. With daily brushing, felting of the fibre can be avoided, increasing the usable portion of fibre.
Uses
Angora wool can be used in all sorts of ways. It is commonly used in apparel such as sweaters and suitings, knitting yarn, and felting.
See also
- Mohair
Mohair usually refers to a silk-like fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat. The word "mohair" was adopted into English before 1570 from the Arabic: mukhayyar, a type of haircloth, literally 'choice', from khayyara, 'he chose'. Mohair fiber is approximately 25-45 microns in...
, a fabric made from the wool of the Angora Goat.
- International Year of Natural Fibres
The United Nations General Assembly declared 2009 as the International Year of Natural Fibres, as well as the International Year of Astronomy.The proposal for this international year originated in FAO at a joint meeting of the Intergovernmental Group on Hard Fibres and the Intergovernmental Group...
, a year promoting natural fibres, as observed by the United Nations in 2009.
- Edward D. Wood, Jr., a filmmaker known for his love of Angora wool, to the extent of wearing it and featuring it prominently in his own films.
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