Angora Yarn and Fiber Buying Guide

First let me assure you, A RABBIT IS NOT HARMED IN ANY WAY BY COLLECTING IT'S FIBER. A rabbit that is plucked was bred to do so, with a coat that regularly molts. In fact, if the owner did NOT remove it, it would be cruel, as it would invite the rabbit to groom itself, ingesting loose fiber and producing woolblock which is extremely dangerous for the animal. Shearing must be done regularly too, but some breeds, such as English can go long periods of time without a molt. Germans and Giants are usually shorn at 90 days because their coats will begin to slip at regular intervals and it will begin to matt when slipping..

There are many types of angora, both breeds for raw fiber and for yarns. Here are a few pointers.

COMMERCIAL ANGORA YARN

"100% angora rabbit hair from France" Sounds good, doesn't it? But did you know that most of those "French" balls of yarn are only 10 grams? It takes almost 3 of them to make one ounce of yarn. Not only that, it is produced by automated machinery that tears the yarn. Consequently almost all the fibers are 1 inch or less. Short fibers mean - a LOT of shedding. It is nice and fluffy looking because of all the short fibers in there, but taking 3-5 packages to equal one regular ball of yarn? No thank you.

German or Italian commercial yarn. A bit better here, but the yarn is made from the German type of rabbit, and commercial equipment which tears the fiber is still used.. This is neither as fluffy as the French type, nor as soft. It has a lot of guard hair in it, making some people's skin "prickle". You know your own skin best, if yours can tolerate coarser wool (up to 21 microns on guard hair, which is the stuff that sticks out) then you'll probably not notice the itch factor to this yarn. (Merino starts at 16 or so microns, 25 microns is considered the very top edge of merino in terms of :coarse fiber) However, if you are looking for commercial coned yarn for a knitting machine this may be your only choice.

Chinese commercial yarn. This can be any of a number of types, but most of it is from German rabbits that were crossesd with shorthaired varieties to increase hardiness and also increase the guard hair. This may sound counter-productive, but it produces a very dramtic "fur" effect more like mink or other fur pelts for dramatic fur effects for trims, etc. High fashion houses use this for drama, but it is never used next to the skin. China also produces German/Italian type of coned yarn with all the same drawbacks mentioned above.

HANDSPUN:

Most handspun is done by people who raise rabbits as a hobby. They can afford to take more time keeping softer coated animals and collecting it. Plus usually it is handled more gently, so there is little tearing of the fiber, so the length it is collected at will be the same length in the finished yarn. However, the same rules apply, the longer the staple, the less halo (aka fluff) to the yarn. The fiber may be either sheared or plucked, but the fluff will be determined by the staple length.

You may hear the word "prime" applied to hobbyists fiber. this simply means a staple length of 3 to 4 inches on 90% of the fibers. There may be shorter fibers included, but no more than 10%. Does that mean the fiber is superior? No. It is a matter of taste, and it is unfortunate it was given a name that implies it is better somehow. But if the fiber is any longer, you're not likely to think it looks very much like angora at all. However, long staple angora can be exceptionally strong, and if you really need strength for some reason, like reinforcing heels & toes of socks, you may be intersted in a bit of extra long fiber for that purpose.

Handspun can also be made of shorter fibers. This is merely my opinion, but I feel a staple length of 6 cm will maximize fluff while still controlling the amount of shedding to almost none. Handspinners often "abuse" the yarn - meaning they beat it against something firm enough to make the yarn "catch" any loose fibers that might have shed. This is a good thing. It usually brings up halo too.

Hand spinning may be uneven or lumpy. In my opinion, some of that actually adds to the charm of handspun. But if you find it objectionable, then please inspect the pictures very closely to be sure it is evenly spun. If you cannot tell, then ask the spinnger for a small sample of the yarn before you invest in it.

THE FIBERS: (Loose fiber from different breeds of angora rabbits)

Commercial grade: This would be fiber from the German or Giant rabbit. It has exactly the same characteristics of commercial German or Giant angora, but more care has been taken in the processing. If it is made from prime (3") or longer, the fluff will probably be much less than the general public expects of angora yarn, though. The German club makes an 85% angora yarn, which is milled at a mini mill. More care goes into that fiber too, but since it is made of prime fiber only, it has very little fluff.

Softer: French.... this is said conditionally though. A young French angora, or one that has never been plucked will have fiber much softer than German or Giant. However, if the animal has been plucked over it's lifetime, it can be more harsh that either German or giant. Plucking reduces the amount of down present, and makes the remaining guard hair stiffer. It too has a spiky appearance, similar to the Chinese "high fashion house" yarn. Very good for trim, not so good next to the skin.

Softest: Either English or Satin angora fiber. These are not commercial angoras, and they usually cannot be kept on a large scale. The fiber is the softest of all, down around 10 microns - only modern synthetics such as microfibers can compare to this. Plucked English will have more "guard" hair, but it is still so fine you probably won't notice it.

Satin fiber has great shine on the animal, less when spun into yarn, though. But it is almost always silky, and English *might* be a little more wooly (aka "cottony") Really well bred show English should have the proper coat, which is silky, but unless the picture on eBay is huge, you won't be able to tell. Buy from a reputable seller. This is the softest fiber, demanding the most care from the breeder and fiber collection/spinning person, so it commands the highest price and it is worth it.

IF you can find either English or Satin fiber carded, that person has gone to a LOT of trouble doing so. You can probably trust that they've take great care with the fiber too. Angora fiber from the coarser breeds -German, French, and Giant - is easier to card, however, and commands no special extra price consideration, imo.

THINGS TO AVOID'

Angora fiber is animal protein based fiber, and the animal can attract parasites. Light, powdery matter is to be expected in all breeds and all angora fibers. It does not affect the quality of the finished yarn and should not be taken as a negative. However, definite "dandruff" looking matter is another matter entirely. It might be from dry skin, but it can also be from mites on the animal's skin. If so, there are probably mites in the fiber too. You can "treat" any fiber you've purchased by freezing it in your home freezer (10ºF or less) for 2 weeks. Most of the matter you can see will wash out of the final yarn, but even so, be on the lookout for large clumps.

There are also fiber beetles that can be in angora fiber. It looks like small ½" "segmented "worms". These are the larvae (the adult usually flies away from the fiber). Again, the treatment is to freeze the fiber, same as for mites. Pick out any larvae you see as you spin the fiber and wash it well after spinning. You might want to freeze it again after it is spun.

Moths. Wool moths are small and white, slightly silvery. The don't look like the moths that collect around your outside. lights. Again the main treatment is freezing, however they are pretty difficult to kill - moreso than the mites or beetles. I would freeze a batch for 2 weeks, take it out for 5 days to allow larve to think it is getting warm, then refreeze to kill them in their most vulnerable state. Keeping fiber with evidence of moths is risky. If you believe the infestation was small, you'll probably be OK. If there were very many, you'll probably be better off disposing of it.

Parasites are your main problem, but a sickly animal can produce weak fiber, or weak spots along the length of the fiber. It is prone to breakage, so it is to be avoided too I've also seen fiber collected in the rainy season stored in plastic and it will acquire a "moldy" smell to it. This fiber should be returned immediately. You have no idea the extent of the damage (if any) that was done by the mold. It might be no damage at all, but it could be significant. You needn't take a chance on it.

ANGORA YARN SPUN BY MINI MILLS

This yarn can be all over the map in softness. And if you are a machine knitter, this is one way to get your hands on higher quality softer English, French, or Satin angora on cones for your machine, instead of being limited to the coarser commercial grades. Some mills believe they have to spin for durability. Some think they have to spin only prime or longer. Again, it is a matter of preference, but if you like light, airy, soft yarn, such as I do, try to find some done on a "spinning mule". It approximates hand spinning and makes a lighter, airy yarn. Pin drafted spinning will make a heavy compacted yarn, and if it is made from one of the heavy commercial grades of angora (German or Giant) the finished yarn is likely to be heavy and compacted too. Ask the seller for a small sample to inspect before you buy. This is reasonable, as there is so much variation. You might want to ask a handspiner for this too.

Most angora clubs offer "collective" participation in millspun yarns. The members all contribute to the mill run, it is all mixed together, and one large batch is spun. It is then returned to the contributors in proportion the amount they contributed. The same advantages or limitations sill apply, a commercial grade of fiber will be no softer just because it was done by a mill. And blended fiber will be only as soft as the coarsest fiber contained in the blend. Some individuals do send their carefully collected fiber from softer animals off and have batches done for them individually, so don't automatically eliminate mini-mill spun yarn from consideration. Some of it is quite nice.

I hope this helps shed (I use the word cautiously) some light on the various grades of angora fiber.

You may address any additional questions you have to me, pealark on eBay. Or by writing to bunnies4wool@yahoo.com

Guide ID: 10000000015979068
Guide created: 03/09/10