If you’ve been left out of the loop you may not have noticed that knitting has become a very popular trend in the past few years. Online and physical yarn stores have popped up everywhere. Novelty and traditional yarns have become readily available in a variety of textures, thickness and colors.
One type of traditional yarn that has recently become quite popular is angora yarn. If you know anything about angora wool then you won’t confuse it with mohair which comes from Angora goats. The similarity in names often causes a confusion and people believe they are purchasing one product when in all actuality they are buying something completely different.
What you Don’t Know about Angora Wool
Angora yarn is revered for its low micron count. A micron is the measurement used to express the diameter of a wool fiber. If a wool is fine it will have a lower micron count than a wool that is more coarse.
As a point of reference, merino wool ranges from 10-25 microns while mohair has a micron count of 25-45 microns. On the other hand, angora wool maintains a micron count of 12-16 microns.
Angora wool is also valued for its halo or fluffiness. So if you’ve ever wondered how you can get hold of that light and downy appearance you’ve noticed in certain garments, the answer is fluffy angora yarn. In fact, another reason angora wool is so sought after is because it is also one of the warmest types of yarn.
The warmth is the result of hollow strands of hair. This characteristic gives angora wool insulating properties that make it seven times warmer than sheep’s wool.
Some people don’t like the halo effect that surrounds this type of wool, however it can be spun together with other wools to make it less irritating and also less expensive.
In fact, it may be easier to find angora knitwear that is also made with some percentage of other wools, even acrylic fibers. This also goes for angora sweaters, mittens, scarves and caps, all of which are made from 100% angora wool.
Fortunately, you can also get hold of 100% angora yarn to make your own garments. Because this fiber is natural, you can dye it yourself or simply look for dyed wool.
About Angora Rabbits
Similar to sheep’s wool, the angora wool is removed directly from the rabbit by one of two processes. The rabbit will be either sheared or combed to remove the wool. Combing is often preferred over shearing because it doesn’t lead to a cut strand of lesser quality.
Because rabbits are such small creatures, several people have taking the initiative to raise their own animals and spin their own yarn. However, this does require a certain level of investment, both in time and money.
ANGORA YARN offers hand dyed and handspun yarn that is made with 100% angora fiber. The angora rabbits that produce this soft wool are well taken care of and are periodically combed to harvest their hair. This attention to detail is what helps ANGORA YARN produce plush and unique wool.
- Loreto Marquez