FEATURE
Distinct from mohair, which comes
from the Angora goat, Angora wool
refers to the downy coat produced by
the Angora rabbit. Yarn made from
100% angora wool has a beautiful
halo and a lot of warmth but be
warned, this type of yarn can felt very
easily. Angora wool is typically used
at a blend of 30%-50% in yarns in
order to produce some halo, warmth
and softness without the felting side
effect. Most manufactures collect
the moulted bre from the rabbits,
but some angora wool collectors
will also shave the rabbits due to
the collecting of moults being timeconsuming and labour intensive.
Harvesting from Angoras can only
happen every four months due to
their growth cycle.Bamboo
Soft, hypoallergenic and even antibacterial,
bamboo yarn can create a wonderful drape and
gives a beautiful lustre to a yarn. Used in blends
alongside many different yarns, bamboo is noted
as a great yarn to use for baby blankets, as well
as being wonderful for a whole array of different
garments and accessories. When processed
mechanically, the woody parts of the bamboo plant
are crushed and then natural enzymes are used to
break the bamboo walls into a mass so that the
natural bres can be mechanically combed out and
spun into beautiful yarn.Silk
Typically blended with another bre, silk yarns can
be expensive, but bring a luxurious silky softness.
A versatile bre, it is collected in two different
ways. Both are from the hardworking silk worm who
sets up home on a mulberry leaf, the rst way to
retrieve silk is by waiting until the silk worm has
enclosed itself in its cocoon. The spun cocoon is
then placed into boiling water, a crucial step as it
means each thread is left intact. Once boiled the
threads are then picked apart and extracted for
the dying process to begin. The second process
of extracting silk is much more vegetarian friendly,
known as Ahimsa silk or Peace Silk. Leaving
10 extra days before the dying process, the
pupa is allowed to hatch and the leftover cocoon
is then used to create the silk using the same
process as above.Hemp
A mainstay of the natural bre world,
hemp is still going strong (literally!).
Hemp has eco-friendly bene ts in that
it does not take much water to grow
compared to bres such as cotton.
In the craft world, 100% hemp yarn
is most popularly used in macramé.Blended with other bres hemp brings
strength and hold to a yarn. Hemp
without a blend can be a little tough
but will soften with use and washing. It
is a strain of the cannabis sativa plant
species grown especially for its use in
the industrial sector.Ramie
Ramie is a owering plant
in the nettle family usually
used alongside cotton as a
blend. This bre is lightweight
and perfect for those looking
for a non-animal derived
bre. Unlike ax, ramie is a
perennial plant that may live
for several years. It has its
cons, with the cleaning and
bre extraction being dif cult
and very labour intensive.
Ramie bre has a silk-like
look but lacks stretch and
elasticity. It is biodegradable
and yarn with a ramie
blend is ideal for knitting
items intended for the
warmer weather.Angora