Spinning with pure French Angora

Have you ever tried to spin pure angora? Not Mohair, from a goat, but true angora from Rabbits? Let me tell you, it's a challenge. The reason that wool spins so easily is because there are tiny plates covering the length of the fiber. These tiny plates grab onto one another much the way the hooks on a dry felting needle grab the fibers when you dry felt. If you rub the plates together and they bind to tightly, or if you add hot water and aggitation, what you get is felt. A fairly solid glob of fiber. Spinning is a more controlled use of the plates, allowing you to make yarn.

The problem with angora is the fiber shaft is smooth (no plates) so you have to rely on the spin tension to hold the fibers together. How do I know this? I offered to spin fiber for a friend I made online in exchange for bunnies to add to my microscopic group (since I don't know the proper term for a flock, herd, clutch... of bunnies). So, spin I did. I got a rather nice yarn out of the endeavor. This is one situation where LENGTH IS IMPORTANT. Since the fibers slide against each other, short fibers are a particulary nasty spin (IMHO). Longer ones give the impression of a chance. That having been said, the finished product is so silky soft as to make you completely forget what you when through to get to the end of the process. (Rather like childbirth). This yarn came from my two bunns (brandy, who donated the honey colored fiber, and Goudy, who donated the gray fiber)



So, If you get the chance, I highly recommend trying the spin with pure fiber. You get a lot of distance from a small amount, and not only is the finished product silky soft, but it will retain the softness after spinning and plying. Also, since the fibers are hollow, the yarn is very very light.

Live well and dye happy,

Leah