Here is what the fibers look like. Click on the links to learn more about each fiber.
Mohair – I like mohair for the sheen it gives to the yarn and also the “bloom” (fuzziness) it creates over time. Mohair comes from an Angora goat. Angora comes from an Angora rabbit. Angora cats just give you hairballs, hehehe. No, seriously, you can spin cat fur, but I’ve never tried it.
The mohair I am using this time is from a yearling. Kid mohair is the softest, but since a goat is only a kid once, kid mohair is not always easy to get. A yearling is a kid after its 1st birthday. Many times it is just as soft as a kid’s and it is easier to find.
Soy Silk – soy silk is, well…read about it here. http://www.mielkesfarm.com/manmadef.htm It is very soft and has a luster very much like moth silk.
Tussah silk is a “real” silk produced by silkworms. The other kind of silk is Bombyx silk, produced by another kind of silkworm. Here is some info on Bombyx silk. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombyx_mori I bought the Tussah silk just to try it out. It has the many of the same characteristics of the Bombyx silk, except that it is a very light, golden amber color instead of pure white. The difference is caused by the food it eats. Bombyx caterpillars eat mulberry leaves, while the Tussah caterpillars eat oak leaves. The tannins in the oak make the silk a different color. It is also said to be a bit coarser, but you can’t prove it by me. Here is a bit more info on the Tussah moth : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Tussah_Moth . The picture below does not really show you its beautiful color.
Yak wool is from the undercoat of a yak. Because of the nature of the coat on a yak and its seasonal shedding of its coat, the soft undercoat can be combed off the animal. Think of combing a dog. Yaks are cold weather, high altitude animals. They are found in the mountains and plain areas around the Himalayas and have been domesticated by the peoples of those areas. What does the animal look like you ask? Check this out. http://a-z-animals.com/animals/yak/
Here is a picture of the yak fiber. There is only 4 ounces of the stuff here. It is rather expensive, thank you for asking.
Merino Wool -There are over 200 different kinds of sheep and each one has its own unique brand/quality of wool. Some wool is very “itchy”, and is used as rugs, horse blankets and the like. Other wools are very soft and can be used for next to the skin garments. Merino sheep are known to produce the finest, softest wool. A man’s expensive, handmade Italian wool suit, is made from the finest of the finest merino.Of course there is info about the merino sheep http://www.livestocktrail.uiuc.edu/sheepnet/paperDisplay.cfm?ContentID=6701
http://www.sheep101.info/breedsD-F.html
Blue-face Leicester wool - I “discovered” this breed a few years ago at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival and have fallen in love with the wool. A fine blue-faced Leicester fleece can be just as soft as a merino fleece, and I find it easier to wash, card and spin. There will be plenty of folks out there that will be shaking their heads saying, no, no, it’s the _______ that makes the best spinning wool. Again, I would like to say that is one of the wonderful things about spinning. There are so many breeds of wool, so many processing procedures, and so many spinning techniques, that there is plenty for all of us to find our own personal favorites. *g* Here is some info about the BFL. http://bflsheep.com/breed-info/ Aren’t they just the cutest things?
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