Friday, January 10, 2014

A Smorgasbord of Non-Wool Fibers

Since I'm allergic to wool, I love exploring other possibilities for spinning, knitting, and crocheting. Let me share results from some recent research:
     Camel hair for weaving comes only from the two hump camel.
     Mohair comes from Angora goats.
     Angora comes form Angora rabbits.

     Cashmere comes from Kashmir goats (downy growth beneath the coarser outer hair).
     Other excellent animal fibers for spinning include bison, yak, silk, alpaca and (wait for it) possum.
     Non-animal choices include cotton, bamboo, sugar cane, sisal, tencel (wood pulp cellulose), hemp, flax,
         ramie (one of the oldest fiber crops), soy, corn, and milk fiber.

Some resources for more information:
     http://www.naturalfibres2009.org/en/index.html     website
     http://www.wildfibersmagazine.com/                      magazine
     http://woolfreeandlovinknit.typepad.com/               a blog for those allergic to wool

There is simply a whole world out here to explore!!




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