Spinning Angora

Angora Rabbits from Patrick Russell on Vimeo.

Angora wool comes from the angora rabbit, and is 7 times warmer than wool.

Characteristics:

• Natural, Animal Fiber (rabbits)
• Clean, directly from the rabbit
• Does not require washing, picking, combing, or carding
• Luxurious
• Very durable Hand-washable
• Not irritating to the skin like sheep’s wool
• Easy to dye
• Blends extremely well with other fibers

Preparing Angora For Handspinning

Angora wool is about the only fiber that can be spun directly from its source. It does not need to be cleaned or carded depending on how it is harvested.

Harvesting Angora Wool

You can begin harvesting angora when it is three inches long. That is about the length in which the rabbit begins to shed the wool naturally. The longer the wool is left on the rabbit, presents a big risk to its health because of the possibility of wool block. Hand, combing, or shorned can remove Angora fiber.

Prime angora is hand plucked from the rabbit. The fiber is usually combed first to free it from any tangles or mats. After it has been plucked, the staples are kept parallel so that it will be easy to draft during spinning. Prime angora can be carded, but it really isn’t necessary.

Angora that is removed during combings can also be spun into yarn. It will usually have little snarls in it which may make it impossible to spin a smooth even yarn. But in some cases, carefully carding the combings will remove the snarls. If the snarls cannot be removed you can still spin the fiber, but it will make an interesting textured yarn.

Carding

It is easier to card angora using handcarders than it is with a drumcarder. Cotton carders are better to use, because of the fine teeth. Drumcarding 100% angora is very difficult because the fiber will stick and lump between the drums. Patience is needed when using the drumcarder on angora. Multiple runs will be needed in order to make the fibers uniform.

Blending

Blending angora with another fiber, such as wool, is a good way to extent its use.

Handspinning Angora

Spinning angora is very different than spinning wool. It is very soft and slippery, therefore beginners find it difficult to spin 100% angora.

Spinning Wheel

Angora should be spun at a high speed with little or no tension. Adding a little wool to the fiber will make it easier to spin. Do not be concerned if the yarn is not fuzzy when you are spinning it. It becomes fuzzy later after it has been plied, set, and handled.

Hand Spindle

A top whorl spindle is best for spinning angora because of the softness of the fiber. The spindle should also be lightweight.

End Uses For Angora Yarn

Angora yarn can be used for knitting and felting projects. 100% angora is too soft for weaving.
Angora is ideal for making baby garments, winter underwear, sweaters, hats, scarves, and mittens.

English Angora
This breed is probably the cutest and most distinctive because of its long heavy fur that covers its ears and face. In full coat, their bunny features are covered and sometimes they are mistaken to be small dogs (or a relative of “Cousin It”). The wool is silky and fine which makes it very soft. The English Angora comes in white and a variety of beautiful colors. The coat is characterized by having little guard hair in proportion to its wool, and wraps rather tightly when spun, with relatively minimal fluffing. It is smallest breed of the four, weighing 5 to 7 1/2 pounds at maturity.
Photo courtsey of [http://home.pacbell.net/bettychu/ Betty Chu]

French Angora
French Angoras look more like regular rabbits. They have no wool on their head, face, ears, or the front feet. The wool has a higher percentage of guard hair to under wool, which makes it the easiest to care for. It is valued for its fiber qualities, which are excellent for handspinning. Its wool spins easily, and fluffs out nicely in the yarn. Its mature weight is 8-10 lbs.

Satin Angora
Satin Angoras are characterized by the sheen of its glossy coat. Like the French Angora, it does not have wool on the head, face, ears, and front feet. The wool feels lighter and less dense than the other breeds, and requires more grooming. Advanced spinners delight in the texture of Satin Angora fiber, and many spinners prefer it because of its shiny wool fibers. The ideal weight of a matured Satin Angora is 8 lbs.

German / German Hybrids Angora
The German Angora, is recognizable, mainly because of its’ size and popular among handspinners because of the large amounts of fiber they can produce. I once had a doe that gave me 12oz of fiber each time she was harvested. A purebred German Angora is only white and colored hybrids (pictured) are considered to be cross-breeds. They have dense wool because of their double undercoat and it is usually sheared, since it rarely molts. Their fiber does not “halo” as much, in spun yarn, like the other breeds. The German Angora has a mature weight between 9-12 pounds.

Giant Angora
The Giant Angora is the largest of the breeds and they are used commercially for large amounts of full production. They are similar to the German Angora and sometimes mistaken for being the same breed. The Giants get considerably larger and an adult can weigh up to a 20 pounds. They have three types of fiber textures, the under wool being the most dominant. Their wool is very dense and needs to be sheared because they rarely molt. I find the softness and quality of their fiber to be similar to the German Angora. A purebred Giant Angora is only recognized as being a ruby-eyed white.