Other Animal Fibers Flashcards
What 4 general characteristics all animal fibers?
- Breathable
- Good insulation.
- Highly elastic.
- Highly odor resistant.
What is the most commonly utilized animal fiber?
Wool.
What is down?
The layer for fine feathers from the breast of ducks or geese.
What do scales help with?
The fibers lock together and staying together during product creation.
What is the scale height of cashmere?
Rarely above 0.5 um.
What is the scale height of mohair?
Around 0.4 um.
What is the scale height of wool?
0.6-1.1 um.
What quality of the wool does scale height contribute to?
Brightness of the wool.
What is the yield of cashmere?
20-45% or 3.5-6 oz. of down.
What is the yield of mohair?
60-80% or 2-25 lbs. of fiber.
Why are hand spinners willing to pay top dollar for fleeces that are natural colors?
It is natural and makes them feel more connected to the animal.
What are the 3 natural colors of cashmere?
- White.
- Gray.
- Brown.
What are the 5 natural colors of mohair?
- Black,
- Gray.
- Red.
- Tan.
- White.
What animal does mohair come from?
Angora goats.
How often are Angora goats shorn?
2x per year.
How fast does mohair grow?
1 cm or 0.5 inches per month. So, 6 cm or 3 inches when it is shorn.
What is important to know when managing Angora goats?
They are very sensitive to undernutrition and other stressors.
How many microns thick is mohair from a kid?
20-30 (fine).
How many microns thick is mohair from a yearling?
30-34 (medium).
How many microns thick is mohair from an adult?
34-39 (strong).
What is the scouring process for mohair?
Washing the mohair to remove dirt, grease, and foreign materials.
What is the carding process for mohair?
Transforming the mohair from staples to slivers.
What is a staple?
A continuous fiber of a certain length.
What is a sliver?
A bundle of fiber drawn into long strips.
What is the combing process for mohair?
The remaining vegetable matter and any short, irregular fibers are removed to make tops.
What is the spinning process for mohair?
Twisting the fibers into yarn.
What animal is angora derived from?
Rabbits (multiple breeds).
How many microns thick is angora fiber?
12-16 microns.
What is the yield from angora rabbits per year?
0.5-2 lbs. .
What are the 2 ways to harvest angora fiber?
- Shear (scissors or low-noise trimmers).
- Plucking.
What 3 breeds of Angora rabbit can be plucked?
- English.
- French.
- Satin.
*Natural shedders.
How often do Angora rabbits need to be plucked/sheared?
Every 3 months, but need more frequent grooming.
Why is angora fiber often blended with other fibers?
It is too difficult to spin otherwise.
Where are Cashmere-type goats found?
Afghanistan, China, Iran, Mongolia, and Tibet.
What part of the coat of Cashmere type-goats is used in cashmere fiber?
The undercoat/down fiber.
How many microns thick is cashmere fiber?
Average of 18 or less microns, but no more than 28 microns.
How are the guard hairs in cashmere goats different from the undercoat?
- 50 microns or more.
- Drop out during processing due to being heavier.
- Medullated.
- Stiffer.
When is cashmere fiber naturally shed?
Spring.
What are the 2 methods for collecting cashmere?
- Combing it out with a goat comb (most common and higher quality yield).
- Shearing (guard hair contamination).
How is cashmere traditionally sorted to remove any contaminants?
By hand.
What is cashmere washed with?
A gentle detergent and water.
How is cashmere dried after washing?
Air dried, to avoid damaging and stretching.
What process does cashmere undergo when being prepared to be spun?
It is combed to create worsted/parallel aligned fibers.
What are the 2 breeds of fiber alpacas?
- Suri.
- Huacaya.
What % of alpaca fiber comes from Suri alpaca?
5%.
What % of alpaca fiber comes from Huacaya alpaca?
95%.
How is Suri alpaca fiber described?
Finer, softer fibers that are comparable to cashmere or silk.
How is Huacaya alpaca fiber described?
Denser, crimped fleece.
How is alpaca fiber superior to sheep fiber?
- Greater tensile strength.
- Higher fiber core hollowness.
- Hydrophobic.
- Lanolin free.
- Smaller scales (less itchy).
How is alpaca fiber harvested?
With scissors after the alpaca has been laid on its side and had both its head and legs restrained.
How often is alpaca fiber harvested?
Once per year.
What is Grade 1 alpaca fiber?
Ultra fine/royal <18 microns.
What is Grade 2 alpaca fiber?
Superfine/Baby <19 microns.
What is Grade 3 alpaca fiber?
Fine <25 microns.
What is Grade 4 alpaca fiber?
Medium <30 microns.
What is Grade 5 alpaca fiber?
Strong 30+ microns.
What is Grade 6 alpaca fiber?
Mixed 32+ microns.
What does the tumbling process do to the alpaca fiber?
It opens it up, allowing for the removal of sand, plant matter, and guard fibers.
What are the steps of alpaca fiber preparation?
- Scouring.
- Drying and lubrication.
- Carding and roving.
- Combing and top finish.
- Spinning.
- Knitting/weaving/dying.
What are the two kinds of silk?
- Mulberry silk.
- Dragline silk.
What is mulberry silk derived from?
The cocoons of larvae of the Bombyx mori butterfly, also called silkworms.
What is dragline silk derived from?
Spider silk.
*Not commercially used.
What is sericulture?
The gathering and harvesting of silkworm cocoons.
What is the structure of a silkworm cocoon?
A single strand of 100 m long silk that is wrapped around the worm and held together by sericin (a natural gum).
What process is used to harvest the silk?
Placing the cocoons in boiling water to dissolve the sericin, which also kills the silkworm.
How many silkworms does it take to make 1 pound of silk?
2,500.
After harvesting the silk threads from silkworms, what is done to them?
- Reeled.
- Dyed.
- Spun.
How strong is dragline silk?
Exceptionally strong on a per weight basis, comparable to steel.
Why are spider silk farms not commercially successful?
Spider in-fighting and cannibalism.
What 2 animals have been genetically modified to produce spider silk?
- Goats (in their milk).
- CRISPR modified silkworms.
