Angora (Rabbit) Spinning -  Myth Busting

By Elaine Harvey, CCRfuzzy

Myth - "Angora is hard to spin"
Angora is no more difficult to spin than any other fiber but like every other fiber, it has it's own set of tricks. Like any other fiber, BAD Angora is difficult to spin into a good yarn. That would be the same for any other fiber as well.

Myth - "Angora cannot be spun pure"
Like almost all statements that include the word 'cannot', this is a lie! Angora can, should and is spun and knitted pure without the blending of other fibers. You CAN blend with other fibers but by no means MUST you.

Myth - "Angora is seven times warmer than wool"
I've heard this same comment in relation to Cashmere, Alpaca, and Quivit. Who knows where the original information came from because despite research, I just can't find an original reference. Insulation values vary greatly depending on quality of fiber, breed, preparation and spinning and weaving techniques. There is simply no way to make such a blanket statement as this.
It is true that Angora has a higher insulation value than any breed sheep's wool of the same weight. This is due to the fact that Angora is essentially a hollow fiber in which over 30% of the diameter is a hollow core. In other fibers this would be considered an undesirable medullated fiber. This dead air space and the resistance of Angora to compress also leaving air space in the yarn gives it a very high insulation value.
Angora has a very high surface tension because the scales which cover the outer surface are very smooth and tight and do not allow water to soak the fiber. This makes Angora very resistant to wicking and can make an angora garment quite uncomfortable making the wearer feel clammy and preventing evaporative cooling.  However, once Angora does get saturated, it is extremely heavy and takes a very long time to dry. Wool is able to absorb approximately 30% of it's own weight in moisture and still maintain 100% of it's insulating properties.  It is extremely efficient at wicking moisture away from the body while still feeling dry and comfortable.

Myth - "Only plucked Angora is worth spinning or can be considered prime."
The majority of commercial Angora in the world and much of the private Angora in the US, comes from shorn (cut) wool harvests. Plucking is actually legally forbidden in some of the countries that have a commercial Angora market. Plucked fiber can be quite wonderful to spin but plucking - i.e. forceably pulling the hair from the skin - especially when not done correctly can be damaging to future wool growth and traumatizing to the animal. Combed or Lifted fiber harvested ONLY when the wool has naturally molted from the animal can be lovely to spin but can also contain a large amount of pills, compressed fiber and matting. Since it has been on the rabbit longer it can also be more lifeless and runs the risk of being overgroomed or soiled by dander and waste.

Myth - "Shorn fiber is harder to spin and contains second cuts."
All types of fiber and wool which are removed with shears or scissors can contain second cuts. The higher the level of skill of the shearer, the fewer second cuts there will be. A major error occurs when the Angora is shorn in mid growth cycle. This results in two different staple lengths within the same fiber sample. This is a fault of the grower and indeed is not desirable and lowers the quality of the entire harvest.
Shorn fiber is no different to spin than combed or lifted. If a spinner prefers to work with the natural end of the staple, then turn the staple so that the tip end leads in your drafting. If combed fiber is preferred, then use a set of handcards to lightly open up and cross comb the fibers.

Myth - "Angora must be perfectly aligned and free of all pills, compression or neps to be considered worthwhile for spinning."
While this does describe an exemplary sample of Angora fiber, it by no means describes the ONLY worthwhile fiber for spinning! Good Angora fiber should never include waste soiling, heavy dander or actual mats, but many spinners have learned that fiber that is crosshatched (the very beginnings of fiber compression) actually is easier to spin as it is less slippery in the drafting zone. Likewise small neps and imperfections in the yarn create even greater halo in the finished garment. Angora is a very forgiving fiber to both the spinner and the knitter/weaver. Perfect technique simply is not essential to a beautiful finished product.

Myth - "Angora pills and sheds because it is such a slippery and fragile fiber"
Commercial Angora garments do tend to leave your date wearing as much of your sweater as you are, but not because the fiber is so fragile. In fact, much commercial Angora is of such poor quality that it actually has prickle factor from being so coarse! If there are no two words that should never be in the same sentence it is "prickle" and "Angora".  Those garments don't pill and shed because of fragile fiber, they do so because of short, coarse fiber with no crimp texture which must be spun with very little twist to make it feel as soft as possible.
Angora yarns spun by talented hand spinners starts with a fiber of at least 3 - 4 inches long compared to the average 2-3 inches of commercial yarns.  Angora fiber grown by attentive and skilled shepherds is less than 15 microns (Cashmere must be below 16 microns to qualify as Cashmere) and has a highly textured and crimpy undercoat that constitutes greater than 70% of the total fibers. Some of the best American Angora is in the 8-12 micron range and is harvested at 4-6 inches. This is not uncommon or rare Angora in America, just GOOD Angora.
Hand spinners are not afraid to put sufficient amount of twist in their Angora yarns either. Hand spun Angora yarn is generally very secure and tight, can be 'abused' or fulled in the finishing process and once knitted or woven can be brushed - even with a metal tined slicker brush - to raise the nap and give the fabric an incredible amount of halo. When knitted or woven densely the halo effect of French and Satin Angora is easily mistaken for pelted fur. Submitted to actual fabric fulling the angora halo remains lofty and open without losing is characteristic appearance. This is NO fragile fiber! But do beware of Commercial garments and yarns that are not what they should be and are priced beyond what they truly are.

Myth - "Using Angora Rabbits for their wool is cruel and exploitive."
This has to be spoken by the same braniac that says 'Breed like rabbits'. Anyone with ANY amount of practical experience in rabbit breeding, raising or husbandry would know that these are two of the most untrue statements in livestock agriculture. First of all rabbits don't breed easily or plentifully when you WANT them to. Now, long wooled rabbits have been documented since at least the Ottoman Empire and they have ALWAYS been raised by livestockists. Long wooled rabbits have every disability possible to survive in nature and no long wooled breed has ever been known in nature. Rabbits as a prey animal survives not by force or fighting but by stealth, speed and camouflage. An Angora rabbit has none of these.
The most primitive and abundant form of long or short haired coats are molting. That means that once or twice each year the entire coat of fur or wool sheds off and is replaced by new growth. Long wooled breeds of rabbits cannot manage this process effectively without intervention. The molting wool becomes matted and firmly affixed to the new growth creating a thick, dense shell around the animal that can be up to 6 inches thick. This firm matting creates binding ties limb to limb and head to body. The matting prevents the animal from eliminating waste until the acids of the urine and putridity of the feces destroys the skin. The thick layer of felt matting allows parasites and maggots to thrive on the skin and tissues of the pitiful animal without challenge.  As the poor animal struggles to rescue itself from this predicament it ingests wool which collects in it's intestines until it can no longer digest food or eliminate waste and dies as the gutt deteriorates and the animal dies of peritonitis after it's intestines explode.
Angora breeds that do not molt regularly will continue to grow wool until they meet a similar fate. The most compassionate end any of these animals can expect in the absence of human care and intervention is a quick death at the claws and teeth of a predator.
This is the fate of neglected Angora rabbits. A fate responsible breeders have witnessed in pets, "rescues", neglectful backyard breeders and shelters over and over and over.  If a breeder sounds hesitant to sell you one of these vulnerable creatures, please remember that we have seen the Hell that can happen and it is in our hands to prevent what we can.
Raising and caring for these special animals is an exercise in sacrifice, discipline and work that is not for the weak of heart. But the rewards for the efforts a good shepherd are animals that are lively, affectionate and amusing as well as a fiber finer, softer and warmer than the majority of other exotic fibers of the world. Not using the fibers harvested by the regular grooming and care of these rabbits is just unjustifiably foolish. Fiber producing animals are one productive answer to the waste and exploitation of our natural resources. Angora rabbits provide amazingly useful and pleasant fiber for garments, fertilizer for gardening and raising our own (or their own) food, they can provide meat if bred for that purpose and yet they still offer companionship as pets and industry as livestock.