Features and types of angora yarn

Not very experienced needlewomen and just buyers may face the problem of choosing a product from mohair or angora. At first glance, they are similar. But only in appearance: both are very fluffy. In fact, these types of yarn have nothing in common.

The confusion has been going on for a long time because of the name. Since the 19th century, Turkey has been famous for breeding Angora goats for the sake of obtaining very thin and expensive wool, which has come to be called angora.

At the same time, the Angora rabbit appears in China. And the Chinese begin to breed it, and the resulting cheaper wool is also called angora, respectively. For this fiber, the name angora has remained to this day.

But the Turks, in order not to confuse buyers, changed the name of their high-quality material to mohair.

The main specific feature of both yarns is the fluffy fiber. In mohair, it is distinguished by its mechanical strength. In angora, the fluff is smoother and more silky, it is more difficult for it to stay in the finished thread. Therefore, the content of angora in the composition of the yarn is usually made no more than seventy percent and it is imperative to mix it with acrylic, polyamide or nylon to give strength.

One hundred percent angora is practically not found. For naturalness, manufacturers mix it with merino wool, which makes products made from such yarn more durable and wear-resistant.

Sometimes you can find the composition of angora with mohair or silk. Such threads are very warm and durable, they keep their shape perfectly. True, they are very expensive. They can already be classified as elite.

The yarn also differs in the length of the pile.Using in the production of pile with short hairs is such an easy means of reducing the cost of yarn. Better and more expensive is the material for the manufacture of which a long pile is used (average length 6-12 cm, but can reach 50 cm).

Natural Angora will not create abundance in the color palette. In nature, white wool is most often found. After all, basically the rabbits, from which the fluff is taken for its production, are albinos. Less common, but still there are gray and black individuals.

Angora yarn is very popular among needlewomen. Let's list the main advantages of this material:

• the softness and tenderness of the yarn make it pleasant to the touch;
• natural and hypoallergenic wool;
• fluff is water-repellent;
• lightness and bulk creates an economical consumption of threads, which has a beneficial effect when knitting;
• the reduced thermal conductivity of the yarn is used for the manufacture of very warm warming and heat-retaining products;
• it is worth noting the health benefits of angora wool for diseases such as arthritis and osteochondrosis, when dry heat treatment is necessary.

Despite the huge number of advantages of this unique yarn, it also has some disadvantages.

• In addition to the high price, they note some moodiness in the care. Products made from fluffy angora rabbit cannot be machine washed: only by hand or dry cleaned. For cleaning, use only mild detergents for woolen clothes. Dry only flattened horizontally.
• Another significant drawback is that it climbs. In the sock, the villi gradually fall out of the thread and stick to other clothes and furniture. The reason is the inability of the fluff to firmly anchor on the yarn base. And this process is irreversible, it is impossible to prevent it.
• Somewhat unpleasant is the tendency of the fluff to fall off, since it spoils the appearance of the finished product in the sock. But this property has been successfully used in the production of high-quality felt, so from a minus it became a plus.

The knitting process always starts with the selection of yarn. The success of knitting and the final result directly depend on the correct choice of thread. It is not so easy to navigate in their variety on the Internet and shop windows. A small overview will help novice needlewomen decide.

• Yarn Art Angora Ram has the composition: angora - 40%, acrylic - 60%, 100 g - 500 m. It often happens with lurex. The thread is of average quality, does not tolerate washing well, rolls quickly under the armpits and on the sleeves. Squeaky to the touch, like low-quality synthetics.
• La boule de neige - 100% Angora, 500 m per 100 gr. Great very fluffy yarn. Great for crocheting. Sits down strongly.
• Biagioli modesto - 80% angora, polyamide - 20%, 850 m per 100 gr. Thin uniform thread, evenly twisted, does not delaminate, ideal for knitting.
• Pecci filati - angora - 70%, 30% - wool, 700 m per 100 g. Perfect for machine knitting. Does not deform in products, fluffs delicately.
• Cariaggi - 90% angora, 10% - polyamide, 500 m / 100 g. Can be knitted either by hand or on a machine. The threads are specially processed and will only fluff after washing.

I would like to talk in more detail about the features of thread on bobbins. They do not always look beautiful, and often look like ordinary sewing thread. It's all about a special impregnation with a certain composition, which manufacturers use to give smoothness. This makes it possible to use bobbin yarn on knitting machines. So it is less damaged and clings during the production of knitwear, hiding its true character.

Therefore, it is necessary to be very careful when choosing threads. Angora yarn has proven itself very well among knitters and has great reviews. Experienced needlewomen especially emphasize the merits of white Italian threads with lurex. They are very economical, have very low consumption, but high cost. The things connected from them are not only soft, but also unusually light, almost weightless and very elegant.

For an overview of angora yarn, see the video below.