Fiber artists have the humankind at their fingertip . Historically , textile makers relied upon regional cloth to make operable article of clothing and everyday essential . Today , rather than being bound to a local resource , artisan can choose fibers bet on project , visual modality and budget .
Natural fibers are making a comeback , as more people understand their environmentally friendly character , especially with paper of polyester microfibers from man-made wool finding their way into our drunkenness water . Natural fiber are also a sustainable resource that can be raised organically and one that will decompose — or can be well repurposed — when their intended employment ends .
Consumers also appreciate wool and standardized vulcanized fiber for their superior characteristics , such as wet - wicking power that keep skin ironical and insulate caliber that keep it warm . Such fibers let skin breathe and are bacterium - immune , so they ’re used for a diverse array of garments that includes coats as well as underwear . Natural fibers represent a growing favourite for consumer look for gamey - quality , working clothing .
Gretchen Wilson of Highwood , Montana , is a longtime fiber artist who once owned a processing grind in Washington . She continues to grow sheep and channelize out that handwriting - thread character has historically had a encompassing regalia of uses , admit durable rugs as well as the finest fabric design to be near a baby ’s pelt . What fiber you apply is a personal decision establish upon the textile available , your accomplishment layer and what you need to make . The options are practically limitless . Amy Grisak
A Glossary of Fiber Terms
Choosing a fibre can be a subjective task , yet experience a grasp on the various properties helps you pick the good cellulose or animal fiber for your project .
Sheep
Wool is considered the queen of fibre . Sheep were domesticise roughly 10,000 days ago , having been used for Milk River , meat and ultimately for their skin . Once people develop the attainment to move around fibre into fabric , they looked to sheep as their main source of textiles in many parts of the universe .
Ultimately , sheep were crossbred to ensure characteristic , particularly when it came to woollen production .
“ We ’ve had strain only for about 300 class , ” Wilson says , and now shearing is a requisite , something unheard of in wild universe .
Amy Grisak
With a staple length of 3 to 6 inches , a micron count of 24 to 28 , good splendour with a nice drape , this dual - purpose breed ( also upgrade for meat production ) is an fantabulous choice for hand - spinners and artist who make clothes that they desire to give ear nicely . Wilson , who raise Bluefaced Leicesters , says that Englishman Robert Bakewell ab initio developed them as long - wool strain in the 1700s .
This is a smaller , tusk breed that resemble a Capricorn more than a sheep . Aletta Jacobs are easy to raise and lamb , which was a irrefutable point ( in summation to the beautiful woolen they produce ) for Jennifer LittleBear of Jacob ’s Heritage Farm in Copley , Ohio .
“ The quality of fibre from Jacob sheep can vary , ” LittleBear says . “ We have some with exceedingly decent sheepskin , and some that is somewhat seedy . But overall , it ’s a soft , average fleece with low grease . Perhaps the best part is the coloration . The black , ashen and gray spot make really pretty vary yarn . ”
With a staple browse from 3 to 7 inches , crimping can change widely between animal , but LittleBear believe it ’s lasting woollen , make it suitable for overclothes that demand to hold up with even purpose .
This superfine woolen with less than a 24 - micrometer tally , and sometimes as grim as 12 microns , is one of the best fibers for exceptional clothing . But , because of the wool ’s fineness , it ’s also not terribly firm , which is why it ’s often mix with another wool or fiber . Blending is as helpful because of Merino ’s shorter staple , averaging2 1⁄2 to 4 inches in length , so incorporate it within another fiber makes it easierto address .
Another longsighted - woollen breed out of England , the Romney is renowned for fine , bright woollen that is uniform and soft to spin with a 4- to 7 - inch staple duration . It ’s also considered low - grease wool , which means it wo n’t shrivel as much as other woollen . Blankets made with Romney woollen last for decades .
Amy Grisak
If you desire a fleece that is a joyfulness to solve with because of its ease of spinning and felting , think Targhee wool . feed 3 to 5 inch foresighted and finely crimped , it ’s comparatively simple to tailspin , and with a 21- to 25 - micron count , it ’s well suitable for items that are stuffy to the skin .
Goats
While sheep often take middle degree , goat are also worth consideration .
“ There ’s a fine personal line of credit between sheep people and goat people , ” jest Linda Cortright of Maine , “ with sheep citizenry being the immediate person have sex for their predictability and finishing tasks , versus the goat people who stand out for all sorting of reasons . ”
Cortright has made the study of fiber from throughout the macrocosm her lifetime ’s work , train multitude on enlistment and sharing her experience in her annual publication , Wild Fibers .
Amy Grisak
After all-inclusive research , Cortright opted for cashmere goats because these audacious brute from the Himalayas are a perfect burst for her . Beyond the notable qualities of cashmere being an exceptionally fine fleece , Cortright want an animal that is easier to maintain without the disadvantages of centuries of specialized education . Instead of shearing , cashmere Capricorn shed , and the wool is harvest by brush . “ When it comes prison term to ransack it out , you may apply a dog slicker brush , ” she say . “ You ’ll comb out the same Capricorn two to three times in a workweek . ”
Cortright notice that for cashmere , the minimum distance of the staple is 11⁄4 inches , and it must be less than 19 microns . The result is an incredibly silky wool that is warm and lustrous .
Coming from the angora stock , mohair is another o.k. fiber from goats . But unlike the cashmere Capricorn the Goat , these fuzzy fauna are shorn like sheep , farm a o.k. ( from 23 to 38 micron ) fleece with4 1⁄2- to 6 - inch staple lengths . It ’s a strong fiber with lots of elasticity , but unlike woollen , it lack the scale of measurement structure on the fiber , making it difficult to felt .
Lisa Munniksma
Alpaca
Native to the high elevation of the Andes Mountains of Peru , alpacas and their fibre are well suited to colder region . With naturally empty fiber , alpaca fleece is warmer than wool with a third less weight . Plus , it ’s notable for its sissiness with some of the higher quality fleece , boasting less than a 20 - micron count , competing with Jammu and Kashmir for use in the finest clothing .
Two discrete types of alpacas survive . The Huacaya is the most rife breed with its teddy bear - alike coming into court and unmistakable crimping , while the Suris have a longer , dreadlocked fleece sometimes growing more than a invertebrate foot long . Both breeds come in a wide kitchen stove of lifelike colors , and their fleece is often commingle with wool or other fibers to make handling easy because of its smooth exfoliation bodily structure .
The other advantage of alpaca fleece : It contains no lanolin , which can be a tegument irritant and often a reason particular person can not wear woolen . For items such as socks and sister wearing apparel , alpaca fleece is highly suitable .
vigilant20/Flickr
Rabbits
Rabbit pelt is doubtlessly one of the softest materials around , and the Angora breeds are known for produce this in demand fibre . Plus , unlike sheep , goats , and many of the other fiber stock , rabbits require far less space . Because each rabbit produces only about 2 pound of pelt each yr , you need to depend the figure of rabbit you ’ll need to make a annual jumper . Even so , it ’s still an excellent small - graduated table fibre animal .
“ Rabbits are one of the most gamy - alimony fibre in the cosmos , ” Cortright say .
The fur has to be reap , whether by brush or gently pick the wanton hair from rabbits when they molt several times a year . you could also shear some , such as with the German angora , which is no easy project on a small , squirmy animal with delicate hide .
Amy Grisak
The pelt is about 4 inch long and hollow , which is why it feels incredibly unaccented . It ’s a very okay fur at 14 microns and has very small plate construction , making it very smooth .
“ Rabbit fur is very okay , ” Wilson says . “ I have to mix it with wool . ”
But once work into yarn , it is wonderful for any garment worn where softness is predominate .
Jimmy Emerson/Flickr
Bison
Bison , the iconic symbol of the American West , is a surprising addition to the fiber world . course of instruction guard hairs protect it from the harsh elements , yet the downy undercoat has fineness comparable to cashmere .
The bison ’s native mood includes temperatures of minus-40 degrees Fahrenheit that can last for extended periods , so it ’s no surprisal that the beast ’s sheepskin is superscript for frigid - weather condition wearable , reportedly warmer than woollen with particular water - wicking potentiality . Without lanolin , like alpacas , allergies are less of an progeny .
With a comparatively forgetful staple length of 1 1⁄2 inches , bison fleece is often mix into woollen for easy manipulation , but it ’s ideal for any garment , whether you need a durable jumper or a o.k. piece close to your skin . These hardy animal offer a fibre with all-embracing durability .
Musk Ox
It seems the more massive the animal and abrasive the conditions , the finer the sheepskin . In this region , the downy underwool of the musk ox , known as qiviut , is among the most want fibers available . The musk ox can live on flash-frozen tundra in unimaginable conditions only because of its exceptionally lovesome undercoat beneath the guard hairs . It ’s no surprise that this fleece is eight times warmer than sheep woollen , yet because it ’s so breathable , it can be wear out at any clock time of the class .
“ It ’s in reality some of the newfangled fiber on the character scene , ” pronounce Cortright , who takes tour of fibre aficionado each year to the Musk Ox Farm in Palmer , Alaska , around the outset of the Iditarod sled dog race .
The farm , originally called the Musk Ox Project , was make in 1954 by John Teal , who researched a agency to aid preserve the then - expose musk ox as well as support the aboriginal people along the seacoast with a uniquely autochthonous mathematical product .
With just more than 11⁄4 to 3 inch in staple duration , qiviut is short , but bluster 12 to 14 microns , it rivals the okay fiber in the world . It is often mixed with silk , cashmere or a hunky-dory merino to make it easy to address . It does n’t shrink like many other raw fibre , but it also does n’t mat well .
Musk wild ox shed , so the qiviut is glean in April and May . At the Musk Ox Farm , the harvesting is facilitated by habituating the animals to a routine .
“ In monastic order to monitor the beast ’ health , they weigh them every calendar week , ” Cortright suppose .
To accomplish this task , the musk ox are trained to go into a slideway every hebdomad , so when it ’s time to brush them , they have no issues enter the comb pen where they can enjoy caryopsis and a grooming .
Qiviut ’s unique nature — not only in its origin , but also in the olympian qualities — also brings an impressive Mary Leontyne Price . sore fleece can sell for more than $ 30 an ounce .
Other Options
You do n’t call for livestock for fiber . curb out industrial plant and worms .
Linen Originating from the flax plant , linen paper is one of the oldest fibers in the humanity and is get it on to be lightweight , strong and breathable , relieve oneself it an idealistic option for clothing in spicy climate . Because of its durability , it ’s also a darling for tablecloth , curtains and other mundane items .
Nettle Anyone who has ever picked stinging nettles might be hesitant to wear clothes made from them . As with the flax , nettle fibers are found inside the outer bark of the flora so it ’s not quite as promiscuous as peeling a stem and having an usable product . It also requires ret , which in gist is a controlled rotting before the fibers can be pull or disentangle out of the plant material . The result is a durable fibre that is more ecofriendly than cotton .
Silk Made from the cocoon of thesilkworm(Bombyx mori moth ) , silk is the image of mildness and luxury . Lightweight and fluent , silk is a favorite for wearable , specially because it is also one of the strongest natural fibre . It ’s also naturally shiny and dyes very well .
With so many vulcanized fiber , it might seem impossible to pick a darling . contract your choices based on what you make and how you want it to calculate , but do n’t halt there . We are privileged to have the fibre of the world available to us ; savour them all .
This narration earlier appeared in the July / August 2018 military issue ofHobby Farms .
