Animal Fiber-Based Yarns
This article is a part of the Yarn 101 series ⟶ Types of Yarn.
The source of these fibers is domesticated animals, such as goats, sheep, camelids, or rabbits. In this category, you will find yarns such as wool, cashmere, angora, mohair, silk, and more. These fibers are much more elastic and warm than plant-sourced yarns.
Wool’s Qualities
Wool from domesticated animals was known in ancient times because it has excellent qualities and can be used for various purposes. You can felt it, spin it into yarns, or card it into bats to create a type of insulation.
Australia, China, and the United States are leading wool producers.
Advantages
Wool is warm, yet breathable, making it perfect for both summer and winter accessories.
Disadvantages
Some kinds of wool can be itchy and unpleasant to wear, but it depends on their origin and processing type. Exclusive yarns, such as merino or cashmere, are much more expensive, but much more pleasant to wear.
Types of Animal-Fiber Yarns
Alpaca Wool
Alpaca is a type of South American llama, from which there are two most well-known kinds: Suri and Huacaya. This wool is very soft and warm, but must be handled delicately, as it doesn’t hold shape very well. It’s quite expensive in comparison with other types of wool, but it makes a great yarn for sweaters and winter accessories.
top photo by Shibui Knits (ravelry.com), bottom photo by My Alpaca / strefaprezentu.pl (source no longer available)
Merino Wool
This widely used wool comes from Merino sheep, which is quite a special breed – its wool doesn’t cause allergic reactions, is very durable, and super soft. Knitters and crocheters value these qualities because they make it a perfect choice for winter accessories and baby garments.
top photo by Knit Picks (ravelry.com), bottom photo by Forest Range Merinos (merinonz.co.nz)
Mohair
This kind of yarn is sourced from the Angora goat, but let’s not confuse it with Angora rabbit, from which we obtain angora wool. It has a characteristic ‘fluff’, which makes it incredibly hard to frog once crocheted or knitted, but it looks beautiful. This luxurious yarn is breathable, super soft, durable, and shiny. It’s more expensive than other kinds of wool.
top photo by Fig Tree Yarns (instagram.com), bottom photo by dotranchchurros.com (dotranchchurros.com)
Cashmere
This soft wool is sourced from Cashmere Goats, and its name comes from the Kashmir state in South Asia. Unlike other kinds of yarn, the process of collecting wool from these animals is much more time- and labor-consuming. Instead of shearing, cashmere wool is collected by combing only once a year, so that one goat produces much less wool than a regular sheep. All this makes the wool highly valued and expensive.
Cashmere is a very soft and breathable yarn, so it’s perfect for garments, socks, and other accessories. Mongolia, China, and Tibet are the main producers.
top photo by The Plucky Knitter (ravelry.com), bottom photo by wisegeek.com (wisegeek.com)
Silk
Silk is the strongest natural fiber, and it’s produced by silk worms. It’s one of the most expensive yarns because of its fantastic properties and tricky way of sourcing. Cocoons, created by insect larvae and harvested, are the base of this luscious material. Workers dissolve it in boiling water to extract long filament threads of silk and spin it into yarn.
It’s known for its shiny appearance and soft touch, but there are many ways of processing silk yarns that produce slightly different effects. In general, silk yarn is slippery, but quite easy to work with. It’s a great material for summer garments.
top photo by SweetGeorgia Yarns (ravelry.com), bottom photo by Tomas Wüthrich/13 Photo (swissinfo.ch)
Explore more from the Yarn 101 series:
⟶ Lace, worsted, bulky, or jumbo…? To find out more about Yarn Weights and Ply, check out this article!
⟶ You can wind yarn into different shapes, such as skeins, hanks, balls, and others – if you want to know more about Yarn Ball Types, check out this article!
