Animal Fibres

Wool is a natural fibre that protects sheep from both heat and cold, helping to maintain a stable body temperature. It is composed of keratin, the same protein found in human hair, and is one of nature’s most effective insulators due to the microscopic air pockets trapped within its natural crimp. Generally, the finer and more highly crimped the fibre, the better its insulating properties. Wool can absorb up to 30% of its own weight in moisture without feeling damp, helping to keep the skin dry and comfortable. It is also naturally water-repellent, dirt-resistant, elastic and exceptionally durable. The finest and most valuable type is Merino wool which is exceptionally fine, soft and highly crimped fibres make it ideal for premium clothing and textiles. In contrast, other sheep breeds produce coarser wool fibres that are better suited to carpets, blankets and other hard-wearing textile products.

Mohair fibre is obtained from the fleece of Angora goat, originally from Anatolia. The fleece of this animal is made of wool fibres: the most precious hair is long, between 12 and 25 centimetres, slightly curly and bright like silk. Usually in a very bright silver white, sometimes it may be ash-grey, rosy, brown or black. The animal is carefully shorn twice a year and each exemplar supplies on the average 1.5 kg of wool; the hair spinning operation depends on the age of the animal because the quality of the hair changes while the animal gets older.

The fibre is classified on the base of its length and fineness, which usually varies between 24 and 60 micron depending on the age of the goat. The fleece of the young ones (Kid Mohair) is the more precious with an average fineness of less than 24 micron; the fibre of the kid mohair is used for high quality products like outerwear, while the fibre of older goats usually serves to produce carpets and blankets. Today, South Africa is the major producer of this fibre, with nearly 60% of the world production, followed by the United States and Turkey.

The GUANACO is similar to the llama and is widespread in South America, Peru, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina. Like the llama it is double coated. It has a coarse guard hair and a soft undercoat, which is finer. The colour changes very little, usually ranging from a light brown to dark cinnamon with shading to white in the undersides and in the neck.

The Alpaca produces a dense, silky fleece available in more than 20 natural shades, ranging from white and cream to brown, grey and black. Its fine, soft fibre is highly valued for its warmth and luxurious handle. Alpacas are shorn once a year, typically between November and March, and are divided into two breeds: Huacaya, which represents around 90% of the population, and the rarer Suri, known for its long, silky and lustrous fleece.

Yak are native to the high plateaus of Central Asia such as Mongolia, the Himalayas, Tibet as well as some parts of Russia. Yaks thrive in cold and harsh climate conditions. Their coat consists of three types of layers. The outer layer is the guard hair which is long, coarse hair with a micron of over 50. The mid-layer consists of shorter hair with a micron range of 25-50 micron. The undercoat is called ‘yak down’ and has a micron range between 15-20. The majority of Yak have a medium to dark brown and black coloured coat, while grey and white coloured yak are much rarer. Each yak produces only 1 kg of down per year, which makes it a rare and very precious fibre.