UPDATED on: December 15,2000  Since Feb 17, 1999 |
 Natural fibers are either animal or vegetable fibers. I really advocate the use of natural fibers because they are a renewable and biodegradable resource with insulative and breathable qualities that are often far superior to those found in synthetics. This is why they generally cost more, and if you are going to spend a lot of time and energy devoted to a wonderful project, it only makes sense to use a yarn worthy of your efforts.  Animal FibersThe only "drawbacks" of animal fibers are their susceptibility to moth attacks, the larvae feed on protein in the fleece, and the washability factor. I find with a little TLC, these issues are not a problem. Many wools are available that are "superwash", that is that they can be machine washed (and sometimes machine dried, but I am wary that one) without shrinkage, and some are mothproofed as well. Some people prefer to gently hand wash animal hair yarn in a conditioning shampoo for humans, or even better, with a special wool wash (often scented with naturally moth repellent fragrances, like cedar, lavender, pennyroyal, and even patchouli), they can then gently roll the garment in a thick towel to squeeze out excess water, block it or lay it out in its original shape, and let it air dry, out of the sun's bleaching rays. There are many lovely natural scents available that repel moths, without resorting to poisonous and noxious mothcakes. Except for silk, animals are NOT SLAUGHTERED to obtain their hair. Their comfort and well-being are important in growing heavy coats of high quality. Alpaca:This animal is part of the camel family, and looks like a smaller, cuter version of a llama. The fibers from this animal  are long and have a soft hand
(the term "hand" refers to the feel of a fiber, yarn, or
fabric~ use it, you'll sound like you know what you're talking
about!). The yarn is somewhat smooth in appearance, with a sheen, and is touted
to be many times warmer than wool although heavier and less elastic. It's
considered a luxury fiber because alpacas are scarce compared to sheep, but I
still find it an affordable yarn, and you will also find it blended with other
fibers, which can lower the cost. Although originally from Bolivia and Peru,
alpacas are now a cottage industry gaining popularity in the US and Canada.
More info available
HERE or
THERE (you can also buy garments and yarn from the websites!).Angora:  This fluffy, luxury fiber comes from the
angora rabbit. It is extremely soft, light, and silky, as well as many times
warmer than wool. Since the fibers are short, it is often blended with other
fibers as it is difficult to spin. This, however, often does not affect the
price, as it is an expensive yarn regardless. It has a tendency to shed, thanks
to the short fibers, and allergy sufferers should beware of yarns made with
angora. Despite the cost and shedding, there is just nothing quite like angora.
It has an ultra-feminine and fun, even retro appeal that is unparalleled. To
learn more about angora and the cutie pies that it comes from, click
HERE (you can even learn how to
potty train your own angora rabbit!).Cashmere: If you want buttery softness, then the pure luxury of cashmere is the way to go. Cashmere has an incredibly remarkable hand, and using the word "soft" to describe it seems like an understatement. It is not a particularly elastic fiber, and as a result, garments knit from cashmere have a lovely drape. These fibers are combed from the cashmere/Kashmir goat, and for the most part cashmere comes from China, although like alpaca, people in the US and other countries are beginning to keep herds. Scottish cashmere is considered by many to be some of the finest available in the world. Only the soft undercoat is used, as the long guard hairs are stiff. The rarity of the fiber and the high demand for cashmere are the reasons for the high price tag when it comes to fabrics and yarns made from this prized fleece. Pashmina is the trade name for superlight, superfine cashmere, and can be purchased as yarn, although the term has become synonymous with shawls. Unfortunately, due to the huge popularity of this fashion item, the range in quality is vast. The cheapest type is largely blended with silk, but the real McCoy in 100% pashmina is unparalleled in its lightness and softness. Chiengora: What's chiengora? Why, it's DOG! I can hear you now..."The hell you say!" But, YES, dog hair is getting to be quite a popular fiber to work with, and many consider it a luxury fiber. It is not commercially available. Many a beginning spinner started off with all the fluff that comes off Rover during his  grooming sessions (or from all over the couch during a snooze
session). The advice of authors Kendall Crolius and Anne Montgomery, writers of
the book,
Knitting with Dog Hair , is "stop
vacuuming and start knitting!". Dog hair was spun into yarn in North America
for ages before the Spaniards introduced sheep, and why not? It is warmer than
wool, and there have been claims that in extreme weather conditions, it will
not collect snow or encrust with ice, as wool does. It knits up with an
appearance much like angora or mohair, depending on the dog it came from. A
garment, or even just mittens, made from your best friend's fuzzy coat will be
special to you (think of Victorian hair jewelry, it's a similar concept).
There are spinners who will accept clean bags of your doggie's coat and spin
up some wonderful yarn for you, if you decide not to do it yourself (try it,
you don't need a spinning wheel to hand spin!). Everything you need to know
about this can be found in Crolius' book, or
HERE, this is an excellent website for
learning more about this topic! Mohair:  From the
fleece of the angora goat comes that remarkably light and fluffy fiber called
"mohair". Due to its relatively delicate nature, it is often spun with a
stronger fiber to hold it together as yarn. It is very receptive to dyes and is
also an extremely warm fiber. A lot of the mohair produced today comes from
Texas, although the angora goat originated in the Ankara region of Turkey.
Scotttish mohair is also of a very fine quality, consisting of long fibers that
are less itchy to wear than short ones. The nature of the yarn spun from this
fiber is such that you generally use a larger needle and use less yarn to make
a garment, making the cost of mohair an acceptable investment. Find out more
about mohair and angora goats
HERE. Qiviut: The Arctic musk ox is the source of this rare and luxurious, as well as expensive, fiber. It sheds its winter coat in the spring, and the soft, downy undercoat is gathered to spin into yarn. It is several times warmer than wool, and sources say that it is not scratchy, nor will it shrink or felt in water of any temperature! It's extraordinary lightness and silky texture make it a pleasure to wear when it is a cool day, or when it is bitterly cold. Learn more HERE. Silk: This fiber is not a hair, but a filament spun by the silkworm to form its cocoon. It is said that these strands were discovered in ancient China when an empress was shown a cocoon which she accidentally dropped into her tea. When it was fished out, the resin that holds the cocoon together had dissolved, and the cocoon unwound into a single, strong continuous strand. Whether this is true or not, silk has been cultivated in China for centuries. Cultivated silk is very fine and smooth, with a soft hand and a pearly luster. Its drape is exceptional, lending a "watery" movement, especially to finely woven silk fabrics. Wild silk, often called tussah or raw silk, is coarser, with a more linen-like look and texture. Both cultivated and wild silk are used in yarn and fabric production. Silk is very receptive to dyes, but also fades very easily, especially when hand washed as opposed to being dry cleaned. Silk does not conduct heat and is a very good insulator and is soft against the skin. It is the strongest of natural fibers, however it lacks elasticity and garments knitted out of silk tend to stretch. It been blended with other fibers like wool to improve its elasticity and to make it more affordable. The silkworm must be destroyed before the cocoon can be unwound, in case you are wondering. Wool: Wool is the big daddy of natural fibers, and is the most common and least expensive of all the natural fibers used for knitting. It comes from sheep of which there are many different varieties, and it can come in the form of coarser wools, such as Icelandic Lopi, to the very fine and soft wools, such as  Merino. Wool is
receptive to dyes and has excellent insulative properties, making it
comfortable to wear in both warm and cool climates due to its remarkable
ability to absorb moisture. It is elastic and garments knitted from wool will
wear well, resist wrinkling, and keep its original shape. When exposed to a lot
of handling and heat, combined with excess moisture, however, wool does shrink
up and "felt", so care must be taken when hand washing,
although many wools have now been treated to resist shrinking (always read the
label!). This ability to felt has been used positively to make a
garment thicker and sturdier, there are a lot of patterns available
where one knits up the project (hat, booties, mittens, even whole sweaters)
overly large, then it is thrown in the washing machine for a couple of cycles
until the desired fit is achieved. (This is actually really fun, and you can
throw a dye in as well to have fun with color.) Vegetable Fibers Vegetable fibers are those that are made of cellulose , or plant materials. There are those that are produced solely from certain plants, and there are some that are created from the waste products of cotton and wood manufacturing. They tend to have very little elasticity, and tend to be associated with knitwear that is worn in warmer climates. Elastic threads are often used in conjunction with vegetable fibers to lend elasticity, especially in the areas of the ribbing at the "hems" and cuffs. Vegetable fibers are not susceptible to damage done by moths, however these fibers can mildew if not properly aired and dried. Cotton: Cotton is a popular fiber for garments to wear in warm climates because of its ability to absorb moisture quickly and to dry quickly, resulting in a cooling effect. Spun from the cotton bolls of the cotton plant, it is one of the oldest known fibers. It is grown in hot climates in many parts of the world, making it widely available and inexpensive. It is also completely non-allergenic! It is easy to take care of and wash, however cotton is non elastic, and cotton garments have a tendency to stretch and bag. It is probably not a good yarn for beginners as a lot of care must be taken in keeping the tension even, it shows all the flaws in tension due to its lack of elasticity. Cotton has been combined with other fibers to make it lighter and to improve elasticity. It is combined with wool to make it warmer to wear. Cotton is very receptive to dyes. Linen: Linen is a fiber with an ancient history. It seems that it was being spun by prehistoric man as early as 8,000 B.C. Linen comes from the stems of flax plants, and produces a strong, lustrous yarn. It wicks moisture from the skin, making it very nice to wear in hot weather, and is very easy to wash and take care of, though it does tend to wrinkle very easily, as this fiber is even less elastic than cotton. It is very heavy, and is usually only spun into fine yarns for this reason. Blended with other fibers, such as cotton, it becomes softer and more resilient. Linen is less receptive to dyes than cotton as the fibers are somewhat waxy. Ramie: Like linen, ramie is not elastic and lacks resilience. It tends to be stiff, also like linen. This fiber has been long used in China and Japan in garment production, but is not a fiber generally heard of in the western world. Its likeness to linen has also been part of its appeal, as it spins into a strong, lustrous yarn that is easy to take care of. It is more often than not found blended with other fibers, especially in knitting yarns. Rayon: Although rayon is a man made fiber, it is a fiber that is made up of a base of cellulose, or plant fiber, either wood or other vegetable sources. Material used to make rayon, or viscose, generally comes from manufacturing "waste", i.e. wood chips and cotton lint. These materials are chemically liquefied and spun into filaments. Rayon and viscose have the same properties, but are differently manufactured (we will say "rayon" to mean both). Rayon has a very soft hand, and drapes well, but is not resilient and does not hold its shape in a garment. This fiber also tends to have a high luster. It is often blended with cotton. Rayon is very receptive to dyes, however it is not always washable in water. Care must be taken when laundering rayon, read the labels!
©1999 Helen Ralph |
