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An Introduction to Knitting Basics
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Where does wool come from? Most people think that wool comes from sheep, but there are many other animals, such as goats, rabbits and llamas, that also produce wool. Each of these animals produces wool with very specific characteristics, along with the common characteristics that are found in all types of wool. These common characteristics include absorbing moisture, retaining warmth and the ability to retain its shape over time. Here's a list of the different types of wool, its characteristics and which animal it comes from.
Angora wool comes from angora rabbits. It is a light, natural fibre that is up to three times warmer than sheep wool. The rabbits can either be combed once a week or they can be sheared. Shearing is less time consuming and produces a larger quantity than combing. However, the fleece that is collected from shearing is a lower quality fleece because this method also gathers the coarser hairs from the rabbit. Further processing is then done to the hair in order to produce the quality that is associated with angora wool.
Merino wool comes from a very specific type of sheep, the merino sheep. Merino sheep are very common in Australia and New Zealand, with Australia producing over 40% of the world's supply of merino wool. If you want to have the softest and finest of sheep wool in the world, then you will want to choose wool that comes from merino sheep. Best of all, it is easy to dye and comes in a wide range of colours, including pastels and even bright colours.
Everyone knows that cashmere is very expensive and extremely soft. The reason for this is not that the wool comes from cashmere goats, but rather that it is time consuming to gather the hair from the goats. The goats can be sheared or combed. Combing is done because it removes only the finer hairs, but shearing is the preferred method, since it is faster. However, after the goat has been sheared, it takes time to separate out the coarse guard hairs before the finer hairs can be turned into wool.
The hair from angora goats is used to produce mohair wool. The goats are shorn once in the spring and again in the fall. The mohair is then washed and spun into wool. Mohair wool is very well known for its high luster and sheen. It is durable, extremely warm and crease resistant. Like merino wool, it is easy to dye and comes in a wide variety of colours.
As the name suggests, llama wool comes from llamas. While the outer hair is very coarse and is unsuitable to be used as wool, the undercoat is very fine. The undercoat can be either sheared or brushed in order to gather the hair. It is then washed and processed to produce very fine wool. In fact, the wool is amongst the finest in the world. Llama wool is not commonly used; therefore, you will have to go to a specialty store in order to find it.
Washing Tip: Many people avoid buying clothes made from wool because they are scared of washing it. Don't be; there is a simple and easy way to wash wool so that it will last for years. First, turn the garment inside out and place it in a net bag. Then, place the net bag in the washing machine on the delicate cycle. Finally, once the washing machine has finished, just lay the garment flat or hang it to dry. That's it!
Go to our Knitting Yarns webpage to see a large selection of the different types of wool that you can use in knitting or crocheting.
