Animal Fibres 101 - YouLookFab Forum

OK, I'm showing my ignorance again here LOL

Could you guys please either give me a run down on animal fibres or point me in the direction of useful information?

I know they are great for warmth, and do like the addition of a Wool component to my two winter coats, but I'm wondering about the other types of fibres.

I've worked out Cashmere is the holy grail (or so it seems) based on the price!

But the two fibres I'm most curious about are Angora and Mohair. I have a dress which is an Angora blend and a cardi that is a Mohair blend... and oh my goodness - I can't wear either one of these if any of their fabric is touching my skin as I get welts and insanely itchy. The Angora also tends to shed itty bitty fibres everywhere that get in my eyes when dressing etc and are really quite annoying.

So, are these fibres always like this, or is it more likely to be the manufacturing process? For some reason I have the vague idea that these fibres can be spun different producing different results (the word micron is coming to mind and I don't know why!!).

Is there anything you can do to itchy fibres like these to reduce the itch or do they need to disappear from my wardrobe?

Also, where does Merino fit into this? Is it more like Cashmere or the itchier fibres?

Thanks for any info - my old High School Home Economics memories are failing me at the moment!!

15 years ago

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Cashmere is super soft, and also harder to get because it is from an undercoating on goats, rather than the outer hair. That's why it's so expensive. It also varies in quality- you can get stiff, itchy cashmere, just like wool.

Merino is a breed of sheep- and thus the wool spun from those sheep. It is a very soft type of wool, and the breed is fairly widespread and readily available.

Angora comes from rabbits, and is not only soft, but also much warmer than wool. It also tends to shed, as you have noticed.

Mohair is another fluffy fiber that tends to shed or produce a halo. It is another goat fiber, and can run the gamut from scratchy to soft.

The reaction that you are describing is an allergy- and regardless of what you do, you will have that reaction to that fiber. It's best to just avoid a certain fiber if you are allergic to it as it will only lead to misery.

annagybe

(website)

Can't help you with everything but I'll try.
Angora is froma rabbit and is relatively short fiber so hence the tendency to shed.
High quality cashmere is amazing, but very expensive and hard to find these days.
My best cashmere sweater is 40 years old that I inherited.
There's a lot of shoddy cashmere out there at all price points.
I've had much better luck with Merino, soft but durable and in my experience doesn't pill.
Never owned any mohair so can't help you there.

Sveta

Khris gave a great explanation, I just wanted to add that I like cashmere (of course) but it also come in different quality.
I also like merino wool - I even have very fine merino wool long-sleeved t-shirts and they are great and not itchy at all.
Angora is slightly itchy for me too and also sheds lik crazy. I have bought 2 angora sweaters and swore never to buy it again.

Theresa

Thanks so much for this girls!!!

(I'm really embarrassed to admit, but I thought Angora was from a different breed of goat LOL See how little I know!!!)

Anyway, yes, my sensitive skin doesn't like itchiness at all, so if this is the way they will always stay then out of my wardrobe they go! (I was kind of hoping mmore washing or fabric softener or something might tame it ROFL) And I will make a mental note that Angora and Mohair are not to be bought anymore!

Also good to know that cashmere can be so variable - I can't recall ever seeing any IRL in any store here, so I'll be sure to be wary if I can ever afford to buy any!

I have a merino top on order so I'm keen to see how it is now!

Thanks for enlightening me!

stringy

Another factor to take into account is the length of the fibre: no matter what animal it's from, shorter fibres are itchier than longer ones. If you're getting welts, that's an allergy; if you're just a bit itchy it's probably short fibres or low-quality.

A good quality test for things like scarfs and tops is to rub the fabric against your cheek or neck (although not anything you've got a known allergy to!). You'll feel the difference in 'scratchiness' in lower-quality fabric. It's not really necessary for stuff like coats that you'll be wearing over the top of other items though.

I'm a knitter, so I've learned a bit about fibres over the years!

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