Angora rabbit

28.11.2010 I made a small spinning trial with angora rabbit. The wool was kindly given to me by Matti Siitari. The wool was shared and I spun with a drop spindle. I carded the wool before using it.

Curl of angora rabbit wool. The wool had both over- and undercoat. It had also different colors of grey, darker and lighter.

Angora rabbit is slippery to spin and in this way more difficult than for example spinning wool of native sheep. It was difficult to spin pure angora rabbit.

Carded angora rabbit wool

Yarn of angora rabbit wool.

My sample of wool was a mix of different kind of wool quality, both short and long as well as vegetable materials. The short wool made it difficult to spin as well. The wool should be sorted at the same time it is sheared or then better if it is plucked.

Knitted patch of angora rabbit wool.

The cleaning of small wooden chips took some time.

If the twist was too little it was cut and if I twisted it too much it was cut. I could not spin it too thin but had to make a more thick yarn. The hair did not "lock" when spinning. If I got my hands off the yarn the spun yarn opened again. This made it also difficult to continue if it was broken during the spinning process.

It would be easier to mix it with sheep wool before spinning.

I felted the angora wool and it felted fairly well giving a nice, think and soft felt. The spun yarn if very soft but may let undercoat off from the spun yarn. I used the short wool to felt.

Felted angora rabbit wool

English angora rabbit, Woolfestival 2008.

Up: curl, yarn

Down: felt, knitted patch.

The rabbit should instead of shearing be hand plucked. I have a feeling that it is easier to spin this with a spinner than with a drop spindle. It is easier to spin it on hard speed with low or no tension. (The Joy of Handspinning, 2010)

English angora rabbit, Woolfestival 2008.