Types of Wool Yarn

All knitters are familiar with the main types of wool yarn. The most common and affordable yarn is made from sheep’s wool, but yarn for hand knitting is often made from wool of more exotic animals: alpacas, Angora rabbits, camels, and wool from Angora and Kashmir goats. In this article, we will describe in detail the features of these animals and the positive properties of yarn made from their wool.

Sheep’s Wool

It is used both in its pure form and with the addition of various companion fibers in ratios of 30%/70%, 50%/50%, etc. It is divided into several types, mainly by hair thickness.

  • Merino wool is the thinnest. It has exceptional softness and is obtained from the withers of sheep of the same breed. Its thickness is only 14.5-23 microns. It is believed that products made from yarn with a wool fiber thickness of more than 23 microns will irritate the skin and may cause allergies. Every year at the “GOLDEN BALE” auction, the best batches of merino wool of 14.5-16 microns are exhibited, which are quickly sold to famous textile companies around the world.
  • Semi-fine wool is the next in thickness. Such wool is obtained from a breed of meat and wool sheep. The hair is thicker, which accordingly affects the quality of the yarn and the product as a whole.

Mohair

Mohair is the wool of Angora goats. Angora goats live mainly in Anatolia (the central part of the territory of modern Turkey). This mountainous region of Asia Minor is characterized by hot and dry summers, and snowy and cold winters.

The wool of Angora goats is warm, soft, and at the same time has great strength and a strong shine. Because goat hair is quite slippery, it is fastened with other fibers. Today, the Angora goat breed is bred not only in Anatolia but also in the state of Texas.

Cashmere

Cashmere is yarn made from goat down. But from a different breed of goats – Kashmir, which live in Tibet and the mountainous regions of India, Iran, and Iraq. The living conditions in these mountainous regions are quite harsh. In summer, the temperature reaches +50°C, and in winter it drops to -40°C. In such an environment, a dense and thin down grows under the goats, while the upper layer of wool remains quite rough. Therefore, the wool is not sheared, but combed out from the chest and abdomen.

Cashmere yarn is one of the most expensive and is rightfully considered synonymous with luxury, and in terms of softness, it can be compared to silk. It is no coincidence that it is called the “royal yarn,” “diamond wool,” or “precious thread.” Pure cashmere does not hold its shape well due to its softness, and products stretch under their own weight. In the production of yarn for knitting, 100% cashmere is practically not found, and its content in various types of yarn presented on the modern market varies from 20 to 60%.

Camel wool

Camel wool can be used in yarn for hand knitting both in its pure form and in combination with other fibers. The highest quality is considered to be the wool of the two-humped camel of the Bactrian breed (mainly the undercoat is used). The Bactrian is well adapted to living in conditions of a sharply continental dry climate with hot and dry summers and very frosty and snowy winters. Due to its hollow structure, camel wool is stronger and lighter than other types of wool, and it retains heat better.

This wool is not suitable for felting, as it felts very poorly. Bactrian wool is used for items designed for use in the harshest and coldest conditions, such as clothing for cosmonauts, polar explorers, or divers. The average thickness of the hairs of camel wool and undercoat is from 6 to 120 microns with an average of 18-19 microns. This can only be compared to the indicators of the thickness of the best merino sheep. But at the same time, camel wool, due to its strength, has prickly hairs: on the one hand, it creates a massage effect, improves blood circulation; on the other hand, the “prickliness” of clothing may not be liked by children and people with sensitive skin.

It should be noted that the term “camel wool” often refers to wool obtained from all members of the camel family (llamas, alpacas, vicuñas).

Alpaca

Alpaca lives in the highlands of South America: Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and northern Bolivia. Alpacas have adapted to the harsh climate with sharp temperature changes at an altitude of 3500-5000 meters. Due to the extreme living conditions, alpaca wool is shiny, soft, thin, seven times warmer than sheep’s wool, practically waterproof, and does not cause allergies, and at the same time is much lighter than sheep’s wool. Locals call alpaca wool “divine fiber” for its softness and shine.

Products made of alpaca wool also have healing properties: they help reduce back or joint pain, improve blood circulation, and help with arthritis and arthrosis. Due to its high cost, pure alpaca yarn is produced quite rarely. It is most often found in combination with other fibers, such as sheep wool, silk, or acrylic.

Angora

Angora is yarn made from the wool of Angora rabbits. Do not confuse with Angora goats. Their wool is transformed into a fiber called mohair, which we discussed above. Angora rabbits are bred in England, Germany, and France. Yarn made from such wool is known for its fineness, lightness, softness, fluffiness, and silkiness.

The hairs are hollow inside and so light that a “cloud” effect is created around the product. Therefore, angora is almost never used in its pure form, and the optimal ratio in yarn varies within 30%. Angora is ideal for adding to wool, silk, or acrylic yarn.

These are not all types of wool yarn. Less common types of yarn are made from the wool of:

  • llamas
  • guanacos
  • vicuñas
  • bighorn sheep
  • bison
  • dogs

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