SPECIALITY HAIR FIBRES

This term is used for hairs that are derived from animals other than sheep.These are classified on the basis of the animal from which the fibre is obtained.

ALPACA

The alpaca is a relative of the camel and thus bears some resemblance. It is native to South America where domesticated by the Incas in the upper reaches of the Andes mountains.

Two varieties of Alpaca

1. Huacaya – is the stronger variety with spongier, short hair.2. Suri – on the other hand, is delicate with extremely long hair which are thinner and have more natural grease than the huacaya.

ANGORA

These are extremely soft and fine with lengths ranging from 3 to 5 inches.

Four main breeds of the Angora rabbit:•English

•French

•German

•Satin

CAMELDuring the springtime camels shed hairs from their bodies which are collected and processed into fibres.Two types of

Camels1. One Humped Camels – found in the in the Arabic desert.2. Two Humped Camels – found in Asia (Bactrian Camel.)

Camel hair has a unique property of being extremely light and at the same time possessing incredible insulation capacity . The extremely soft, fine camel hairs are used alone or blended with wool.

CASHMERE

It is obtained from the downy undercoat of the wild alpine goat (Capra hircus) or cashmere goat which is native to the high plateaus of India, Afghanistan, China, Mongolia and the mountainous region of Iran.

-The fibre is unarguably one of the world’s most desirable woolens.-The average length range from 1 to 3 inches while the diameter range from 12 to 18 micronaires.-Renowned for its extraordinary fineness and strength, the fibres comes in natural shades of brown, gray, black and rarely white.

LLAMA (PRONOUNCED ‘YAMA’)

This animal is native to South America Andes region which includes Peru, Argentina, Columbia.The Llama was first domesticated by the Incas of Peru who also held them as icons in fertility and spiritual rites.

MOHAIR

This fibre is obtained from the Angora goat which is a native of the mountains of Tibet.-Used in garments as well as home decorating fabrics.

QUIVIOT

Sheared from the downy undercoat of the musk ox, these fibres are very warm and soft. Being expensive, they are often blended with cashmere or silk fibres.

VICUNAThis is a wild member of the South American camel family and a close relative of the Llama and Alpha.

The fibres have a natural cinnamon brown colour and possess extraordinary qualities of softness and finess, makinf vicuna the most expensive and rarest of speciality hairs in the world.

YAKThis is the hairy animals commonly found in the Himalayan region of India.

FURFurs are animal pelts. The pelts comprises the skin, which needs to be tanned and the hair.

-The first clothing of primitive Man was made of fur. Many gods are also depicted sporting furs as clothes or as asanas (seats).

Fur fibres are produced from a wide range of animals both wild as well as specially bred and farmed animals.

Thank You For Listening!

Presented by: Ailyn R. Dumpor