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COgirl
Permanent Resident
USA
2176 Posts |
 Posted - 11/16/2005 : 9:17:28 PM
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| Ok, not sure where to post this question and I almost feel stupid asking it. There are so many different kinds of yarn around. Cotton and silk are obvious. Is there any site to vist that describes the different kinds of wool and the pros and cons of each one? I confess I'm a real dummy when it comes to this. |
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knittyref
Chatty Knitter
USA
112 Posts |
Posted - 11/16/2005 : 10:06:12 PM
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There is no such thing as a stupid question. That said, it is possible to focus the question a little more? Are you looking for a definition of merino vs. cashmere vs. angora, and the uses of each?
Finally, don't call yourself names! You're not a dummy, just uninformed. It's great that you're educating yourself.
Di
www.knittyref.blogspot.com |
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COgirl
Permanent Resident
USA
2176 Posts |
Posted - 11/16/2005 : 10:17:23 PM
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It would seem after 7 or 8 years of knitting, I'd have learned all of this.
There's cashmere, mohair, merino, alpaca, lamb's wool (? not sure what you call the usual stuff). I'm probably forgetting some. What animals are they from? What are the wools like? Are they different to knit with? Pros and cons of each? For example, is alpaca scratchy? Do they come in the same colors?
Just looking for a yarn tutorial. |
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Boondoggled
Chatty Knitter
USA
305 Posts |
Posted - 11/17/2005 : 08:03:23 AM
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I don't know of a website. However, there's a book, "In Sheep's Clothing" by Jane Fournier, which has very in depth information about the wool of many, many different breeds of sheep. The book is written for spinners, but I find it really helpful for knitting and choosing yarn, etc.
There was an article in Interweave fall 2003, which described just about every type of exotic fiber out there.
Between these two resources, pretty much all animal fibers are covered, with the exception of alpaca, goat and rabbit. |
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Fivefibers
Permanent Resident
USA
1131 Posts |
Posted - 11/18/2005 : 5:01:30 PM
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COgirl,
Lamb's wool simply refers to a fleece produced by a sheep under one year of age.
Mohair comes from angora (or mohair) goats; angora fiber comes from angora rabbits. Both originated from the same part of the world (Turkey). Thomas Jefferson is believed to have brought angora rabbits to this country. He did bring merino sheep, but no one was quite sure how to care for them. Angora goats have been with us in the US for some time, the original flock was presented as a gift from the (Pasha? Sultan?) of Turkey...I think back in the 1840's or 1850's. From insufficient knowledge of their care, they had almost died out by the time of the American Civil War.
Wool, btw, is a self-extinguishing fiber. This simply means that, if it is exposed to flame, it will ignite; the fire in the wool dies as the flame is taken away. It burns at a much higher temp than is necessary for synthetics to melt.
Fivefibers
2sheep; 3goats; 5bunnies
(so far) |
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knittyref
Chatty Knitter
USA
112 Posts |
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COgirl
Permanent Resident
USA
2176 Posts |
Posted - 11/18/2005 : 6:09:40 PM
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| Di and Fivefibers, thank you so much. |
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Ditzy Girl
Permanent Resident
USA
4711 Posts |
Posted - 11/18/2005 : 6:25:26 PM
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I also thank you both. Interesting reading.
Zola, Seattle, Wash.
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