Wool from other animals

• Several breeds of sheep are found in different parts of our country.
• However, the fleece of sheep is not the only source of wool, though wool commonly available in the market is sheep wool.
• Angora wool is obtained from angora goats, found in hilly regions such as Jammu and Kashmir.
• Wool is also obtained from goat hair.
• The fur (hair) on the body of camels is also used as wool.
• Llama and Alpaca, found in South America, also yield wool.
• Wool is the fibre derived from the fur of sheep, but the hair of certain species of other mammals such as goats, alpacas, and rabbits may also be called wool.

Alpaca and Llama:

• The alpaca and llama belong to the camel family.
• Their undercoat hair is very fine, soft, and lustrous and the fibres are lightweight.

• Camel hair is obtained from the very soft and fine fur of the undercoat of the camel. They are found in South America.

Bactrian camel having two humps

• The Bactrian camels give us the best quality wool.
• They are two-humped camels found in Siberia, Mongolia, and China.

Vicuna:

• It is an endangered species, a member of Llama family.

• It gives us the softest coat cloth in the world.

Mohair:

• The Angora goat is originally from the Angora region in Turkey, near the present-day capital of Turkey, Ankara.
• The fibre obtained from the angora goat is called mohair.

• Angora wool is obtained from angora goats, found in hilly regions such as Jammu and Kashmir.

• Mohair is very similar to wool in chemical composition but differs from wool in that it has a much smoother surface.
• It is durable, light and warm, and is especially preferred for ladies sweaters and soft coverings for furniture.

Angora:

• Angora wool or Angora fibre refers to the down coat produced by the Angora rabbit.

• There are many types of Angora rabbits - English, French, German and Giant.

• The Angora rabbit is also well-known for its fine wool.
• It is also originally from the Angora (Ankara) region of Turkey.
• Each rabbit can only provide a small amount of angora, so the expensive fibre is often combined with other fibres.

Yak wool:

• Yak wool is common in Tibet and Ladakh.

Cashmere:

• Cashmere wool is the wool obtained from the Cashmere goat.

• Cashmere is characterized by its luxuriously soft fibres.

• The goats are found in the high plateaus of Asia.

Bison Down:

• Bison Down is the soft undercoat of the American Bison.

• The coat of the bison contains two different types of fibre.

Sheep’s  Wool:

• Wool has two qualities that distinguish it from hair or fur: it has scales which overlap like shingles on a roof and it is crimped.

• Wool is also obtained from goat hair.
• The under fur of Kashmiri goat is soft.

• It is woven into fine shawls called Pashmina shawls.

Qiviut:

• Qiviut is the fine under-wool of the musk ox.

• Qiviut fibres are long, fine, and relatively smooth.

• It is approximately eight times warmer than sheep's wool and does not shrink.