Angora bunnies can be one of the easiest ways to get into raising your own fiber. They are compact, even being able to live in the house, if that is something you are into. They have one of the most luxurious fibers on the market.  It is a fine fiber, even an ethereal, and luxurious fiber so it’s easy to shy away from.  I can’t tell you how many times I have heard I don’t want to use my angora until I get good.  Using it to its best advantage is not as hard as you think. Of course all of this goes into the question of how much angora do you really need? Or my favorite: How many bunnies does it take to make a sweater?

I started raising angora rabbits about 18 years ago, and I still have them.  If that will give you any indication of sustainable spinnability.  I had just started knitting and I couldn’t afford the real fiber my fingers were craving.  I was in town and couldn’t have sheep, but I’ve always been an animal lover and farm girl, so the wheels started turning.  When cake decorating became 3 weddings in a weekend I decided something needed to change.  In hopped the bunnies.  They have been a sweet spot ever since.  Mind you when you have been at your hobby for more than a minute you will realize it is work along with the fun, but it has been worth it for my style of farming. 

If you are at all interested in starting your own angora bunny farm please feel free to ask any questions.  I am very happy to help with your rabbit raising venture.  If you put your questions in the comments we can all learn together.  I also on occasion have German angora bunnies for sale, feel free to contact me for what may be available.

Knowing how angora will behave in your finished garment is half the battle.  It will be a solution for those misguided purposes.

First of all it is made up of guard hair surrounded by awn fibers. 

• ~The guard hairs, are stiffer making them straight, a little coarser, and stand taller than the rest of the awn fibers.  They give structure to the awn fibers on the rabbit.  Aiding in little to no matting.
• ~The awn fibers, are the ones that are fine and soft, and make up the most of the fiber on the bunny. 

The Micron count for Angora fiber is about 13, in comparison with superfine Merino that is 18, and the human hair that is 70. There are some really fun charts to access on Pinterest that give you some good ideas of micron count.

Knowing the properties of angora will help you decide which direction you want to go to make you finished product.  

• *The prime staple length is normally between 2.5” and 4”.
• *Angora is 7 times warmer than wool.
• *Produces a halo on the finished product.
• *Can easily be felt. 
• *Takes dye.
• *Price ranges $7 + per oz
• *Very light weight for its warmth. 
• *In terms of elasticity there is little to no spring to it.
• *Like the bunnies it comes from, it likes a bit of room to wriggle. 

It really depends on the finished product that you’re looking for.

• ~If you’re an angora mama you use it to line the inside of the bed for your babies, but it doesn’t take long for that to get matted up and really gross. So, we can take a few lessons from her and decide what not to do with it. Of course you can do anything you want, even stomp around on it.  That may not be it’s best use, and you may not be happy with the outcome.
• ~Fine fibers tend to catch fine particles.  If you accidentally drop your angora yarn in the dirt you will know what I mean.
• ~Angora makes a lovely next to your skin garment  holding in the warmth and making even the coldest of days cozy.
• ~It has a lovely feel on the skin, almost ethereal.
• ~From an art standpoint it is very aesthetically pleasing.  I always like the idea of pairing it with something a little more utilitarian. It seems to glow by contrast.
• ~It can be blended with other fibers to make something unique.
• ~Angora can be spun by itself and is totally happy as a stand-alone piece.
• ~It can be felt into an amazing fabric. 

Angora is such a wonderful fiber to work with, it is so unique with qualities all its own.  For my little fiber farm it has made such an impact on what I am able to pursue.  The bunnies really are sweet creatures, and I have raised other breeds before.  All in all this kind is as maintenance free as angoras get.  I have heard everything under the sun as far as working with angora fiber, but I have found it to be a wonderful, luxury fiber that if used in the right way makes a stunning visual offset.  And for warmth you will not find too many more fibers to compare it with.  I hope you try it out, and discover as I have that creating with angora makes the fingers dance.