core spinning | All Fiber Arts

My angora rabbits have produced some lovely fur that I have spun into singles yarn. I used a core spinning technique for this yarn. For the core, I used a fine silk singles that I attached to the leader.

core spun angora yarn

Holding a small amount of the angora fiber, I spun the silk singles through the angora in my hand. As the silk spun onto the bobbin, the angora spun around the silk yarn creating a lightweight but strong yarn. For this project I plan to use this yarn in the weft and make some scarves.

To keep angora from flying around and getting all over my clothes as I’m working with it, I place a small linen towel on my lap. If I need to get up in the middle of the project, the angora fiber can be wrapped up in the towel easily.

I am using a standard twill pattern for this project as the angora yarn will provide sufficient texture and interest. The scarves can be woven in the twill treadling as shown in the draft or in tabby ( 1-3, 2-4)

twill draft

Weft:

Handspun singles angora yarn

If angora is not available, try using mohair or another soft fine yarn such as merino wool or alpaca.

Weave in twill for a length of 60 inches and leave a space of 12 inches for fringe (6 inches per scarft), before starting the next one.

Finishing:

Cut between each scarf length and twist or braid the ends prior to washing. Wash the scarves in hot, soapy water. Rinse in cool water. The angora fiber will full and fluff out with this treatment.

I generally do not dye angora prior to spinning as I find that the angora matts quite easily and then is much more difficult to handle. As these scarves are small, they will be fairly easy to dye even as a finished project. After washing, I place the scarf in the hot dye solution and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. This method of dyeing will not give an even colour because the fiber absorbs the dye at different rates at different temperatures. The dye solution in the bottom of the pot is hotter than that at the top of the pot. My rabbits are also multi-coloured so when dyeing the wool, a lovely variegated colour will result.

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