Natural Fibers

Fiber is a natural substance produced by plants and animals that can be spun into thread or rope and in a next step woven, knitted, matted or bound.

For clothing natural fibers can give some benefits, such as comfort, good for us and our planet.

Here are some of the natural fibers that develop or occur in the fiber shape. They can be classified according to their origin:

• Vegetables fibers: include among others cotton, jute, flax, hemp, and bamboo

• Animal fibers: include among others silk, wool, cashmere, mohair, alpaca, and angora.

Fabulous fibers features for knitting among others are:

Cotton

It is a soft, fluffy fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case. Under natural conditions, the cotton bolls will tend to increase the dispersal of the seeds. The fiber is most often spun into yarn or thread and is used to make a soft, breathable textile.

Jute

It is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads, Jute is one of the most affordable natural fibers and is second only to cotton in amount produced and variety of uses of vegetable fibers.

Flax

It is also known as common flax or linseed. The textiles made from flax are known in the western countries as linen, and traditionally used for bed sheets, underclothes, table linen, and for hand-made knitting garments.

Silk

It is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvaer of the mulberry silkworm. Silk is produced by several insects, but generally only the silk of moth caterpillars has been used for textile manufacturing.

Wool

It is the textile fiber obtained from sheep. Wool has several qualities that distinguish it from hair or fur: it is crimped, it is elastic, and it grows in staples (clusters). Wool's scaling and crimp make it easier to spin the fleece by helping the individual fibers attach to each other, so they stay together. Because of the crimp, wool fabrics have greater bulk than other textiles, and they hold air, which causes the fabric to retain heat. 

Cashmere wool
 

It is a fiber as wool but is finer and softer, giving its characteristics as compared to sheep's wool. Cashmere is fine in texture, strong, light, and soft. Garments made from it provide excellent insulation, approximately three times that of sheep wool.

Mohair

It is usually a silk-like fabric or yarn made from the hair of the angora goat. Both durable an resilient, mohair is notable for its high luster and sheen, which has helped give it the nickname the "Diamond Fiber", and is often used in fiber blends to add these qualities to a textile. Mohair process dye exceptionally well. Mohair is warm in winter as it has excellent insulating properties, while remaining cool in summer. It is durable, naturally elastic, flame resistant. It is considered to be a luxury fiber, like cashmere, angora and silk, and is usually more expensive than most wool that comes from sheep.

Angora hair or Angora fiber

Refers to the downy coat produced by the Angora rabbit. While their names are similar. Angora fiber is distinct from mohair, which comes from the Angora goat. Angora is known for its softness, thin fibers, and what knitters refer to as a halo (fluffiness). It is also known for its silky texture. It is much warmer and lighter than wool. It also gives them their characteristic floating feel.

Alpaca

Is a domesticated species of  American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance. There are two breeds of alpaca; the Suri alpaca and the Huacaya alpaca.

In the textile industry, "alpaca" primarily refers to the hair of Peruvian alpacas but more broadly it refers to a style of fabric originally made from alpaca hair.

Thanks for your time,

Blanca☻♡