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In the last article
we have seen how silk fabrics can be a replacement for woollen
fabrics. Today, we would see how hair fibres can also replace
the woollen fibres. Hair fibres have all the qualities of
wool and, in general, are even more expensive than wool. Vicuna
is the world's costliest textile product and surpasses all
beauty. These hairs are sometimes mixed with wool, adding
rather than detracting from the quality of any wool fabric
in which they appear. |
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fibres are removed from the skins of the animals by
some appropriate means in order to be converted into
yarns and fabrics. When the entire skin, or hide,
is removed from a dead animal, it may be dehaired
and tanned to make leather. Some of the types are
mohair, cashmere, alpaca, vicuna and angora. There
are some other minor hair fibres got from cow, horse,
rabbit. |
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Mohair
Mohair is the hair of the Angora goat,
native to the province of Angora, Turkey.
It is a smooth, strong and resilient fibre.
It does not attract or hold dirt particles.
Its fine silk like luster permits interesting
decorative effects. After washing this
fibre does not shrink. It cannot be used
for felting purpose. Since it is a strong
fibre it is used to weave piled fabrics. |
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These fabrics are wrinkle- resistant and do not mat
readily because of the natural resiliency of the fibre.
Mohair is very resilient and is stronger than wool
or the other hair fibres, it is used in the making
of upholstery and drapery materials and in summer
suitings. Since it has protein, moth affects it, but
it can be made mothproof. |
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Cashmere
The Cashmere goat is native to the Himalaya
Mountain region of Kashmir in India, Mongolia
and China. The hair is made into luxuriously
soft wool like yarns with a characteristic
highly napped finish. This fine cashmere
fibre is not sheared from the goat but
is obtained by frequent combings during
the shedding season. |
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are widely used for garments such as sweaters, sports,
jackets and overcoats. It is desirable because it
is soft, lighter in weight than wool, and quite warm;
however, because it is a soft, delicate fibre, fabrics
produced from cashmere are not as durable as wool. |
Alpaca
The animal related to the camel is found
in the higher regions of the Andes. The
fibre is valued for its silky beauty as
well as for its strength. The hair of
the alpaca is stronger than ordinary sheep's
wool, is water- repellent, and has a high
insulative quality. It is as delicate,
soft and lustrous as the finest silk. |
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Vicuna
The rare animal whose fibre makes the world's most
costly and most exquisite cloth, surpassing all others
in fineness and beauty, is found in an almost inaccessible
area of the Andes Mountains. The fibre of the vicuna
is the softest and most delicate of the animal fibres;
yet it is strong for its weight, is resilient, and
has a marked degree of elasticity and surface cohesion.
It is the most expensive fibre used in suitings and
overcoat fabrics. |
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| Angora
The Angora rabbit produces long, fine, silky white
hair that is clipped or combed every 3 to 4 months.
The finest angora comes from France, Italy and Japan.
The fibre's smooth, silky texture makes it difficult
to spin, and the fibres tend to slip out of the yarn
and shed from the fabric; nevertheless, the fibre
is desired for its texture, warmth, light weight,
and pure white colour, although it is sometimes dyed
in pastel shades. Angora rabbit hair is used primarily
for items such as sweaters, baby clothes. |
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There
are several hair fibres identified by the FTC that
are used for specialized purposes and for a limited
extent. These are:
• Cow hair obtained from the hides of slaughtered
cows. It is used for felts and coarse rugs and cushions
• Horsehair obtained primarily from horses mane and
tails. It is used as a shape retainer in suits and
coats and for stuffing in mattresses and upholstery. |
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• Rabbit hair obtained from the common rabbit. It
is used for felt in hats.
• Down and feathers obtained from geese and ducks.
They are used for stuffing for pillows, comforters,
quilted outer wear and upholstery |
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