Our angora bunny has grown wool like a chia pet this winter and I thought my daughter might enjoy making some yarn out of it if we only knew how. Has anyone done this and have any pointers? Or resources? Thanks.
Angora fiber can easily be spun and makes beautiful yarn. Try to locate some spinners in your area. I have seen people use a spinning wheel and spin yarn by pulling fiber right form the rabbits back while it sat on their lap. There are a few methods of getting the fiber of the rabbit. 1. "Plucking" - this methjod seems cruel but usually the hairs come out easily, especially if the rabbit is moulting. 2. Shearing - using hair clipper you can clip the rabbits fiber off. This method can be diffucult because rabbits don't like the buzzing sound and tend to freak out. 3. Clipping - use round-end scissors and clip the hair away. This method is best in my eyes since its quiet and doesn't cause stress. For spinning I would try to find local spinners. If you are in a rural area contact your county's cooperative extension and they should be able to help you find some spinners near by. You can also look for sheep. llama, alpaca or angora goat breeders. Most people with these animals enjoy spinning as a hobby and can help you spin the fiber or do it for you for free or for a few bucks.
You can also make a spindle, look up plans online they are easy to make and use, i just started with my goat hair and it makes nice yarn- also you can watch a video on u tube or something like it and even if you have dial up (like me) you can still learn the basics ,it just takes longer for you to watch the video's- shari