4th - Warm materials cashmere, alpaca, Angora

Mammal hair besides wool is usually refered to as hair fibers.
Animal hair that is typically said to be high in class are cashmere, alpaca, Angola, mohair, vicuna... there are many kinds.
Of which this time we will talk about cashmere, alpaca, and Angola which are used in socks.

Cashmere - its charm is its fine quality luster and unique slippery feel

Cashmere was named after Kashmir, India where it was often produced.
It first appeared when vellus hair of cashmere goats inhabiting the highlands was used as clothing material.
Thereafter, this shawl continued to be loved by India's royals and aristocrats, and before long in the 18th century, it went across the Silk Road and was introduced in Europe.
Today cashmere is called the "jewel of fiber."
The reason is in the luster the material itself possesses and its scarcity.
Virgin wool that can be obtained from one cashmere goat is merely 150 to 200 grams!
In order to knit one sweater it takes four, and when it comes to a coat virgin wool around 30 goats are necessary

Alpaca - since the hairs are long, it is gentle on the skin

Alpaca, a member off the camel family that inhabits the high altitude Andes mountains mainly in Peru and Bolivia.
This animal has the longest hairs out of all the animals that are used for natural fibers.
Therefore, since it has a soft touch and is not prickly on the skin, it is said to be a gentle fiber. It has the most variety in colors within all animal fibers, with 20 including dark brown, grey, white, and black.

Angola - Hairs are white, fine, and light!

cashmere photo provided by Hosokawa Woollen Textile Co., Ltd.

Doesn't just looking at the Angola's fluffy coat make us feel warm and gentle? The secret to the fluffiness is in the extremely fine 10 to 30 micron diameter light hairs.
Production is mainly in China, comprises of 95% of the gross world product.
It was 100 years ago when the Angola rabbit was first taken notice as a raw material for fiber. It is said that a woman in the French countryside was first to use it in making yarn which she sold.
Angola that is taken in the beginning of winter is the longest and is considered the highest in quality.