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Alpaca
Alpaca, llama, guanaco and vicuña are all camelids, closely related to the camels of Africa and Asia, and are native to high altitudes of the South American Andes. Alpaca (Vicugna pacos) and llama (Lama glama) account for almost all of the fibre production of these four and were originally domesticated in South America as a source of meat about 3500 BCE.
Around 2000 BCE, Andeans started to use alpacas for fibre and llamas for transport (see Smithsonian reference). Jane Wheeler and Mike Bruford (Bruford) have shown that alpacas originated from domestication of vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) and that llamas originated from domestication of guanacos (Lama guanicoe). Vicuña and guanaco remain wild, however, and are protected species.
Alpacas were already domesticated when the Incas appeared in 1200 CE but the Incas further refined the alpaca for better fibre quality. When the Spanish conquistadors invaded Peru in 1532, they decimated the herds of alpacas, as well as llama and vicuña, because they believed that they competed with their imported sheep for pasture, and the few remaining animals were forced into the higher reaches of the Andes (Smithsonian). The conquistadors almost wiped the camelids out and the knowledge and culture of fine fibre production was largely lost.
Following a resurgence in interest in fine fibre production, an intensive programme of conservation and development in Peru has resulted in an increase in alpaca numbers. There are now approximately three and a half million alpacas worldwide, with approximately 90 percent of these in Peru, but there is an increasing population outside South America, with 15,000 in the UK and 100,000 in Australia.
There are two types of alpaca; the huacaya, which accounts for 93 percent of the total and the suri which makes up the remaining 7 percent. The fibre of the suri is the longest and the most valuable. The fibre is fine and silky, between 20-40 microns in diameter (Smithsonian, Barton), depending on age, and 8-12 cms in length but the best fibre is only starting to achieve the fineness achieved by Andeans 1,000 years ago (less than 18 microns – Smithsonian, Pringle). There is a wide range of 22 colours from white, through greys, reddish browns and blacks. The coat of the alpaca grows continuously like the fleece of a sheep and the fibre is shorn.
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 Angora rabbit
The Angora rabbit originated in Turkey and the name is derived from the city of Ankara in Turkey according to Wikipedia. Angora rabbit fibre production is the third largest animal fibre industry in the world (10,000 tons p.a.), with only wool and mohair being larger. The production of Angora is then followed by cashmere and alpaca.
Angora Rabbits are farmed throughout the world but China is the world's leading producer of Angora rabbit hair, contributing approximately 90 percent of world production, and Chile is the second largest producer.
 Farming of angora rabbits is not always animal-friendly. They are often farmed in intensive factory farms in China and may be plucked, rather than sheared, to ensure long fibre length for spinning purposes. Humane alternatives exist, however, where rabbits are not kept in small cages and are able to run around and burrow. The rabbits live a natural life and are scissor-sheared with no stress.
There are 2 types of hair, 10 cm long coarse guard hairs of 30-40 microns and shorter fine down hairs around 15 microns that are 50 times more numerous than the guard hairs. An Angora rabbit typically produces 1 kg of fine down fibre over 4 harvests per year (EFFN).
The Angora fibre has a smooth, silky texture making it difficult to spin but the hair is fine and soft. It is warm, lightweight and can have a pure white colour.
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Mohair and Angora goats
 Mohair is the fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat and is one of the warmest natural fibres and one of the most versatile.
The word "mohair" was adopted into English before 1570 from the Arabic mukhayyar, a type of haircloth. The Angora goat is thought to have originated from the mountains of Tibet making their way to Turkey by the 16th century. South Africa currently produces more than 60 percent of the total world production of mohair of 5 million kg per year.
The fibres range from 23 microns in mean diameter at the first shearing up to 38 microns in older animals. The range of uses of mohair fibre is a result of the range of diameter of the fibre produced. Mohair from young goats is used for finer applications such as clothing and the thicker hair from older animals is more often used for carpets and coats.
Angora goats produce 3-4 kg of mohair fibre per year and are shorn twice per year in Europe, in spring and autumn. These goats have a single coat but may sometimes have some kemp fibres in the coat.
Mohair is both durable and resilient. It is notable for its high lustre and sheen, and is often used in fibre blends to add these qualities to other textiles. Mohair takes dye exceptionally well and has good insulating properties, making it warm. It is also moisture-wicking, stretch and flame resistant, and crease resistant.
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