Animal Fibres & Maintenance Information

Animal Sources (Protein Fibers)

Among the important raw materials used in weaving, animal textile materials
come after plant materials. According to their morphological and chemical
structures, they can be collected in two large groups as "leather products" and
"secretory products".

Animal fibers constitute less than 7% of the total textile fibers produced.
Therefore, they are valuable. However, despite their limited production, they
play an important role in the textile trade.

WOOL
Wool has a wide range of uses. It has been used in the production of dresses,
coats and overcoats in every period. As a knitting and knitwear raw material,
products such as socks, laundry, blankets, quilts, rugs, runners and carpets can
also be produced from wool. Non-spun wool is used as filling material.

Woolmark
Woolmark is one of the most recognized textile certificates in the world. It is
given to pure new wool products. With this symbol, the best quality and
reliability are guaranteed.

The product with this symbol means that it has passed durability tests and
complies with international standards. Every product with this stamp is 100%
pure new wool. In general, up to 0.3% of other fibers are allowed.

Only licensed companies that can guarantee quality and trust can use the
Woolmark brand. This certificate is given when the products that pass very
strict tests pass the tests.

Sheep produce wool fleece, which provides a protection against natural

conditions; At certain times of the year these are sheared and spun into woolen
thread. Different qualities of wool are produced from different breeds of sheep.

The finest and most valuable wool is obtained from Merino sheep. 80% wool is
produced in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Uruguay.

Sheep Wool
Sheep wool is the oldest animal fiber used in the textile industry. Most of the
sheep wool used in the world comes from Australia and New Zealand.

Characteristics
-Sheep wool stabilizes the temperature and is suitable for breathing.
-It absorbs moisture, does not crumple and can be straightened quickly.
-It can be uncomfortable to wear as it is itchy.
Maintenance
-For those who prefer to wash, it is recommended to wash by hand or wash in
the wool program of the washing machine. It should not be washed with
detergents containing chlorine.

Sustainability
-It takes about 1-5 years for it to decompose.
-Compared to cotton production, 500 times less water is needed.
-Compared to cotton production, much less chemicals are used.
-During the production of 1 kilogram of wool, 24.9 kg of carbon dioxide is
released. It is self-renewable and often recyclable.
-Three times less energy is consumed compared to acrylic production.

Advantages of wool fabric

-it has a good touch.
-It has high anti-crease and draping properties.
-It has high heat retention and moisture absorption properties.
-It is resistant to flame and heat.
-It is flexible.

Disadvantages of wool fabric

-Sometimes it can cause allergies.
-It becomes hairy as a result of friction.
-It shrinks and becomes felt up at high temperatures.
-It has the property of being electrified in dry environments.

Goats are also used in wool production; cashmere and angora are obtained in
certain breeds.

Cashmere is extraordinarily soft and draped.

Angora (Mohair)
Mohair is the name given to the fibers obtained from Ankara goats. Although its
origin is Turkey, South Africa has become prominent in mohair production in
terms of quality and quantity.

Mohair fibers are 120-130mm long, shiny and soft like silk, curvy and quite thin.
It is very difficult to process. Therefore, it is an expensive fiber.

Cashmere
Cashmere is a good quality and soft fiber used in the textile industry. Its annual
production is 5000 tons and it is mostly produced in Central Asia, China,
Mongolia, Afghanistan and Iran.

Thin wool produce of these animals are not very high. Even if 200-250 grams of
fine wool is taken from a goat, only 100-150 grams of it is used in the
production of yarn and fabric. Therefore, the price is very high.

Sustainability
-It takes 1-5 years for it to completely decompose.
-It is 500 times more advantageous than cotton in terms of water consumption.
-Chemicals are used to prevent parasites.
-Compared to acrylic, 3 times less energy is consumed in its production.

Zibeline (Camel wool)

The fibres obtained from the hair cover of the camel, which is a domestic
animal, are called camel hair or zibeline. The idea of using the camel's hair
cover in textile was first thought by a British officer in India and then was put
into practice and turned into a fabric.

Products made of camel wool are precious fabrics that have the feature of
keeping cool against the heat and warm against the cold. Camel hair is
characterised by its high strength, brightness, softness and smoothness.

Alpaca Wools( Llama, Alpaca,Vicuna)

Alpaca wool is the general name given to fibres obtained from animals of
different breeds.

Alpaca: Alpaca, a camel-type animal, grows in South America. Its appearance is

similar to mohair wool. It has a variety of colours from white to brown and black.

Llama: They live in South America in Peru, Chile, and Argentina. Llama wool is
divided into lower fine and upper coarse wools, as in camel wool. The wool
obtained from the llama is not as fine and soft as the wool obtained from the
alpaca.

Vicuna: It is a wild animal that grows in South America. Therefore, its

commercial value is very high. Vicuna wool is the most valuable and expensive
among alpaca wool. It is an extraordinarily fine, soft, shiny and cashmere-like
fiber.
A jacket is for €20.000, a suit is for €31.000.

Characteristics
-It is softer than silk, rarer than cashmere, and warmer than classical wool.
-It is found in 22 different colours in nature.
-It is thermal and provides warmth without weight.
-It does not cause allergies.

Maintenance
-Clothes containing alpaca wool need more care. Hand wash in cold water with
a mild detergent and drying in the shade is recommended.
-If properly cared for, it won't feather or shrink.
Sustainability
-It takes about 1 year for the alpaca wool to decompose.
-No chemicals are needed. Alpaca wool production is completely safe and does
not harm the environment.
-Alpacas are mainly grown in Peru. Although this situation is good for domestic
trade, since wool is sent almost all over the world, its contribution to carbon
dioxide emissions is high.

Angora
The feathers obtained from the rabbit has began to be used in textile in the
1920s. Since the best quality of rabbit hair is obtained from the Ankara(Angora)
rabbit, it is also called "angora". It is quite difficult to manufacture; 200-400
grams of fiber is obtained from a rabbit per year.

Rabbit wool, which ranks third after sheep wool and angora in terms of the
amount produced in the world among animal fibres, comes first among all
animal wools in terms of quality. They are distinguished from other wools due to
their brightness, thinness and low weight.

Angora wool is used by mixing it with other fibres because it is very difficult to
bend. It is generally mixed with 30% Angora and 70% wool.

Characteristics
-It is the lightest fiber produced. Despite its lightness, it keeps you very warm.
-Clothes produced using Angora wool need serious care. Over washing can
cause it to break down.
-It should be kept away from the sun.

Maintenance
-Dry cleaning is the ideal care method for angora wool, but hand washing with
cold water is also possible.
-To prevent discolouration of clothes containing Angora wool, you can add salt
to the water used for washing.
-You can keep your angora clothes in the refrigerator for 20 minutes for them to
regain their fluffiness.

Sustainability
-It takes about 1 year for Angora wool to decompose.
-The production of angora wool by fabrication methods involves harmful and
painful processes for animals. There are no laws or regulations regarding the
care and protection of rabbits in China, the country where production is most
intense.

SILK
It has been seen in historical documents that the silkworm was grown first in
China around B.C.2000 and silk was obtained from its cocoons. For a long time
it was kept secret as an art in China. However, silk cocoons taken to Turkestan
by the Chinese princess in 419 A.D. were spread to Korea and Japan by
travellers.

Its entrance to Anatolia coincides with the Byzantine period in A.D 552. The
main development of silk making was in the Ottoman period and spread to the
imperial lands.

Silk is a precious fiber used in the weaving industry. Silk, which is a superior
fiber because it is strong, flexible, shiny and beautiful, is considered the queen
of fibers. Difficulties in its production and its production being limited in certain
areas cause it to be an expensive weaving material.

Silkworm creates a cocoon by wrapping silk filaments around itself, natural silk
is obtained in this way. Silk is the only natural fiber made up of continuous
filaments.

Silkworms are processed while they are in their cocoons. With the help of
boiling water, the fibres are drawn from the silk cocoons. It is then boiled in
soapy water to remove the sericin on the fiber.

Advantages of Silk Fabrics

-It has a very beautiful touch.
-Its ability to absorb moisture is quite high.
-It has a very high breaking strength.
-It does not mould easily, but can become mouldy if left damp for a long time.
-It has a durable and elastic structure.

Disadvantages of Silk Fabrics

-It is very sensitive to heat, light and sweat. Because of this feature, it is
necessary to be very careful in the use of silk fabrics.
-Thin fibres have the danger of breaking.
-It can discolour. It requires delicate care.

How to Care for Silk Fabrics

Silk, which is a sensitive fabric as well as durable; is sensitive to heat, sweat
and light. It is a fabric that even water drops can stain, so it should be carefully
taken care of.

It should not be washed in the washing machine, it should be hand washed. It

should be washed gently by shampooing with lukewarm water or with granular
soaps, avoiding rubbing and wringing. It should be left to dry on a towel.

It also should not to be exposed to direct sunlight. Items such as scarves and
underwear are more suitable for hand washing. Clothes such as skirts and
blouses should be dry cleaned. It should not be exposed to mechanical heat
and movement in dry cleaning.
Being a fabric that crumples very quickly forces one to be careful while using it.
Ironing silk fabric is also a process that requires attention. it should be ironed at
low temperature while the fabric is damp. Care should be taken with ironing
without steam.

Sustainability
-It takes about 4 years to decompose.
-The need for water is not much.
-1 ton of silk production releases approximately 25,425 kilograms of carbon
dioxide. This carbon footprint is equivalent to the carbon footprint of 5 cotton t-
shirts and is therefore very low for a tonne of production.
-In silk production, the caterpillars are thrown into hot water, which makes the
silk soft and harms the animals.