Complete Angora Person

Looking at the Domestic Rabbits magazine from American Rabbit Breeders Association, the Nat'l Angora Breeders Club Club Report (Mar/Apr 2011), Betty Chu says:
"A show exhibitor is only half of a complete Angora person, the other half is the fiber artist who works with the Angora wool; and vice versa. It takes both showing and utilizing the wool to totally appreciate the beauty and functionality of Angora rabbits."

I have to agree with Betty. My lovely wife Tracy and I started as Angora exhibitors. We used to throw away the wool we gathered on the slicker brushes during grooming. Then we discovered that people will pay $5-$6 dollars PER OUNCE for raw angora wool.

So we started saving it. I learned how to spin angora wool on a homemade drop spindle which started me on a fiber adventure that continues to this day. I've spun angora, alpaca, and sheep wool. I learned about knitting and weaving.

My lovely wife Tracy would blend it with other wool on a drum carder. She would spin it into yarn and ply it with other yarns for "art yarn" or "novelty yarn." Then she'd knit it into hats and scarves.

I've met many competent and passionate Angora rabbit exhibitors at the shows. I'd say over half of exhibitors I've met USE the wool.

The reason the Angora rabbit exists is for the wool.

To fully appreciate the Angora, one has to use the wool. To understand the structure of the wool, one has to use the wool. To appreciate the differences in Angora wool, one has to use the wool.

If one does not use the wool, they are missing out on the full Angora experience.

Have a good day!