Glossary

Angora Wool - wool from an Angora rabbit. Known for its softness, thin fibres and silky texture. It is warmer and lighter than wool due to the hollow core of the fibres.

Cashmere - a fibre obtained from goats, mainly Cashmere goats.  It is very fine in texture, strong, lightweight and soft.

Felt - a textile that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibres together. Felt can be made of natural fibres such as wool or synthetic fibres such as acrylic.

Fleece - a soft napped insulating fabric made from sheep's wool after its been sheared off but without being spun into yarn.  Fleece can also be made from a type of polyester or other synthetic fibres (usually called polar fleece). It is usually used as a lining material. 

Lambskin - tanned hides from sheep less than one year old. 

Lanolin -  an oily substance found naturally on sheep's wool. It is extracted as a yellowish viscous mixture of esters and used as a base for ointments. Lanolin and its many derivatives are used extensively in products designed for the protection, treatment and beautification of human skin.

Leather - The tanned hide of an animal, usually cow, moose, deer, elk or sheep.

Merino Wool - wool from merino sheep, which have some of the finest and softest wool of all sheep breeds. 

Mohair -  a silk-like fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat. Both durable and resilient, mohair is notable for its high lustre and sheen.  It is often used in fibre blends to add these qualities to a textile.

Pashmina - a type of fine cashmere wool.  The wool comes from the pashmina goat, a special breed that lives high up on the Himalayan mountains.

Shearing - the process of removing wool or hair from any animal usually by power clippers or blade shears.

Shearling -  a skin from a sheep or lamb that has been tanned and dressed with the wool left on and the wool has been sheared down to a specific wool length. It has a suede surface on one side and a clipped wool surface on the other. Usually the suede side is worn outward.

Sheepskin - the tanned hide of a sheep, usually with the wool still attached.

Split Leather - a thicker hide that has been split to make thinner hides with a smoother face.

Suede Leather - a type of leather with a napped (brushed or buffed) finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, shirts, purses, furniture and other items.

Tweed - a style of wool or yarn obtained by twisting together differently coloured woollen strands into two- or three-ply yarn. 

Wool - a textile fibre obtained from sheep or other animals.  Sheep's wool is sheared off, usually annually and will regrow.

Wool roping - a long, continuous strand of wool that has been cleaned, carded and combed in preparation of spinning.