A female rabbit is a “doe” and a male rabbit is called a “buck” – and babies are known as “kits” – short for kittens – did you know?
A German Angora rabbit from Basketful of Bunnies in Maine. AGH/MDK
A beautiful white rabbit being clipped, calm in the skilled hands of its handler, Michaele Bailey of Basketful of Bunnies, drew a crowd at the recent Fiber Festival of New England (FFNE). The soft, prized fiber that resulted from the tufted-eared German Angora is “prime quality and naturally resists matting”.
Clipping in progress. AGH/MDK
“German Angoras are shorn, never plucked. Shearing is fast and it is humane. … The Development of German Angora wool has always been geared to yarn and garment production. With a slightly higher micron count than other types of angoras it is easy to spin and shed resistant to wear.” – from a brochure by International Association of German Angora Rabbit Breeders that was available at the Basketful of Bunnies FFNE demonstration. The IAGARB Co-op, run by volunteers, produces various yarns – Angora Blizzard, which is two-ply laceweight, 85 percent prime Angora blended with 15 percent Merino wool; Angora Frost, a three-ply blend of 50 prime Angora/20 nylon/20 superwash wool.
Michaele also demonstrated shearing at the recent Maine Harvest Festival. For more about Basketful of Bunnies in Maine, visit this link.
Next up: More FFNE.