Fiber types

I've agreed to teach a six-week course on textiles - super exciting! With so much time to work with, I'm going more in-depth this time. For the first class, we will be talking about different types of fiber: plant, animal, and synthetic.

Wool is what I have most of and know most about. Here are some Merino sheep:

Alpacas and llamas:

Angora goat:

Angora rabbit:

Flax in the field

Flax being hackled

What medieval Europeans thought cotton looked like -- a tree with lambs growing on it!

Cotton in the field

Silkworm moths

Wool under a microscope

Different types of fiber under a microscope: