I just started spinning last night and I can tell that I am going to get addicted, I started with a drop spindle kit and I have my Great-Grandmother's spinning wheel.

My question is this: What should I start nagging my husband about?

If I am going to be able to have a couple of fiber animals, which would be the easiest to take care of and the easiest to harvest the fiber? What fiber spins the best?

I have to get started on this nagging right away to wear down his resistance.

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Spinner's Blog
PSHorse.com
Horse and Goat Rope Halters
CRS Equine Probiotics

How wonderful--- hope to do that someday too! This sounds like a post for Sandie and Sweet Goats. Good luck!

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Aunt Em
www.thegoatandowl.com

*lol -ANGORAS! I love 'em, and just take a look at my site, I try to have all the colors and patterns there... THey are SOOO easy to are for also...

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Kelsey and Candace
http://Bar6DiamondRanch.com
Fullblood, Purebred and Percentage Boers
Purebred Nubian and Angora Goats
Club Lambs, Finn & Shetland Sheep
Norwegian Forest Cats

well in my opinion you need 2 angoras, 2 llamas, and 2 sheep! the angoras you can use a good set of pet clippers to harvest their fiber (Candace has some really nice angoras i really like the little billy i got from her last summer) llamas and sheep you will need a shearer to do or have someone local that shears come and do them for you . and when you get to really going with your spinning you will be much happier with a barrel or drum carder than with the hand carders. they are expensive but well worth it for the difference in how much you can get carded. though you will probably still be able to spin faster than you can keep up with carding.

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Things work better
if you pray first !
Sandie

www.freewebs.com/hearthspun

My son has a giant schnauzer that I have been considering they just don't want to let her hair get that long.

What about alpacas? I bought a really nice alpaca sweater on eBay.

Are llamas gentle and do they have many health problems?

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Spinner's Blog
PSHorse.com
Horse and Goat Rope Halters
CRS Equine Probiotics

Well of course I am going to tell you Cashmere. I know we all like our animals, and for different reasons. Here are some of my opinions on the different animals.
Angoras. They are good animals, but you have to sheer them twice a year, they get lice a lot more then other goat (that is from my experience for the shows we go to, I am NOT saying that they all have lice).
There fiber (Mohair), is a LOT easier to care for then Cashmere or some Pygora. They do not felt easy at all. You will get more usable fiber from them, and it is a lot easier to clean the mohair then Cashmere.

Cashmere They only have to be combed once a year, and that is all you really have to do with them, BUT the fiber really has to be sent off to a Fiber Mill to have it dehaired and cleaned. (you can do it but to get a really good job it is best to be sent out). It does felt really easy, but is a lot more profitable. they are so easy keepers. They should not have Alfalfa hay, it is to rich and it affects the fiber.

Llamas they are really a dual purpose animal. they are the BEST guard animals, along with the fiber. They are only sheered once every two years, but they give you a lot of fiber. You can clean that fiber with out it HAVING to go to a mill.

As you can tell, they are all wonderful animals.

Now if you want to really get creative, get into Bison. That is really the NEW big hit for fiber.

I say HECK get one of all the animals and you would be in heaven.

I took a spinning class last year and I learned to spin, now I just wish I would have the time to practice. I have been practicing on (I do not remember the name for sure CVM). It is a lot less expensive then the Cashmere. So until I can learn to do it well, I will NOT be using the Cashmere.

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Home of the Colorado State Fair Grand Champion Cashmere Goat, 2003,2004,2005, and 2007
www.freewebs.com/sweetgoats

Odd that you should mention Bison, my husband has been wanting some of them for awhile now. He told me that someone in the area has two bred cows that they are wanting to trade for horses.

How do you shear a bison?

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Spinner's Blog
PSHorse.com
Horse and Goat Rope Halters
CRS Equine Probiotics

Very carefully!