Leigh's Fiber Journal: Mystery Fiber Revealed

There were a lot of really good guesses to my "guess the mystery fiber" question. Nobody got it, but I have to confess that I wouldn't have either. The source of the fiber is ....

This is Baby, one of my goats. She is a Boer/Nubian cross. Boers are raised as meat goats, while Nubians are dairy. Spinners know that goat fiber comes from angoras, pygoras (angora/pygmy cross), or cashmere goats. But a goat like Baby???

Here's what I discovered about Baby.

Click to biggify

Earlier this month she started growing a down coat. Neither of my pure blooded Nubians are growing one, so I'm guessing this is the Boer genes in her. This was the mystery fiber, which I hand plucked, just a little bit because I was so curious about it. She didn't have it when I first got her last May, so I'm guessing she'll shed it sometime in the spring. I will have to try to comb it out then and spin it. I'm very curious about what kind of yarn it will make!

Thanks for guessing!

Mystery Fiber Revealed © 31 October 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Labels: goat, natural fibers, spinning

5 Comments:

that's funny:)) I wonder how she'll like the brushing! so now she is a multi-purpose animal?:))

By Woolly Bits, At October 31, 2010 4:58 PM
Boer goats have more than a bit of cashmere blood in them - and some of them are worth combing for it.

Looks like you have a bonus fiber animal!

By Laura, At November 1, 2010 5:28 PM
Bettina, it's funny isn't it. All I got her for was a brush goat. No pun intended, she is supposed to eat brush LOL.

Laura, thanks for that tidbit. I didn't know that about Boers. No wonder. I'll just have to wait and see about quality. I'm very curious about it though.

By Leigh, At November 1, 2010 10:01 PM
Can't wait to see the spinning results.

By evelynoldroyd, At November 5, 2010 7:51 AM
I bought a Nigora goat this summer. She is soooo soft! I am looking forward to spinning her wool next spring.

Linda

By Linda, At November 20, 2010 9:50 AM