Spinning Straight from Angora Rabbit 

Such a sweet bunny and pretty fiber color.

Good for you to tackle a demo on camera no less. It is indeed tricky to spin right off the bunny. It is only something I do at demos . One time I ended up on the front page of the local newspaper when I spun off a bunny during a demo for the annual handspinning show and sale. I do it mainly to show how gentle the angoras are and how well they sit and tolerate the experience. Also to indicate how to harvest the fiber naturally with the growth cycles and to show people watching, how to tell when the coat is ready to harvest. I prefer to describe it as harvesting it naturally than calling it 'plucking' because that term gives a wrong idea of how it is done. When it is ready it can be tested by holding a few fibers at the tips and giving a little tug. If it is 'ready' it will come out easily without bunny even flinching and it won't hurt the bunny . If it is not ready the bunny will flinch because it will feel it . I have been raising angoras and spinnning for more than 40 years and in the beginning did a lot of research and went to shows and this is long before the internet. There are a lot of contradictions about angoras but found that they release the same hormone that cats and dogs have when they shed their coats seasonally. Only angoras release this hormone by length and not seasonally . Show folks managed to get the bunnies to hold their coats longer at prime so they are in full coat for the shows. But mostly it is prime at about 13 weeks and within a few days will start to shed back. The idea is to harvest it when it is prime before it starts to shed . Once you start the bunny will release the hormone. So this makes it easier to harvest without harm and easier to spin off the bunny . This is one of the reasons why it not something I do except for a special situation as a novelty - to make sure that it is prime and ready to harvest and to show both how easily it comes off and spins up. I always try and make sure it is coming from the tips and not close to the skin so it comes off naturally . Also to have enough of a lead so it works with the dynamics of the spinning wheel as in a long draw, so not drafting like in the inch worm . That way the twist will not travel too close to the skin. It is always fun to give it a try and show people how calm these buns are during the experience . Your English bunny is lovely. It is relatively new to have the wideband colors ( Cream, Fawn, and Red) in English and still more rare for the high rufus Red. The English tend to have so much dilute that it is difficult to get good color . French has more Fawn but the deep rufus is still pretty well the purview of the Satins for lovely dark reds that pervades the coat color. I love the fawns and reds . They are my favorite . I have recently discovered that copper in the feed enhances the melatonin to get deeper color. (Same for the colored angora goats) . Interesting that melatonin is responsible not only to the coat color and pigment but is related to the 'molting' hormone. I enjoy your videos . Looked for your name but couldn't find it . But thanks for sharing so much about these beautiful animals and our wonderful fiberarts.

Thanks for showing this Renee, I had heard about it but never seen it done. It would take A Long Time to spin a whole rabbit, dont think they would like to sit for That Long lol. Gorgeous lovely colored bunny. ❤

Hi! Looking for recs on a good wheels for beginners?