Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m 31 Wool refers to the entire fleece but also to the extra fine fibers it consists of. Fibers are measured in micron counts (a micron is one-millionth of one meter). Most usable wool falls in between 10 and 35 microns. In comparison, a human hair averages 50 microns. Some sheep "locks," or tufts, are crimped, some straight. Some are an inch long, some seven, eight, up to sixteen inches, the tips sometimes darker, as if a blond's dyed hair were growing out. Meticulous records of breeding and of the resultant fleece are kept by most serious breed- ers, in what Campbell calls the "world's biggest genetic experiment." Shetlands are called "primitive" because their breed has somehow escaped the push for improved breeds that swept the market in the wake of the nineteenth century. Improved usually means bred to have "ere is a growing awareness," deCoster explains, "of where our food and now clothing comes from. Ten years ago, about two percent of the market wanted natural colors or primitive blends. 'It's not soft!' they'd complain, those who were used to commercially bred, soft, white Merino. But people are asking more often about the animal, how it was raised, how it was treated." "Instead of saying, 'It's good with gravy,' as I do," teases Randy, a volunteer. In the book Kwasny also visits the Sieben Ranch, run by the family of Max Baucus, where they raise Rambouillets—a French-bred merino for the meat and wool market—and irteen Mile Lamb and Wool Company. ANIMAL FIBERS Spinning animal hair into fibers that can be knitted or woven into clothing has been crucial for human survival in wet and cold climates for mil- lennia. Although wool is the world's most popular fiber, our closets often contain fiber gleaned from a startling range of animals. Cashmere, for instance, is spun from the softest undercoat of goats, the hair closest to its skin. It takes the hair from three goats, producing four ounces each, to make a cashmere sweater. Another prized fiber, mohair is made from a distinctive, single-coated goat, the Angora, which originated in Ankara, Turkey, hence its name. These goats can produce up to a quarter of their body weight in wool. The Angora goat, which produces mohair, is not to be confused with the product called angora. Angora, the material, is collected from domesticated Angora rabbits, which look like fluffy couch pillows, peeking out from the satiny, long, white plumes they were bred for. Alpaca, on the other hand, is thick and thermal. Made from the hair of a smaller cousin of the llama, wool sheared from alpaca has no lanolin and must be blended with silk or cashmere to make it softer. Hilger Ranch Beautiful neutrals White wool coming off carder. LAVONNE STUCKY, THE WOOL MILL LAVONNE STUCKY, THE WOOL MILL Gift Packs hand-crafted • always montana-made • QUALITY Visit us online at: www.distinctlymontanagifts.com 'HEADWATERS' MONTANA MADE BBQ GIFT BASKET 'TREASURE CRATE' MONTANA MADE BREAKFAST GIFT BOX HERBAL HONEY MONTANA GIFT BOX BOUTIQUE CHOCOLATE GIFT BOX "MONTANA LOVE" SAUSAGE & CHEESE GIFT TOTE HUCKLEBERRY GIFT BASKET

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