Textiles

Textiles are created by spinning long strands of natural and synthetic fibers into yarn which are then formed by weaving, knitting, crocheting, knotting or pressing. There are 4 main categories from which fibers can be obtained for this purpose, animal, plant, mineral and synthetic.

Animal

Animal based goods are created using hair and fur. The most common is wool which is obtained from various breeds of goat and sheep such as the domesticated goat, cashmere goat and angora goat. Silk is also an animal textile which is created from the fibers of the Chinese silk worm's cocoon.

Plant

Plant based products are formed using various raw plant materials such as cotton, sisal, hemp, flax and bamboo just to name a few. Sisal fibers are commonly used in rope making whereas coconut fibers are used to make twine. Hemp is increasingly becoming a top choice for it's versatility as it can be used to create rope, paper, clothing, jewelry and much more.

Mineral

Products created using asbestos, basalt and glass fibers are vinyl sheets, adhesives, sheeting, spacesuits, ropes and cables. Metal fibers are also used to make jewelry and such.

Synthetic

Synthetics are often imitations of natural based fibers and are derived from petroleum such as acrylic (wool) and nylon (silk). Other popular synthetics include polyester and spandex.

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