Tibetan Yak Tops

Tibetan Yak Fibre Tops

A unique IxCHeL rare breed offering for a lovely super soft spinning experience. 

There are two gorgeous natural colours of the undyed top: a warm dark chocolate colour and a lighter  brown. Both are amazingly beautiful, super soft and easy to spin and felt with.

Distinguished by handlebar horns and long hair, this high-altitude animal lives across the grasslands of the Tibetan Plateau. With three times the lung capacity of typical cows, yaks take in stride the thin air, rugged terrain, and harsh weather of Tibet—with frigid winter temperatures that can dip below zero—and have subsisted for thousands of years on a meager diet of grasses and sedges.  

Historically, yaks were essential to the survival of the people of the Tibetan Plateau, much like bison were to the First Nations people in America. It is believed that ancient Tibetan herdsmen domesticated yaks some 10,000 years ago. Sturdy and sure of foot, these ultimate pack animals can cross high mountain passes carrying heavy loads of up to 150 pounds and are sometimes called the “boats of the plateau."  For centuries Tibetans have been using the coarser “guard” hair of the yaks to braid ropes and weave material for their nomad tents. The yaks also produce a fine down undercoat that keeps them warm in the subzero temperatures of the Tibetan Plateau. 

Yaks have a thick warm coat that has typically two layers of hair. The outer hair, which is the most visible on the animal is dangly, longer, coarser, and stronger. This layer protects the animal from snow, wind, and rain. The inner hair, the so-called down hair is produced during the winter and is dense, fine, matted, and soft, hence providing great insulation. The inner hair is naturally shed during the spring and is easily harvested by combing; making the process of collecting fibre eco-friendly and sustainable. Yak down is comparable to cashmere in its fineness : 16micron.

Fibre Top Roving details

Weight per top: 50g / 1.76oz

Contents: Tibetan Yak 100%

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