Glossary - A

Alpaca
1. Long, fine hair from Alpaca sheep.
2. A fabric from alpaca fibres or blends, (originally a cotton cloth with alpaca filling) that is used for dresses, coats, suits, and sweaters. It is also used as a pile lining for jackets and coats. (The term has been incorrectly used to describe a rayon fabric).

Angora
1. The hair of the Angora goat. The long, fine fibres are so smooth and soft that they must be combined with other fibres in weaving.
2. The hair of the Angora rabbit. The fine, lightweight hair is warm, and it is often blended with wool to decrease price and to obtain novelty effects in weaving. By law, the fibre must be described as Angora rabbit hair.

Applique
(or appliqué) is a technique in which pieces of fabric are sewn onto a foundation piece of fabric to create designs. It is particularly suitable for work which is to be seen from a distance, for example, Banner-making. A famous example of applique is the 'Hastings Embroidery' whose designs are appliqued onto the backing fabric using a variety of embroidery stitches.Applique is also used extensively in quilting. 'Dresden Plate' and 'Sunbonnet Sue' are just two examples of well-known quilt blocks that use both patchwork and applique to construct. Baltimore album quilts and Amish are famous examples of applique quilts due to the quality of their designs.

Aran Sweater
The Aran sweater, which takes its name from the Aran Islands, was popular in the fishing villages on and islands off the West Coast of Ireland. Most of the people in these towns made their living from farming and fishing - with the harsh climate creating a need for warm protective and practical clothing.

Awl
An awl is a woodworking tool used to mark a piece of wood. It is made up of a wooden handle with a pointed, needle-shaped piece of steel protruding from it. The handle is typically round or cylindrical and fits in the palm of the users hand. The needle-shaped steel point varies from a few millimeters to a centimeter thick at its base and tapers to a point sharp enough to scratch the surface of a piece of wood. The length of the needle varies from around 7 cm to 15 cm.