Martian Lake Cow

My fiber came with a reassuring label: Merino-Silk. It didn't have the proportions listed, so in preparation for the 8oz NWRSA exchange batt, I diligently spun sample skeins from 70-30 merino-silk, and 80-20 merino-silk, a couple others beside.

I started spinning the 8oz batt (for the NWRSA fiber exchange, finished project due in late May) early this week.

There are strange guard-hairs haloing out of my yarn.
None of my sample skeins did this.
(it feels different to spin, too, making it a particular challenge)

some of the guard-hairs are shortish (say 3 inches)
others are quite long (up to 8 inches)

They are neither silk nor wool.
They are not alpaca, cashmere, or angora.
I am quite sure they are not feline.
I am reasonably convinced they are not canine.

My husband calls them Martian Lake Cow fibers.
I think he is right.

These are Martian Lake Cow fibers as distinguished from Martian Mountain Cow fibers.

For more about Martian Mountain Cow fibers, ask Bethieee. Martian Mountain Cow fibers are what she ended up with.