Mohair - tips and other stuff

Mohair. The word is thought to have originated from the Arabic mukhayyar, which means choice (think "yummy!") With mohair, your piece instantly looks more elegant, more soft, more expensive. The "bloom" of the fiber, the halo, creates a beautiful, subtle softness that is hard to substitute with other fibers.

Mohair fiber comes from the angora goat. Do not confuse angora fiber with mohair, however. Angora comes from the angora rabbit; mohair comes from the angora goat. Confusing, I know.

Angora vs. Mohair

Angora rabbit vs. Angora goat

Take-home keys to knitting with mohair:

• Mohair has a beautiful halo, fluffing out to fill empty spaces. Consider using larger needles to help create this light look. The yarn should suggest a good needle size to start, but consider moving up in size. For this reason:
• It makes beautiful, soft lace projects.
• It will obscure the detail in your work, so use it for simpler projects. You can use it for more complex patterns, but be aware that details will be fuzzy or overlooked in the final project.
• The long fibers make it difficult to rip back your work! The tighter your work, the more difficult to rip back, or even tink back. Don't start a project in mohair that is too far beyond your abilities.
• A piece in 100% mohair can be heavy and stretch out, and may never return to its original size. That being said, it is difficult to find a yarn that is 100% mohair for this very reason! Look for wool or silk blends to give your work strength and elasticity (wool). Silk adds a luxurious sheen and is a particularly popular mix with mohair.
• Blocking? Mohair and silk blends will stay the same size as you block. You can't undo your blocking.
• There is a huge difference between kid mohair and regular mohair in terms of itchniness. If you are itch prone, make sure you choose wisely. See below for more fiber diameter information.

Fiber Size:

Kid mohair: comes from the first clip (the goat is about 6 months old). 23-30 microns.
Mohair: 25-45 microns. More body and luster than kid mohair.

If you're unsure of whether you or someone you are knitting or crocheting for can tolerate mohair, here is are some ideas you can try:

• can they tolerate regular wool? If not, either avoid mohair or try the kid mohair and hope for the best.
• if the person you are making the item for is available, try the softness test: hold the skein of yarn for 10-15 minutes, (even try it in your local yarn store!) If the person doesn't have any complaints, it's smooth sailing!

Mohair Fiber Facts:

• wrinkle resistant
• more compact and dense than wool, therefore is smoother and more slippery than wool.
• dyeing it? Good choice. It absorbs dyes well.
• fire resistant. Hopefully you never have to test this.

Check out some pictures from the Magical Mohair feature in Vogue Knitting!