Over the last few years, mohair has become an increasingly popular fibre in the world of yarn crafts; we’ve all seen the iconic sweaters that use mohair held together with sock yarn, or blankets woven with wool and mohair. But what’s actually so great about this fabulous fibre? Let’s look at some of the properties that make mohair great for knitting, crochet, weaving, and more—and how some of them might not be what you expect!
What’s Mohair Made Of?
Mohair is one of the world’s oldest textile fibres, made from the hair of Angora goats. These goats are typically raised in warm climates, such as South Africa or even Texas. Over time, they’ve been selectively bred so that their coarse outer coats, which many goat breeds have, have almost been eliminated, leaving them with a soft, fine undercoat.
Like wool, mohair is mostly made up of the protein keratin (yep, the same thing our hair and fingernails are made of). Both wool and mohair fibres are covered with an outer layer of microscopic scales. These scales grip each other and are what makes felting possible, but that’s a topic for a whole other article in itself. More importantly, the structure of the scales is what gives mohair unique properties from wool fibre. While wool scales overlap, giving the fibre a rough texture, mohair scales lie almost flat. Not only that, but mohair has roughly half the number of scales that most wools do. Finally, mohair fibres themselves are much longer than wool fibres. All together, these qualities give mohair the attributes we’ll discuss below.
Mohair Properties
Fibre structures are all very well, but why do they matter to our projects? Here are the main qualities that give mohair a different look and feel than wool:
- The length of mohair fibres gives yarns spun from them greater structural integrity, meaning that mohair is less prone to pilling, breaking, and wearing than most wools. While it may seem counterintuitive since mohair is usually considered a luxury fibre, mohair blends can be perfect for hard-wearing items such as socks. Hence SweetGeorgia’s Mohair Silk Sock!
- Longer fibre length doesn’t just mean a stronger yarn. Wool’s shorter, curlier fibres tend to stick out in different microscopic directions, giving it the signature spring and elasticity we all know and love. But mohair beats wool for drape, since it’s long fibres lie flat and in relatively the same direction.
- Mohair’s flat scales and longer fibre length catch the light beautifully, giving mohair yarns a stunning sheen.
Mohair is similar to wool in the way it accepts dye, reacts to heat, and ages. It’s also more expensive, but a little goes a long way.
More than Fluff
All that talk about strength, drape, and lustre would seem to beg the question: but isn’t mohair delicate and fuzzy? We’re all used to seeing airy, cloudlike mohair/silk blend yarns such as SweetGeorgia’s Silk Mist base. However, Silk Mist and other laceweight mohair yarns are technically brushed mohair. The long, lustrous, smooth mohair fibres are, well, brushed to create that iconic fluff. But mohair doesn’t have to be fluffy! As in SweetGeorgia’s Mohair Silk yarns, unbrushed mohair is shiny, durable, and drapey. When used intentionally, both types can elevate your projects with mohair glory.
Uses for Mohair
Now that we’ve gone over just a few of the qualities that make mohair awesome, it’s time for application: what kinds of projects can benefit from mohair? The short answer is “all of them”—but here are some ideas to get you started.
Projects that are perfect for unbrushed mohair include:
- Socks! The strength and lustre of mohair makes for durable socks with a touch of elegance. However, be aware that since mohair is less elastic than wool, it’ll be important to swatch and make sure the final fabric has the same fit and spring you like in your wool socks.
- Shawls, or anything that needs drape. This is where mohair’s lesser elasticity has its time to shine. Not only does it block beautifully, but the finished item will be slinky and luxurious.
- Mohair makes for sturdy sweaters you can wear season after season with little pilling, but the sheen elevates them for dressier occasions.
If it’s brushed mohair you love, never fear. Shawls, other neck accessories, and sweaters could always do with a bit of fluff. Unless you’re going for a diaphanous lace shawl in laceweight mohair, try holding it double with another, heftier yarn for a rich, soft fabric.
I hope this article has inspired you to look twice at mohair, and given you some inspiration for incorporating it into your projects. Happy crafting!
