Qualities
Mohair is the fibre shorn from Angora Goats. It has the unique characteristic of being both very soft and incredibly strong, with a brilliant lustre that endures through dyeing. The finest fibre usually comes from an Angora Goat's first shearing and is referred to as Kid Mohair; it makes beautifully soft yarns with a noticeable halo for next to the skin garments and baby wear. Yearling Mohair is often from the goat's second shearing and, while only slightly less soft than Kid Mohair, it is extremely strong, making it an ideal fibre for blending into products that need to be both soft and durable, such as our Softest White Wool Mohair Socks.
This is a pair of our Softest White Wool Mohair Ankle Socks
The washed locks from Kid and Yearling mohair have a tight wave and are sought after for adding texture to felted pieces, lustre to hand-spun yarns, and for use as doll hair and teddy bear fur. We sell mohair locks in both natural white and assorted dyed colours.
These felted wrist warmers feature mohair locks on the surface, giving them brilliant shine and amazing texture.
Coarser fibre is called Adult Mohair and is usually shorn from older animals. It is as strong as natural fibre comes and is used to make hard wearing upholstery fabrics, rugs, and, famously in North America, for making cinches for Western riding saddles.
History
Prized for these exceptional fibre qualities, Angora Goats were treasured possessions in their native Turkey for thousands of years and their export was tightly controlled, making mohair products rare and highly sought after. More recently (in the last few hundred years) Angora Goats have been raised throughout the world, making mohair available for fibre enthusiasts everywhere to enjoy.
Thank you to Spring Harvest Farm for the goat photos. They are an Alberta goat farm that offers many fine mohair products custom processed from their own fibre.
References:
D. Robson & C. Ekarius. The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook (2011). Storey Publishing, North Adams, MA.
