Mohair is the fleece of the Angora goat. Kid mohair is spun from the fiber of the young Angora goat; it has shorter fibers, but is very soft and fluffy.

The goat is sheered every four to six months and it's fleece is separated, blended and spun into yarn.

Mohair is exceedingly warm and lightweight. It's long fibers are actually more like hair than other animal fibers. The fibers from different breeds have varying crimpiness, silkiness and lengths.

Like wool, mohair fleece contains a natural grease, but it is harder to remove than that of sheep's wool.

Because of it's fiber structure, mohair takes up dye exceptionally well, and has a beautiful shine.

Mohair is also known for its characteristic "halo" in a finished item - the fluffiness that surrounds the garment. The halo is enhanced when the fiber is brushed with a special brush available at yarn stores.

Mohair has long fibers but is a bit less durable than wool. For this reason, it is often blended or plied with wool or nylon to give extra strength. You may not want to use mohair for making socks, but it is great for just about any other project.

All animal fibers have the possibility of pilling, and this is somewhat determined by the way the yarn is spun or manufactured. For instance, a single-ply yarn might pill more readily than a yarn with more plies (or strands spun together).

Like wool, mohair will felt easily, and makes a very fluffy item. Check the yarn label carefully before choosing a mohair for felting, since they are often blended with nylon, as discussed above.

Mohair fiber is susceptible to attack by moths, so use mothballs to protect yarn, fiber and garments. If you don't like the odor, periodically place the yarn or garment in a plastic bag in the freezer for 48 hours to kill moth larvae. You should also air out stored fibers in the sun every now and then.

Always read and use the care instructions on your yarn's label. If you need help interpreting the symbols used on the label, check our Yarn Label Symbols page.

Generally, you can hand wash mohair. Skein Lane recommends using a wool washing product such as Eucalan, and tepid water (not cold). Never use Woolite, as it contains a bleaching agent that can discolor your yarn. You may add touch of hair conditioner to rinse water for extra softness.

To prevent bleeding when washing hand-dyed yarns, add 1/4 cup of vinegar to the wash and rinse water. This will set the dyes and make the garment softer.

Do not wring or twist the wet item. Wrap in a towel and gently squeeze out the excess water. Then lay the item flat to dry.

When dry, mohair can be brushed with a special brush to give it extra fluffiness and bring out its cloudlike halo.

Some popular mohair and mohair blends at Skein Lane:

• Fine Kid - Anny Blatt
• Dune - Trendsetter
• Kidsilk Haze - Rowan
• Showstopper - Ironstone Yarns

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