Mohair is a type of yarn that contains about 85% angora wool. Naturally fluffy long goat hair is used for knitting warm women's hats, jumpers and shawls, gives finished products softness, does not irritate the skin and does not provoke allergies.
Characteristics of yarn
Mohair is a light, soft yarn that is particularly strong, fleecy and has good thermal conductivity. It is easy to dye and, with proper care, retains its original qualities for a long time.
Unlike other materials, mohair:
- due to the combination of goat wool with acrylic and silk threads, it is characterized by high strength and durability;
- does not provoke allergic reactions and is suitable for making children's items;
- wear-resistant and pleasant to the touch material;
- It does not twist when knitting, and items made from it are protected from pilling.
Unlike angora yarn, which is made from rabbit wool, mohair is made from goat hair. When acrylic or silk threads are added, it becomes highly wear-resistant and is also less susceptible to contamination, retaining its original appearance for a long time. Angora yarn, on the contrary, is characterized by increased fluffiness, which leads to stretching of the threads and damage to the fabric.
Types of mohair
There are several types:
| Kid Mohair | Made from the first shorn wool of a 1.5 year old kid, the yarn is soft, hypoallergenic and suitable for creating children's items. |
| Goating Mohair | The thread obtained from the wool of 2-year-old kids (second shearing) is quite strong and soft, but also has a good density, which allows it to be used to create a dense pattern. |
| Adult Mohair | Yarn made from adult goat wool is thick and dense enough to be used for making adult clothing. |
Advantages and disadvantages of mohair
Goat hair makes up 10 to 85% of the yarn composition. It is not recommended to use 100% animal hair due to the low strength of the material, which increases with the addition of silk or acrylic threads.
| Pros of yarn | Disadvantages of the material |
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Features in work
Mohair is widely used to make women's and men's clothing, as well as blankets, shawls and scarves. Such items (sweaters, overalls and hats) that do not prick the child's body and do not provoke skin irritation and allergic reactions are especially popular with parents of children aged 0 to 10 years.
Goat wool yarn is not like regular knitting yarn and is easy to work with. Experts advise following a number of specific rules, including:
- Selecting knitting needles one size larger than the thickness of the yarn. This is due to the fact that the softness and fluffiness of the finished fabric is largely lost with dense knitting. To knit elastic, the knitting needles must be changed to one size smaller than those previously used.
- The need to pull the thread tightly while knitting will prevent sagging and allow the product to retain its original shape for a long time.
Experts also note that even thin mohair yarn has good thermal conductivity and do not recommend using it for making summer clothing.
How to choose threads for knitting
The choice of yarn is of particular importance. Experts recommend that before buying, carefully examine the skein, pull the end of the thread and assess the strength of the twist. Then the ball should be squeezed into a fist and checked for creaking, indicating the presence of synthetic fiber in the mohair.
For greater durability of the products, it is recommended to add regular spool thread of the corresponding shade to the mohair yarn when knitting.
You should also pay attention to the brand of the manufacturer, since the highest quality mohair yarn is produced by:
- YarnArt. A popular Turkish brand specializing in the production of monochrome and sectional goat hair yarn.
- Alize, producing skin-friendly, wear-resistant threads used for outerwear and accessories.
- Neveline. An Italian brand that produces high quality knitting materials.
You can find products from Asian manufacturers on the market, but experts advise you to carefully check their quality before buying.
Mohair jumper
You can knit a jumper from mohair with knitting needles for women according to the pattern, and before constructing it, you need to take measurements and make a sample of the pattern, depending on which the number of required rows and loops is determined.
Measurements used:
| DL (jumper length) | The measurement is taken from the neckline to the desired length of the product. |
| WHI (product width) | Corresponds to the chest volume + 6-8 cm (for a loose fit of the product) or can match any selected item from the wardrobe. |
| SL (sleeve length) | The measuring tape should measure the distance from the beginning of the shoulder joint to the wrist. |
| ШР (sleeve width) | Corresponds to the biceps circumference + 5-6 cm (for a loose fit of the product). |
When making a pattern, the following is added to each measurement taken:
- 4-5 cm for a regular model;
- 10-15 cm to create an oversized product.
To knit a jumper you will need:
- 300-400 g of fine mohair (300 m/100 g);
- circular knitting needles No. 5.
The jumper is knitted in 2 layers with a loose fit to the chest circumference of 5-10 cm. The formation of the pattern begins at the neck, and then gradually descends to the bottom of the product.
Steps to create a jumper:
| For front and back | Required:
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| For sleeves | Need to:
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Sew the knitted pieces of the front, back and sleeves. The neck is formed from 5 rows of garter stitch.
Mohair sweater
You can knit a mohair sweater with a "pearl pattern" for women by alternating front and back loops. The voluminous oversized model involves knitting an elastic band on the neck, sleeves and at the bottom of the product. To create the model, you will need Easy Molle yarn - 900 g (60 m / 100 g) and knitting needles No. 10. Knitting begins from the bottom of the product.
In progress:
| For the back | Required:
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| For the front | The work is carried out in the same way as the first canvas. You also need:
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| For sleeves | Need to:
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| To assemble the product | It follows:
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To create a "pearl pattern":
- in the 1st row, make one front and one back loop;
- in each subsequent row, knit the front loops as purl loops and vice versa.
The elastic is formed by alternating front and back loops (1*1).
Mohair scarf
You can knit a scarf from mohair with knitting needles for women using the front (stocking) stitch. Particular attention should also be paid to the length of the product, which is at least 18.5 cm (which allows you to wrap it around your neck several times).
To work you will need:
- 200 g of fine mohair Kid;
- straight knitting needles No.5.
The drawing used:
Work on the product begins with the production of a control sample, for which it is necessary:
- from 20 loops cast on with knitting needles + 2 edge loops, knit 10 rows.
- count the loops and rows in 1 cm of fabric and determine the width of the scarf, which is 40 cm, since 3 loops correspond to 120 loops of the first row of the product (40 * 3).
When working on a scarf, you need to:
- Cast on 120 stitches and knit the 1st row with front stitches.
- Turn the product over and complete the 2nd row with purl stitches.
- Alternate rows throughout the work, removing the 1st edge loop at the beginning of each new one.
- Knit a rectangular piece (without adding or removing stitches) until the length reaches 1.8 m. Then close all stitches at the same time.
- Spray the finished product with water, place it, spread it out well, on a towel and let it dry.
Mohair Scarf Shawl
To create a scarf-shawl with an openwork pattern, it is recommended to use thin, single-color yarn and choose knitting needles 2-3 sizes smaller. The length of the finished product is 140 cm with a width of 45 cm, and it is sewn from 2 halves.
Materials required:
- 3 skeins of Kid Seta Super thread with parameters 210m/25g;
- plastic or wooden knitting needles No. 3.5;
- additional knitting needle-pin.
Model diagram:
To create a shawl-scarf you will need:
- Cast on 106 stitches and knit 4 rows in garter stitch (No. 2).
- Form an openwork pattern so that the pattern repeat is: 4 loops (No. 2) + 7 loops (No. 1) + 4 loops (No. 2).
- Knit the fabric until it measures 70 cm, then knit the next 3 front loops and remove them onto a pin.
- Make the second part of the scarf-shawl in a similar manner and join them with a stitch (“loop in loop”).
- Spray the finished product with water and dry on a horizontal surface.
Mohair hat
You can knit a Tokari hat from mohair with knitting needles for women, the trend of the 2022 season, using warm and voluminous high-quality Italian yarn. The length of the product is at least 45 cm, and it itself should fit tightly to the head, but at the same time not squeeze it, leaving marks.
Before purchasing yarn, it is recommended to make calculations by first taking measurements and determining:
- Depth of the product - by laying a measuring tape from the earlobe to the center of the crown.
- Head circumference - measuring its circumference at the most protruding part (around the back of the head and forehead). For a tighter fit, you can subtract 1.5 cm from the obtained value.
The Tokari hat has a wide cuff, for which its desired length must be multiplied by 2 so that it is at least 35-45 cm.
The model is made from 1.5 m of warm, single-color mohair yarn of any thickness, and to create it you will need:
- Cast on an initial row of 70 stitches and close them into a ring.
- Knit in English stitch in circular rows for 33-35 cm (the final value may vary depending on the planting depth).
- Make a decrease to form the crown by knitting: 1 row of knit stitch with yarn over + purl slit with purl stitch. Ripper is repeated to the end of the row and 2 subsequent ones.
- Decrease the fabric: knit stitch + purl stitch. The next 2 rows are knitted entirely with knit stitches.
- Next, with each subsequent row, decrease by knitting 2 loops together.
- On a row of 8 loops, cut the thread and pull it in the opposite direction with a hook, tighten the loops (closing the hole at the top), and hide the remaining thread on the wrong side.
If desired, you can decorate the headdress with a pompom, brooch or rhinestones.
Mohair dress
The mohair dress is made from 1.5 m of yarn and wooden (plastic) knitting needles No. 2.
Before starting work, measurements are taken to help determine:
- waist circumference value;
- back height (the distance from the neckline to the waist point);
- the neck circumference multiplied by 2;
- sleeve length 3⁄4 (from the forearm).
Product diagram:
Knitting begins from the bottom of the product:
| For front/back |
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| For the sleeve |
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| Assembling the product |
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Mohair skirt
You can knit a women's skirt from mohair using a crochet hook or knitting needles of sizes 3.5, 4 and 5. Italian yarn Kid mohair (70% wool/30% silk) with a meterage of 1000 m per 100 g is also used for work.
During the work process you need to:
- Cast on 2000 stitches and knit 15 rows in a circle according to the given pattern 1, alternating it with rows of front stitches.
- To widen the skirt, starting from the 15th row, add 3 loops (about 400 pcs.) and knit the items according to pattern 2.
- Try on the skirt, then knit its end with the 3rd pattern, adding 2-4 loops to the rapport in each row. If necessary, several knitted rows of the product can be unraveled.
- Unravel the additional thread on 80 loops from the top and, having cast on 120 loops, knit: 5 cm with front loops + a row of back loops + 5 cm with front loops.
- Insert a 5 cm wide elastic band into the top of the skirt and close the rows with a crochet hook.
- The finished skirt needs to be sprayed with water from a spray bottle and hung to dry. The length of the product is 72 cm.
If desired, the finished skirt can be embroidered along the hem with artificial pearls or rhinestones.
How to care for mohair items
Dry clean only for Kid Mohair and Goating Mohair products. Hand or machine washing may damage the product. Adult Mohair products can be hand washed with mild shampoo or special products.
When using a washing machine, select the "wool" mode and place the garment in a special laundry bag before starting the procedure.
Mohair items can only be dried on a horizontal surface in a straightened form. It is not recommended to dry items in the sun due to the risk of rapid fading of the fabric. Ironing with a hot iron is not allowed. Only ironing items with a non-hot iron with a steam function is possible.
It is recommended to store clothes made from goat wool on shelves in a closet or on a hanger. Since the material is very attractive to moths, it is recommended to place a lavender sachet, cotton swabs soaked in fir oil or dried orange peels in the closet beforehand.
The very popular mohair yarn is made from warm goat wool, for great density and elasticity, mixed with silk and acrylic threads.
Suitable for knitting or crocheting women's jumpers, dresses, sweaters and shawls, it has good thermal conductivity, softness and dirt-repellent properties, which allows finished products to retain their original appearance for a long time with proper care.
Video about mohair
How to Knit and Wear Mohair: