What is Mohair wool?

Mohair wool is made from the fleece of the Angora goat. This goat has been known in Tibet for 4000 years. This wool is known to be a thermal insulator for hot and cold. It is used to make sweaters, socks, shawls, scarves, hats and mittens. Some people also use it to make blankets.

The fibers of young goats are the most flexible and are used to make yarns for clothing. The fibers from mature goats are used to produce things such as carpets.

Characteristics of the fiber:

• Solidity and durability
• Very high elasticity resumes its shape
• Shrink resistant
• Important insulating properties that retain body heat in cold weather and protect from heat in hot summer weather
• Natural resistance against bacteria.

The production of Mohair wool

Mowing is done twice a year, in the spring and fall. A goat can produce 11 to 17 pounds (5-8 kg) of Mohair per year. The trim is done on a clean-swept floor and extra care is taken to keep the fibers clean and free of debris. The fibers are then processed to remove natural grease, dirt and vegetable matter.

South Africa is the world’s largest producer of Mohair, producing about 50% of total world production. Angora goats are raised in France and Quebec.

History

The origin of the word “angora” comes from the presence of Anatolia and a distortion of the name of the city of Ankara. The difference between Mohair and Angora wool? Mohair comes from Angora goats’ wool while Angora rabbit’s hair is called Angora.

Mohair is one of the oldest textile fibers used. The Angora goat comes from the mountains of Tibet, reaching Turkey in the 16th century. However, the fabric made of Mohair was known in England as early as the 8th century. Around 1820, raw Mohair was first exported from Turkey to England, which became the first Mohair product manufacturer. Until 1849, the Turkish province of Ankara was the only producer of Angora goats. Charles V would be the first to bring Angora goats to Europe. Due to the high demand for Mohair fiber throughout the 1800s, there was a lot of crossbreeding between Angora goats and common goats.

In December 2006, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2009 the International Year of Natural Fibers, to raise the profile of Mohair and other natural fibers.

A beautiful project with Mohair wool

This is Andrea Mowry’s beautiful pattern “Birds of a feathers” made with mohair.

You will need :

• 2 skeins of fingering bare yarn (110g)
• 1 skein of lace mohair bare yarn (50g)

To make this beautiful shawl, you must buy the pattern on Ravelry. https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/birds-of-a-feather-14