Knitting has been around for a long time. Historians say that its first appearance was in the 13th century in England. Felted caps that were used by sailors and soldiers. Today, many people knit as a form of fun and as a creative outlet. When asked, people who like to knit and crochet, at least 65% say they do it because it is a great creative outlet, about 51% say they enjoy creating things for their friends and family. For 44% of knitters and crocheters say they enjoy the sense of accomplishment. There are a lot of ways to make the art of knitting more creative. Using fun and interesting yarns and fabrics is one way. Mohair yarn can be used to create items that look and feel luxurious.
Mohair yarn is produced by wool from the Angora goat. When people think of this kind of yarn, they think of a lustrous sheen and a silky texture. Mohair yarn looks luxurious but it is also very lightweight, durable, breathable and strong. It may not look like it but the natural fiber yarn also makes for a fantastic insulator.
The knitting yarn is very good at accepting dye but the way it absorbs the colors from the dye are not accepted by the fabric in a uniform manner. This actually is one of the reasons that mohair yarn and mohair products are so sought after, the color variations make it one of the most beautiful yarns around. The fabrics that are made from mohair do not pill, they resist matting and crushing. Another benefit is that it resists stretching.
Care needs to be taken when cleaning garments and other products that were made with mohair yarn. They need to be dry cleaned or hand washed. The least amount of agitation of the fabric while it is wet needs to be applied as this can change the shape of the item when the mohair item is wet. You can wet block or steam block it. If needed, a cool iron can be used.
Knitting with mohair yarn has its own challenges as it is a thinner yarn. Here are some tips to creating items with the yarn:
- Use a needle that is not the same color as the mohair yarn. One problem with yarns that are more hairy, is that they tend to blend together when knitters count their stitches on their needles. This makes it hard to tell the stitches apart. One way to deal with this and make the counting of the stitches easier if the knitting needles that are used be a different color from the yarn. The contrast really helps with the process.
- Freeze your knitting project for certain tasks. From time to time, knitters have to unravel some of their work. If that is the case when working with mohair yarn, one thing knitters can do is freeze the whole thing in a zip lock bag. By taking this step, it can become a lot easier to undo the work without the fibers in the yarn breaking up or sticking together.
- Pay close attention to where you are. You need to know what row you are on but that can be challenging when working with mohair yarn. Some people find it is helpful to use a row counter or just take notes as they knit. Unlike when you use other kinds of yarn, it is not as easy to tell where you are just by looking at the piece. This becomes even more true when the pattern is a lacy one.
- Rewind the yarn. At the end of the knitting session, one way to prevent knotting and tangling is to rewind the ball of yarn before putting it away for the night.
- Knit in the light. It can be easy not be able to see what you are doing when you are knitting with a yarn like this. It is often helpful to use a special light and definitely wear reading glasses if you have them and use them for reading. This is more important with mohair yarn than other kinds.
There are a lot of benefits to knitting with mohair yarn. It is pretty, versatile and allows people to create a wide variety of wool products that look luxurious and opulent.
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