Pros and Cons of Crocheting with Mohair Yarn

I recently worked with mohair yarn for the first time. I discovered that I don’t like working with mohair. However, this doesn’t have anything to do with the way it crochets up. It’s just that I don’t like fuzzy yarns, and although there are some variations, mohair is basically a really fuzzy yarn.

It’s what makes most people like it (fuzzy and soft!), but it’s not appealing to me. I would never buy a mohair sweater in the store, so why I thought I’d want to work with mohair yarn is beyond me. Still, it was a good experience, and it did get me really curious about mohair yarn.

I’ve done some research into this yarn, and I’ve got that info for you here. However, I know that many of you have probably worked with mohair yarn more than me, so I’d love to know if you agree with my findings and if you have anything else to add to what I’ve learned!

My Mohair Experience

pet crochet

The mohair yarn that I used is a discontinued brand, which I won for free on Listia. It’s Filpucci Mousse yarn from Italy. It is a 70% mohair, 30% silk blend that comes about 50 yards to a ball. I worked with a pretty light blue-green color, and it was definitely a soft yarn to work with. In fact, it didn’t shed a lot so as far as fuzzy yarns go, it wasn’t really that bad. I used it to make a doggie sweater consisting primarily of two large granny squares.

Mohair Grades

The most important thing that I learned in my mohair yarn research is that mohair fiber is graded based on the coarseness of the fiber and different grades are going to work up very differently. There are five grades: Super Kid, Kid, Yearling, Fine Adult and Adult with super kid being the finest (softest) and adult the most coarse. It seems that Yearling and Fine Adult are the best choices for the widest variety of products. The coarser types of mohair are generally more affordable than the finer ones but of course aren’t as high quality to work with.

Reasons People Love Mohair

I may not love mohair but a lot of people do and here are some of the reasons why:

  • Softness. It’s not as soft as cashmere or baby alpaca but it’s a soft yarn with a fluffy texture.
  • It reflects light. A cool effect is created that many people enjoy.
  • It dyes well. It really soaks up the color of the dye so when dyed well it will come in very vivid hues.
  • It is a natural fiber but it does not felt like wool does.
  • Mohair stays very warm even when made to create lightweight garments.
  • Mohair is durable. I was surprised to read this multiple times in my research since it feels so fragile. Is it true?!

Mohair Yarn Cons

Some of the things that people seem to not like so much about crocheting with mohair include:

  • It can be pricey. It’s considered a luxury yarn. That said, there are big box brands that offer it affordable rates and you can always get it at a discount.
  • It needs some washing attention. Mohair doesn’t require quite the extensive handwashing as pure wool but it generally needs to be washed carefully and line dried. It’s a hassle to people who are used to washable acrylics but may not be a problem for other crocheters.
  • Mohair can produce skin irritation. Like wool, it can be itchy and uncomfortable for some people although many people who can’t wear wool can still comfortably wear mohair.
So, tell me, is this information correct based on your mohair yarn experience?
Kathryn

San Francisco based and crochet-obsessed writer, dreamer and creative spirit!

7 thoughts on “Pros and Cons of Crocheting with Mohair Yarn”

  1. Thanks for your article. You have covered a lot of information and it is interesting to compare notes. I certainly agree with your observations and would like to emphasise that the feel of mohair is quite variable depending on the age of the animal, the length of the fibres, the consitution of the fibre mix in the yarn etc. It is a matter of carefully matching the mohair attributesof your particular yarn to the type of project.  I do love the little doggy jacket – the colour is very pretty indeed and both the jacket and the dog look soft and sweet.

  2. Undoing or frogging mohair is a pain. I read somewhere, & can`t remember where, that the trick is to put the work in the freezer for 10 minutes. I found this did work if I went slowly. I did redo the freezer bit a couple of times.

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