Mohair and Suri really are lovely accompaniments to many knitting projects and today I want to talk about why you may want to try them out for yourself. I also share a few pointers along the way. Enjoy! ❤
Great points! I was waiting until the end for this point but I think it never came up. Adding mohair will add strength, hence prevent peeling of the soft fabric! If you are knitting with 100% merino wool that is extremely soft, adding mohair adds durability and easy care component! Also, some mohairs are more hairy and toothy than others. I tried Italian mohair with beautiful halo but it was too scratchy for me 😢
I learned that silk mohair can be used to strengthen the fabric of knitted socks. When you knit holding a strand of silk mohair together with a strand of wool yarn is like adding nylon to the yarn and it'll help socks to be more durable. It was said that silk is nature's polyester. Its a good way to eliminate plastic in your knit projects as sock yarns usually contain nylon in the content.
Thank you for this video. I never understood why everyone seemed to buy 2 separate yarns all the time. I felt like I was missing something and I am glad I watched your video to know this is NOT for me. I don’t like the halo look, I think it makes a sweater look tired and like its been through the dryer too many times (only my opinion so hope I don’t offend as I know you seem to like the halo look). I also find my knitwear too warm as it is so I definitely don’t want to add to that. So again thanks for the video, I now know this isn’t for me 😂
It seems that all of a sudden we need two strands of yarn for every project. And the only reason I can see for this is to sell twice as many skeins at well over $10 or $20 a skein. Making a nice knitting project turn into 100s of dollars...There goes another enjoyable hobby!
@@kathyfaulk710yes, it seems so. I just started knitting and watched a lot of videos beforehand. I only knitted scarfs before. I've seen someone summing up the costs of a sweater to around $300. But I think it was also because she didn't Swatch beforehand and needed even more expensive yarn. I don't mind a bit of fluffy halo though. I might try it at some point.
I made a Felix in just one strand of Plotulopi. It is one of my most worn pullovers ever. It is super lightweight and because it is airy, it is super warm. So yes, one could want to knit with just a single strand and nothing else. A single strand is somewhere about a sport weight. The blue of the one you are wearing is absolutely gorgeous on my monitor. I don't usually use blue, but I feel like I would be happy with that one. :)
Hi Tayler. I really appreciated this video. Most of the knitters I follow seem to ALWAYS use Suri/Mohair with their regular yarn. I rarely do because I find it a bit pricey and was never really sure what I might have been missing out on. Your vid was perfect in helping explain that to me so I can now make a much more informed choice about whether I want to spend the extra. 😊❤😊
To be more budget friendly, I tend to use mohair and suri with budget yarn--as mentioned below. I also use it with small projects like hats and shawls/scarves. I've also found that using it with older stash yarn feels more budget friendly. It's an illusion, but it works for me. ;)
Introduction on mohair and suri at the beginning is super helpful! I’d like to add that mohair also adds strength and hence less peeling of the fabric 😉😊
I recently purchased my first mohair yarn with Christmas yarn money, and since I've never worked with it before, I'm planning to try it out first on a slipover vest! Less yarn investment, and perfectly wearable over something else if I find it prickly :)
Hi Tayler, thanks for the great video on mohair and suri silk lace weight. I have been using both options on at least half of my projects... and I definitely like the extra warmth factor because I live in a cold weather climate. I also wanted to put in a positive 'plug' for laceweight 100% alpaca (with no silk content). I recently used ' Isager Alpaca 1' held double with a Worsted yarn to make a lux balaclava for my daughter. At ~ 12 USD per 50 g/ 437 yards, it is definitely more economical than the other options with silk. It is not quite as "full" in adding fluffy extra softness as Suri Alpaca silk lace, but it still does add a very nice softness, drape and subtle halo when held double with other yarns. I will definitely be using it again in future projects.
I hope your mom gets well soon, knees are jerks ;), but hopefully the new one behaves! This is an interesting topic because I see a LOT of patterns with mohair + another yarn and I don't know if I love the halo or if I'm just slightly "scared" by the halo and short fibers that make me think it would be difficult to frog should I need it (and I'm green enough that I know... I would need to frog sometimes XD)... back to watch the video now!
I haven't knit an adult-size item with mohair incorporated, but I've done a few baby items. It's lovely, but it IS a huge PITA to frog in my opinion. I'm pretty sure I just trashed the thing I was working on because it was small and I hadn't gotten very far. Maybe someone more patience or skilled than me could do it ... :)
Having made a few brioche scarves in contrasting mohair coloursI have to say that not all mohair is created equal - Rowan Kidsilk Haze is one of the best in quality terms, plus it has one of the largest colour palettes. The cheaper mohair can be quite scratchy on the hands when making, or will never produce a good halo. Blocking of a item knitted in 100% mohair feels very counter-intuitive, given how light it is and the look of fragility, but the silk makes it suprisingly tough and blocking has the effect of creating the very best halo, making it bloom completely, and really helps the stitches settle out properly, a real night and day difference from the unblocked fabric.
I appreciate your work, your videos are so very cognitive and full of information😊 I've worked for some months in a local yarn shop after I've just started to knit. And there I've got acquainted with many types of yarn. An interesting fact about kid mohair is that in my country and in some neighboring countries it is very trendy to knit sweaters with one strand of this yarn and using big needles. We call them "pautinka", what comes from a "spider". Well it makes sense because it looks airy, one can even see your bra underneath, if you decide to wear it with bra only. Such jumper requires 3-5 balls of kid mohair, depending on size and needles. It looks very feminine and refined as well, and can be worn on different occasions, in summer evenings, for a date at a restaurant, on a daily basis. And I was surprised not see such garments in American or Scandinavian knitting world. I'm from Belarus. It's not quite so far from Scandinavia but there are so many differences in our cultures and this is one of them)
Your tulip sweater is beautiful - love that yarn combination. Some people may dislike the mohair trend, but I love the softness and luxe it brings to an otherwise simple garment. When a pattern calls for DK weight, I tend to hold fingering and mohair to give a lighter weight garment that somewhat maintains the overall stitch count.
That old video was my gateway into WNH! Love it! It’s a good one! 🥰 And.. Wet Seal in the 90s….. yessss. 🤣🤣 Living in SouthAlabama, I too, am fascinated by the idea of using the mohair along with a different base that has some cotton in it to see if that would help with temperature regulation. My Frank is gonna be… warm. 😆
When I lived in south Florida I could not imagine knitting with mohair. Now that I’m in a more temperate climate I have made a few garments with it and love it.
I had a green-gold- ivory variegated yarn that worked up looking like fancy camouflage 🤣. I added a natural undyed color mohair which really toned down the camo look.
I crochet not knit and I love the way mohair's fluffiness will sort of fill the gaps in looser crochet stitches. Especially if I want a garment to retain a bit more heat without spending way more time on a more solid/tight stitch.
Also Look at Joji Locatelli’s brand new release, the Milton cardigan, which has beautiful stripes of regular yarn alternating with mohair. Another (cheaper) way to get unique elegance.
I’m actually knitting my first sweater pairing merino with mohair. The merino is fingering and didn’t look nice on its own. With the mohair it’s gorgeous. Thanks for addressing those questions ❤️
Agree that swatching to see if you like working with mohair/suri held with another yarn is good, but sometimes a swatch doesn’t tell much because it’s so small and flat. And unless you have a friend who’s gifted you some mohair remnants, you would likely have to buy a ball to swatch with anyway. So I would suggest to go ahead and make a simple hat/beanie with the mohair and the whatever you want to hold it with, because a ball of, for example, kid silk haze is more than enough to carry along in a hat.
A few dyers have started selling a suri that is the same weight as mohair, so approximately 420 yards/50 g of suri, which is awesome! Also, several dyers have started offering a floofy lace weight yarn that is merino or cashmere instead of mohair or suri! I love all of the new floofy options!
Yes! I actually sell a Suri just like this, however I would still say that it’s wise to allow for a bit more weight than a Mohair. Suri blooms quite a bit when dyed.
I knit several sweaters with mohair but sadly severely react to mohair. So I switched to suri a while ago and my skin deals much better with it, for me it feels softer, not itchy at all and no skin reactions.
@@numsidumsragitsch I live in Europe so the availability might be different. But so far I tried Drops Brushed Alpaka silk and Lana Grossa Setasuri. The Drops one is especially great if you knit on a budget
I found a great alternative to mohair/silk. It's CaMaRose's Midnatssol. It's lace weight and a blend of 54% baby alpaca, 36% tencel and 10% merino. It's really lovely--adds softness and some halo but not as heavy as siri would be. Lots of colors too. Thanks for the talk. Always nice to hear your take on things-very informative. Happy Knitting.
It's a lovely catch-up Sunday, since I'm not into pre-Game activity. I knit a mohair cowl once that is lovely, but you sure didn't want to make a mistake, as the mohair was a bear to rip back! That said, I love the cowl--it is cozy and warm and colorful. I would definitely knit a hat or sweater holding mohair with another yarn. I love how your sweaters knit up and look with the addition of the suri or mohair. Wish I could reach through the screen and touch it! Thanks for sharing another informative post!
I am so loving mohair. I was given about 25 balls of Rowan kidsilk in varying colors - so lucky! I took all the blues and made a beautiful blue wrap…saved the hot colors for a similar project. It’s like knitting with “emperor’s new clothes” weight yarn! Also took 5 skeins of a variegated silk - not crazy about variegated, perhaps just a phase - and held it with a creamy mohair. The sharp color changes were airbrushed out to a creamy whole. More experimenting will be in order for me as I’ve found quite a bit in my stash. I also think it would be fun to take TWO strands of variegated (trying to have the color change changed up, if you follow, for a blended look) with mohair - knitted on bigger needles, the project should look as if it’s been through a cuisinart. Sorry so lengthy. Thanks for your good work here. PS - Moody is ok - we’d never feel the benefit of the sunshine if we didn’t have clouds.
This was really helpful, especially explaining how you need double the yardage of a yarn mentioned for a pattern. That's something I've been confused about. I also didn't know the difference between Mohair and Suri so thanks for explaining that too. Love your channel, keep up the good work!
I was still very beginner when I decided to knit a cream mohair wrap cardigan, it was challenging but it turned out lovely, it provided a very romantic and soft look. So I decided to wear it over a tank top to meet my in-laws. It felt like I rolled myself into poison ivy all night long, but I couldn't take it off... it was a nightmare. Since this, I can even stare at mohair without scratching myself 😂
I have questions that have prevented me from trying mohair. My first question is, does it change the washability of superwash merino (in other words, do I have to worry about felting it?). Also, when knitting with superwash, I know it will grow when blocking. How does the silk/mohair change what to expect in terms of things growing when blocking? Thank you for all of your wonderful videos!
This was very helpful. I have 4 skeins of silk/mohair lace weight that I bought for a project, and they were totally the wrong fiber for the project. Lesson learned. About to watch the video on mohair to see what I can do with it. As a person who has experienced two TKR on my left knee, you were great to be with your mom instead of worrying about this video. I am sure she appreciated your help.
I adore Suri, because Mohair tingles too much on my skin. On the other hand, the Suri alpaca is really soft!!! Thank you for explaining the differences between the two types of yarn. Your pullovers are really beautiful! I'm from Italy, I discover you and your videos recently, and they are very interesting, thank you!!!
I'm knitting the Frankensweater as part of the Patreon, and I'm using Patons wool held together with a Suri silk, and it's giving a marled effect since my Suri is a lighter shade!! I'm freakin loving the fabric it's creating!!
Hi Tayler. Thanks for all the great info you always provide in your videos. My question is whether you think wet blocking vs steam blocking a sweater knit holding a mohair silk strand with a base yarn would make the sweater less itchy/calm down the mohair a bit? Thanks!
Tayler! Your videos are always so informative & awesome to watch. Even though I get jealous when I see all your beautiful sweaters, I can't stop watching because you are absolutely easy to listen to (don't suck your teeth every 5 words) & I learn so much. Thank you for what you do & I wish your Mom a speedy recovery 💜💜💜
My key concern is maintenance. I know you can't shave mohair, and a lot of people say that this is OK because it doesn't pill. However the base yarn surely still will pill, and then I would be left with scruffy handknit that I don't want to wear long before it would otherwise have worn out?
I haven't witnessed any pilling with combining mohair and merino f.e. the halo kind of protects the surface of the merino or any other base yarn...and that is why I like to combine other unfluffy yarns with mohair.
Thank you for this! I'm one of the multiple people who submitted this to the tip line because I ended up with some mohair. Glad I now know how to make it go!
Mohair forever! Modern yarn is way too “nice” for me. I love mohair for that fuzz, it makes a lot of yarn look more of where it came from. But I do find it quite warm…so it’s time for me to get into spinning, haha.
Thank you for this information! I have not heard about combining mohair into projects until I saw a sample at our local yarn shop. How beautiful! I did purchase some to give this a try but the project I chose was challenging so I am looking for another. :)
Not knitting related, but you remind me of one of my favorite actors...a young, Elizabeth Perkins! Circa her "Miracle on 34th St" days (1994). Which by the way, is one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies. It was my daughter's also. My beautiful, amazing Corrina, would have been 37 now, but we lost her when she was 18. You remind me a bit of her as well, which makes me "smile out loud" (my favorite Corrina-ism. Thank you for that, sweet Tayler
Ah Michelle, this is a very touching comment. Thank you so much. I'm so sorry to learn about your daughter, but I'm pleased that I might remind you of her a bit. That means a lot. ❤
Great video. I never heard that Suri increased the weight by 1 1/2, that’s interesting. I LOVE your sweater in which you used the angel rust mohair, I just love the variation in colour, it’s amazing.
absolutely love the effect mohair has in a project, the drape, the color and the supple halo... sadly it's too prickly for me to wear next to skin 😢 so I'm often looking for something like brushed alpaca to get a similar effect with the fluff... not with the color though. Thanks for showing all those wonderful examples!
I love mohair and I use it occasionally. However, here on the NC coast we have very few days cold enough to wear garments enhanced with mohair. I try to use it mostly in large gauge projects….Ranunculus, Lovenote etc.
I have bern using mohair and silk on 3 projects now. 2 were variegated base with solid mohair silk. The sweater I'm working on currently, I reversed the variegated, 2 strands solid base color and a variegated mohair silk.
A great one again Tayler, thank you😊 Your sweaters look beautiful. I'm a great fan of mohair/silk and if one want's to combine mo/si with an other yarn and still keep it fingering weight a lace weight alpaca 400m/50g usually does it, Rowan has a nice one called Fine lace, Isager has one called Alpaca 1 and Holt's Titicaca alpaca has quite a great selection of different colors and shades. I have used all of these and can recommend them if somebody want's to achieve a fingering weight yarn combining those two. Suri and mohair might be a nice combo, not related to my post but just an afterthought. Sorry for rambling for so long.
Hi Taylor, I have lion brand fishermans yarn in oatmeal, want to make the Good Grandpa cardigan by Caidree, but feel the oatmeal colour is boring, would like to pair it with a nice antique pink mohair, do you think that would make it a nice colour.
I love this video!! I really want to make a sweater with mohair or suri. I have watched your variegated mohair video multiple times as I've been looking for the perfect yarn for the sweater. I think the next step is probably to go to a LYS to see what mohair and suri feel like. I'm worried that I may not like how they feel!
Not to forget the beautiful effekt knitting the honeycomb pattern with a light mohair as base and the honeycomb frames with a contrast colored twisted multicolor yarn ( e.g. Zauberball Crazy by Schoppel)
Just came back from your Knitting for Olive video. Considering starting a new knitting project. Won't consider myself a beginner but I'm not the msot advanced at reading complicated charts. Finished my first round yoke jumper in December which took me around a month with some extra for trial and error.
@woolneedleshands thank you for a great video. Did you mention that the fiber accompanying the mohair or the Suri alpaca is somewhere between 25% & 40% silk. What the silk does is also amazing. It sometimes adds shine with Mohair, It can be used to strengthen heels and toes of socks, without using nylon, and to me it just adds body. I often blend silk Mo with alpaca to give it a little less stretch. It can also fill in spaces a little bit if combined with a thin yarn that alone produces a sheer fabric. You are right it is a totally amazing addition to our knits. Is there a difference in softness between less expensive and more expensive yarn? Not including hand dyed…? Shedding or not?
Such a timely video, Tayler. I’d like to knit a sweater with mohair as I have loved the ones you have knit, but I will wait until I am more comfortable knitting sweaters (I have only knit one so far) before I attempt it!
Thanks for your explanation! I asked a similar question on the tip line regarding yarn weight some time ago! This was always confusing in the beginning of my knitting journey😅 I knitted once with Mohair before and love the fabric but it is expensive 😔 and I would love to try suri Alpaka! And I loooove your plettlopi Mohair sweater, the color are amazing ❤🎉
I’ve knit with a few different mohairs in the hopes that one of them wouldn’t be itchy. So far Isager is the winner for me. Hobbii Diablo the absolute itchiest!
So timely for me, I have just received a sweater quantity of Knitting for Olive which will be fingering paired with mohair (woo hoo!). Don't know if this came up but what about knitting only with mohair without pairing it, I have the mohair for another sweater and wondered if there are any tips and tricks for working with mohair alone.
Thank you, Tayler for this info! I have a question ….. I have never purchased the mohair silk combo yarn that is popular ( I hope to someday 😉 ). But, I have some vintage mohair that I inherited that is 100% mohair. I’m not sure how to use it. It is VERY hairy and fairly scratchy…. Not soft at all in my opinion. I have some in beige and some in red. Do you have any thoughts on what to pair it with to make it softer? Also, besides over dyeing, is there a color I can pair the red with to mute it. I’m not a red wearer 😊. Thanks for any thoughts ❤
Hi Taylor, love your channel! So much information and great pattern ideas. Question for you: Superwash wool has a reputation for stretching. Can you “stabilize” superwash by knitting it with a mohair or a suri which I think are not stretchy? Will the mohair/silk or alpaca/silk blend be able to make the superwash behave!? Thanks in advance for your answer😊🧶
I just finished the Wishbone sweater with worsted and suri mohair. In Upstate NY it is now my bear hug sweater. One problem for me is wearing contacts and short fibers getting in my eyes. By the way, im in LV quite often but haven't found any great knit shops. Any suggestion?
Love the tip about helping your gauge along using the mohair / Suri. Am about to try just that. However, the suggestion for helping adjust warmth by using a plant based fiber with the mohair: did not work for me the one time I tried it. It could very much have to do with the mohair I used (Drops kidsilk), which I bought as a new knitter because it was amongst the cheaper mohairs, but have since come to realize it’s too scratchy for me. I held it together with Drops Belle (cotton, viscose, linen) for what I intended to be a summer season sweater 😅. Nope. It is waaaaayyy too warm (and when I‘m warm, I feel the scratch). Not sure if I’ll try it again. I think not.
I started a wool hat yesterday using mohair, my first attemp with mohair. It is OK . Thought the mohair was more variegated, but it is not adding much to my Northfield Valley Yarns in purple haze. So, a learning process. ?Question Can you knit socks with mohair and fingerweight yarn? Thanks for information on using mohair.
Love love love your videos... you just finished convincing me about buying mohair... though I'm new at all this, I am willing to give myself a chance hahaha.. moving on to your video of pairing yarn!
Tayler, Thank you so much for this and the next one about mohair. This is off topic but I absolutely love the ‘heavily modified’ sweater made in plakaloki (sp?) and mohair. I love that sweater and the colors you used. Could you fill me in a little about what you used and how you did it? I want to copy it!🤭
This topic was so timely for me. I was given a skein of Fleece Artist "Mo"" for Christmas which is gorgeous but I was wondering how can I incorporate it into a sweater as it probably isn't enough for that type of project. I love the sweater you shared and the one you are wearing. I will do some more research as I'm thinking it might be too fluffy for a cowl, and don't want to wear it out in slippers or socks, so I'm kind of stumped. I was thinking maybe a vest. I'm sure I'll figure it out, but your video answered my question about yarn "weight" with the combination, so thanks! Hope your Mum has a speedy recovery!
I am currently working on my first ever sweater using ONLY mohair (held double), the Feather Blouse by Yeon Hwa Lee. It is absolutely beautiful! It's both the lightest and the most warm sweater I have ever owned 😍 But my goodness, the yarn bill was over $200 😬 please don't tell my wallet that the next project in my queue is a mohair-only cardigan...
Taylor, is there such a thing as ethically sourced mohair? One that does not compromise the animal at all? I live in UK and have access to Knitting for Olive but when I googled Mohair, it said there is no such thing as ethical mohair. 😢 Would love your thoughts …
I didn't know mohair and suri were all sheered from the baby animals. I've seen online mohair sellers sheering their adult pet goats. I have a store bought mohair, alpaca, wool acrylic sweater that I need to replace. Found a couple of patterns that use dk merino and lace mohair/silk. Now to find the yarn and worst of all, colours. So many to choose from! Edit - oops, I meant this for general comments.
Just got back into knitting and have been wanting to try some more premium fibers this time around. Stumbled across your channel and I’m also in Henderson! Do you sell your yarn in-person here in town?!
Hmmm...throughout I kept thinking that everything Tayler is saying makes sense, but just not me. I do have a couple of skeins of either mohair or suri/silk, so I am inspired to try a small project with them (firepit mitts anyone?).
I found a great deal on a ready made mohair sweater yesterday but after trying it on (it fit great and was a really nice green) decided I wouldn’t be able to handle the prickly factor for long even with a tank underneath…..too bad.
I couldn’t find the link or the pop up to the older video you refer to. Which of your videos discusses combining variegated mohair with a plain base yarn. It’s something I’ve been looking for. Thank you
Hi Taylor, I love the information your videos a lot! Thank you for this informative one. I have a question: are mohair and kid alpaca always combined with silk? Is it possible to just add only mohair? Cause I don't like the way silk is harvested.
Mohair and Suri really are lovely accompaniments to many knitting projects and today I want to talk about why you may want to try them out for yourself. I also share a few pointers along the way. Enjoy! ❤
I'm actually working on a single strand mohair sweater as I watch this 😊❤ fuzz for the win!
Great points! I was waiting until the end for this point but I think it never came up. Adding mohair will add strength, hence prevent peeling of the soft fabric! If you are knitting with 100% merino wool that is extremely soft, adding mohair adds durability and easy care component!
Also, some mohairs are more hairy and toothy than others. I tried Italian mohair with beautiful halo but it was too scratchy for me 😢
Why buy a sweater for $80 when you can make it for $357 😂 It makes so much sense to us knitters
😂 right?!
I learned that silk mohair can be used to strengthen the fabric of knitted socks. When you knit holding a strand of silk mohair together with a strand of wool yarn is like adding nylon to the yarn and it'll help socks to be more durable. It was said that silk is nature's polyester. Its a good way to eliminate plastic in your knit projects as sock yarns usually contain nylon in the content.
Thank you for this video. I never understood why everyone seemed to buy 2 separate yarns all the time. I felt like I was missing something and I am glad I watched your video to know this is NOT for me. I don’t like the halo look, I think it makes a sweater look tired and like its been through the dryer too many times (only my opinion so hope I don’t offend as I know you seem to like the halo look). I also find my knitwear too warm as it is so I definitely don’t want to add to that. So again thanks for the video, I now know this isn’t for me 😂
I couldn’t agree more! But I’m happy to have understood what’s behind the desire to use mohair/suri in a project. To each is own!
It seems that all of a sudden we need two strands of yarn for every project. And the only reason I can see for this is to sell twice as many skeins at well over $10 or $20 a skein. Making a nice knitting project turn into 100s of dollars...There goes another enjoyable hobby!
@@kathyfaulk710yes, it seems so. I just started knitting and watched a lot of videos beforehand.
I only knitted scarfs before.
I've seen someone summing up the costs of a sweater to around $300. But I think it was also because she didn't Swatch beforehand and needed even more expensive yarn.
I don't mind a bit of fluffy halo though. I might try it at some point.
Bless anyone who needs to frog mohair. That said, I have some kid silk that needs using. Great ideas for thought.
I made a Felix in just one strand of Plotulopi. It is one of my most worn pullovers ever. It is super lightweight and because it is airy, it is super warm. So yes, one could want to knit with just a single strand and nothing else. A single strand is somewhere about a sport weight. The blue of the one you are wearing is absolutely gorgeous on my monitor. I don't usually use blue, but I feel like I would be happy with that one. :)
Healing energy for your mom after her surgery!
Hi Tayler. I really appreciated this video. Most of the knitters I follow seem to ALWAYS use Suri/Mohair with their regular yarn. I rarely do because I find it a bit pricey and was never really sure what I might have been missing out on. Your vid was perfect in helping explain that to me so I can now make a much more informed choice about whether I want to spend the extra. 😊❤😊
To be more budget friendly, I tend to use mohair and suri with budget yarn--as mentioned below. I also use it with small projects like hats and shawls/scarves. I've also found that using it with older stash yarn feels more budget friendly. It's an illusion, but it works for me. ;)
Introduction on mohair and suri at the beginning is super helpful! I’d like to add that mohair also adds strength and hence less peeling of the fabric 😉😊
I recently purchased my first mohair yarn with Christmas yarn money, and since I've never worked with it before, I'm planning to try it out first on a slipover vest! Less yarn investment, and perfectly wearable over something else if I find it prickly :)
😆 I’ve never been described this accurately before! I’m Henderson, NV weather ⛅️ I’m moody & bright 🫶🏾😅
I can’t believe how much rain we got this week! And the snowy mountains!
Hi Tayler, thanks for the great video on mohair and suri silk lace weight. I have been using both options on at least half of my projects... and I definitely like the extra warmth factor because I live in a cold weather climate. I also wanted to put in a positive 'plug' for laceweight 100% alpaca (with no silk content). I recently used ' Isager Alpaca 1' held double with a Worsted yarn to make a lux balaclava for my daughter. At ~ 12 USD per 50 g/ 437 yards, it is definitely more economical than the other options with silk. It is not quite as "full" in adding fluffy extra softness as Suri Alpaca silk lace, but it still does add a very nice softness, drape and subtle halo when held double with other yarns. I will definitely be using it again in future projects.
I hope your mom gets well soon, knees are jerks ;), but hopefully the new one behaves!
This is an interesting topic because I see a LOT of patterns with mohair + another yarn and I don't know if I love the halo or if I'm just slightly "scared" by the halo and short fibers that make me think it would be difficult to frog should I need it (and I'm green enough that I know... I would need to frog sometimes XD)... back to watch the video now!
I haven't knit an adult-size item with mohair incorporated, but I've done a few baby items. It's lovely, but it IS a huge PITA to frog in my opinion. I'm pretty sure I just trashed the thing I was working on because it was small and I hadn't gotten very far. Maybe someone more patience or skilled than me could do it ... :)
Having made a few brioche scarves in contrasting mohair coloursI have to say that not all mohair is created equal - Rowan Kidsilk Haze is one of the best in quality terms, plus it has one of the largest colour palettes. The cheaper mohair can be quite scratchy on the hands when making, or will never produce a good halo. Blocking of a item knitted in 100% mohair feels very counter-intuitive, given how light it is and the look of fragility, but the silk makes it suprisingly tough and blocking has the effect of creating the very best halo, making it bloom completely, and really helps the stitches settle out properly, a real night and day difference from the unblocked fabric.
Suri and mohair are also great for smoothing out transitions in yarn fades, or giving a consistent look to scrap yarn projects.
I’m so vibing with you. Keep catching your posts in first hour. 🎉
I appreciate your work, your videos are so very cognitive and full of information😊 I've worked for some months in a local yarn shop after I've just started to knit. And there I've got acquainted with many types of yarn. An interesting fact about kid mohair is that in my country and in some neighboring countries it is very trendy to knit sweaters with one strand of this yarn and using big needles. We call them "pautinka", what comes from a "spider". Well it makes sense because it looks airy, one can even see your bra underneath, if you decide to wear it with bra only. Such jumper requires 3-5 balls of kid mohair, depending on size and needles. It looks very feminine and refined as well, and can be worn on different occasions, in summer evenings, for a date at a restaurant, on a daily basis. And I was surprised not see such garments in American or Scandinavian knitting world. I'm from Belarus. It's not quite so far from Scandinavia but there are so many differences in our cultures and this is one of them)
Mohair also does well paired with a rustic wool on the circular knitting machine.😊
Your tulip sweater is beautiful - love that yarn combination. Some people may dislike the mohair trend, but I love the softness and luxe it brings to an otherwise simple garment. When a pattern calls for DK weight, I tend to hold fingering and mohair to give a lighter weight garment that somewhat maintains the overall stitch count.
That old video was my gateway into WNH! Love it! It’s a good one! 🥰 And.. Wet Seal in the 90s….. yessss. 🤣🤣
Living in SouthAlabama, I too, am fascinated by the idea of using the mohair along with a different base that has some cotton in it to see if that would help with temperature regulation. My Frank is gonna be… warm. 😆
When I lived in south Florida I could not imagine knitting with mohair. Now that I’m in a more temperate climate I have made a few garments with it and love it.
I love the finished work of a project with mohair knitted side by side with moreno
You are at your absolute best with this type of video. This is so informative and inspiring.
I had a green-gold- ivory variegated yarn that worked up looking like fancy camouflage 🤣. I added a natural undyed color mohair which really toned down the camo look.
I crochet not knit and I love the way mohair's fluffiness will sort of fill the gaps in looser crochet stitches. Especially if I want a garment to retain a bit more heat without spending way more time on a more solid/tight stitch.
Also Look at Joji Locatelli’s brand new release, the Milton cardigan, which has beautiful stripes of regular yarn alternating with mohair. Another (cheaper) way to get unique elegance.
I’m actually knitting my first sweater pairing merino with mohair. The merino is fingering and didn’t look nice on its own. With the mohair it’s gorgeous. Thanks for addressing those questions ❤️
Agree that swatching to see if you like working with mohair/suri held with another yarn is good, but sometimes a swatch doesn’t tell much because it’s so small and flat. And unless you have a friend who’s gifted you some mohair remnants, you would likely have to buy a ball to swatch with anyway. So I would suggest to go ahead and make a simple hat/beanie with the mohair and the whatever you want to hold it with, because a ball of, for example, kid silk haze is more than enough to carry along in a hat.
A few dyers have started selling a suri that is the same weight as mohair, so approximately 420 yards/50 g of suri, which is awesome! Also, several dyers have started offering a floofy lace weight yarn that is merino or cashmere instead of mohair or suri! I love all of the new floofy options!
Yes! I actually sell a Suri just like this, however I would still say that it’s wise to allow for a bit more weight than a Mohair. Suri blooms quite a bit when dyed.
I knit several sweaters with mohair but sadly severely react to mohair. So I switched to suri a while ago and my skin deals much better with it, for me it feels softer, not itchy at all and no skin reactions.
I had the same experience but find it hard to find suri. Can you reccomend a brand?
@@numsidumsragitsch I live in Europe so the availability might be different. But so far I tried Drops Brushed Alpaka silk and Lana Grossa Setasuri. The Drops one is especially great if you knit on a budget
I found a great alternative to mohair/silk. It's CaMaRose's Midnatssol. It's lace weight and a blend of 54% baby alpaca, 36% tencel and 10% merino. It's really lovely--adds softness and some halo but not as heavy as siri would be. Lots of colors too. Thanks for the talk. Always nice to hear your take on things-very informative. Happy Knitting.
I love mohair and wear as much as i can, great information
It's a lovely catch-up Sunday, since I'm not into pre-Game activity. I knit a mohair cowl once that is lovely, but you sure didn't want to make a mistake, as the mohair was a bear to rip back! That said, I love the cowl--it is cozy and warm and colorful. I would definitely knit a hat or sweater holding mohair with another yarn. I love how your sweaters knit up and look with the addition of the suri or mohair. Wish I could reach through the screen and touch it! Thanks for sharing another informative post!
I am so loving mohair. I was given about 25 balls of Rowan kidsilk in varying colors - so lucky! I took all the blues and made a beautiful blue wrap…saved the hot colors for a similar project. It’s like knitting with “emperor’s new clothes” weight yarn!
Also took 5 skeins of a variegated silk - not crazy about variegated, perhaps just a phase - and held it with a creamy mohair. The sharp color changes were airbrushed out to a creamy whole.
More experimenting will be in order for me as I’ve found quite a bit in my stash. I also think it would be fun to take TWO strands of variegated (trying to have the color change changed up, if you follow, for a blended look) with mohair - knitted on bigger needles, the project should look as if it’s been through a cuisinart.
Sorry so lengthy. Thanks for your good work here.
PS - Moody is ok - we’d never feel the benefit of the sunshine if we didn’t have clouds.
This was really helpful, especially explaining how you need double the yardage of a yarn mentioned for a pattern. That's something I've been confused about. I also didn't know the difference between Mohair and Suri so thanks for explaining that too. Love your channel, keep up the good work!
I was still very beginner when I decided to knit a cream mohair wrap cardigan, it was challenging but it turned out lovely, it provided a very romantic and soft look.
So I decided to wear it over a tank top to meet my in-laws.
It felt like I rolled myself into poison ivy all night long, but I couldn't take it off... it was a nightmare.
Since this, I can even stare at mohair without scratching myself 😂
I have questions that have prevented me from trying mohair. My first question is, does it change the washability of superwash merino (in other words, do I have to worry about felting it?). Also, when knitting with superwash, I know it will grow when blocking. How does the silk/mohair change what to expect in terms of things growing when blocking? Thank you for all of your wonderful videos!
This was very helpful. I have 4 skeins of silk/mohair lace weight that I bought for a project, and they were totally the wrong fiber for the project. Lesson learned. About to watch the video on mohair to see what I can do with it. As a person who has experienced two TKR on my left knee, you were great to be with your mom instead of worrying about this video. I am sure she appreciated your help.
Thanks! This has been a long awaited topic difficult to find on UA-cam!! Much appreciated and thankfully in depth.
I’m so glad you found this helpful Sandra! Thank you for watching. ❤️
I loved today's podcast. And as for a tote bag, the feathers are beautiful but I think yarn would be best on the bag. Thank you😊
I adore Suri, because Mohair tingles too much on my skin. On the other hand, the Suri alpaca is really soft!!! Thank you for explaining the differences between the two types of yarn. Your pullovers are really beautiful! I'm from Italy, I discover you and your videos recently, and they are very interesting, thank you!!!
I'm knitting the Frankensweater as part of the Patreon, and I'm using Patons wool held together with a Suri silk, and it's giving a marled effect since my Suri is a lighter shade!! I'm freakin loving the fabric it's creating!!
Isn’t it so magical! So glad you’re participating in the KAL. I can’t wait to set your Frankie!
Hi Tayler. Thanks for all the great info you always provide in your videos. My question is whether you think wet blocking vs steam blocking a sweater knit holding a mohair silk strand with a base yarn would make the sweater less itchy/calm down the mohair a bit?
Thanks!
Tayler! Your videos are always so informative & awesome to watch. Even though I get jealous when I see all your beautiful sweaters, I can't stop watching because you are absolutely easy to listen to (don't suck your teeth every 5 words) & I learn so much. Thank you for what you do & I wish your Mom a speedy recovery 💜💜💜
My key concern is maintenance. I know you can't shave mohair, and a lot of people say that this is OK because it doesn't pill. However the base yarn surely still will pill, and then I would be left with scruffy handknit that I don't want to wear long before it would otherwise have worn out?
I haven't witnessed any pilling with combining mohair and merino f.e. the halo kind of protects the surface of the merino or any other base yarn...and that is why I like to combine other unfluffy yarns with mohair.
Thanks for the info, was very informative for me. Haven’t used mohair or Suri. Might give it a try
You’re very welcome! Thank you for watching. ❤️
I’ve used mohair on several sweaters and cardigans I’ve knit but never suri…I definitely want to try it! Thanks for the great explanation!
That really helps, especially the parts about the weight! Thank you, Taylor!!
Thank you for this! I'm one of the multiple people who submitted this to the tip line because I ended up with some mohair. Glad I now know how to make it go!
Great video! Now I understand why my sweater became so thick but it definitely got this luxury look you mention.
Mohair forever! Modern yarn is way too “nice” for me. I love mohair for that fuzz, it makes a lot of yarn look more of where it came from. But I do find it quite warm…so it’s time for me to get into spinning, haha.
Thank you for this information! I have not heard about combining mohair into projects until I saw a sample at our local yarn shop. How beautiful! I did purchase some to give this a try but the project I chose was challenging so I am looking for another. :)
thank you so much for this explanation! Really helped me alot!
You're very welcome!
Not knitting related, but you remind me of one of my favorite actors...a young, Elizabeth Perkins! Circa her "Miracle on 34th St" days (1994). Which by the way, is one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies. It was my daughter's also. My beautiful, amazing Corrina, would have been 37 now, but we lost her when she was 18. You remind me a bit of her as well, which makes me "smile out loud" (my favorite Corrina-ism. Thank you for that, sweet Tayler
Ah Michelle, this is a very touching comment. Thank you so much. I'm so sorry to learn about your daughter, but I'm pleased that I might remind you of her a bit. That means a lot. ❤
Great video. I never heard that Suri increased the weight by 1 1/2, that’s interesting. I LOVE your sweater in which you used the angel rust mohair, I just love the variation in colour, it’s amazing.
absolutely love the effect mohair has in a project, the drape, the color and the supple halo... sadly it's too prickly for me to wear next to skin 😢 so I'm often looking for something like brushed alpaca to get a similar effect with the fluff... not with the color though.
Thanks for showing all those wonderful examples!
Your original mohair pairing video was how I first found you.
That's so cool! What a throwback!
Ah! Such a great feeling to see my tip line questions answered in an episode! Thank you for listening so closely to us ❤
My pleasure! Thank you so much for submitting the question! ❤
Thank you I am about to use a mohair with DK for the first time.
I love mohair and I use it occasionally. However, here on the NC coast we have very few days cold enough to wear garments enhanced with mohair. I try to use it mostly in large gauge projects….Ranunculus, Lovenote etc.
I have bern using mohair and silk on 3 projects now. 2 were variegated base with solid mohair silk. The sweater I'm working on currently, I reversed the variegated, 2 strands solid base color and a variegated mohair silk.
A great one again Tayler, thank you😊
Your sweaters look beautiful.
I'm a great fan of mohair/silk and if one want's to combine mo/si with an other yarn and still keep it fingering weight a lace weight alpaca 400m/50g usually does it, Rowan has a nice one called Fine lace, Isager has one called Alpaca 1 and Holt's Titicaca alpaca has quite a great selection of different colors and shades. I have used all of these and can recommend them if somebody want's to achieve a fingering weight yarn combining those two. Suri and mohair might be a nice combo, not related to my post but just an afterthought. Sorry for rambling for so long.
Hi Taylor, I have lion brand fishermans yarn in oatmeal, want to make the Good Grandpa cardigan by Caidree, but feel the oatmeal colour is boring, would like to pair it with a nice antique pink mohair, do you think that would make it a nice colour.
I love this video!! I really want to make a sweater with mohair or suri. I have watched your variegated mohair video multiple times as I've been looking for the perfect yarn for the sweater. I think the next step is probably to go to a LYS to see what mohair and suri feel like. I'm worried that I may not like how they feel!
Not to forget the beautiful effekt knitting the honeycomb pattern with a light mohair as base and the honeycomb frames with a contrast colored twisted multicolor yarn ( e.g. Zauberball Crazy by Schoppel)
You make beautiful sweaters
Just came back from your Knitting for Olive video. Considering starting a new knitting project. Won't consider myself a beginner but I'm not the msot advanced at reading complicated charts. Finished my first round yoke jumper in December which took me around a month with some extra for trial and error.
@woolneedleshands thank you for a great video. Did you mention that the fiber accompanying the mohair or the Suri alpaca is somewhere between
25% & 40% silk. What the silk does is also amazing. It sometimes adds shine with Mohair, It can be used to strengthen heels and toes of socks, without using nylon, and to me it just adds body. I often blend silk Mo with alpaca to give it a little less stretch. It can also fill in spaces a little bit if combined with a thin yarn that alone produces a sheer fabric. You are right it is a totally amazing addition to our knits. Is there a difference in softness between less expensive and more expensive yarn? Not including hand dyed…? Shedding or not?
Great learning tool! I may add mohair to your Fire Pit Mitts pattern. I've already bought yarn, but may check out some Mohair or Suri. Thanks
Such a timely video, Tayler. I’d like to knit a sweater with mohair as I have loved the ones you have knit, but I will wait until I am more comfortable knitting sweaters (I have only knit one so far) before I attempt it!
Thanks for your explanation! I asked a similar question on the tip line regarding yarn weight some time ago! This was always confusing in the beginning of my knitting journey😅 I knitted once with Mohair before and love the fabric but it is expensive 😔 and I would love to try suri Alpaka! And I loooove your plettlopi Mohair sweater, the color are amazing ❤🎉
I’ve knit with a few different mohairs in the hopes that one of them wouldn’t be itchy. So far Isager is the winner for me. Hobbii Diablo the absolute itchiest!
So timely for me, I have just received a sweater quantity of Knitting for Olive which will be fingering paired with mohair (woo hoo!). Don't know if this came up but what about knitting only with mohair without pairing it, I have the mohair for another sweater and wondered if there are any tips and tricks for working with mohair alone.
Thank you, Tayler for this info! I have a question ….. I have never purchased the mohair silk combo yarn that is popular ( I hope to someday 😉 ). But, I have some vintage mohair that I inherited that is 100% mohair. I’m not sure how to use it. It is VERY hairy and fairly scratchy…. Not soft at all in my opinion. I have some in beige and some in red. Do you have any thoughts on what to pair it with to make it softer? Also, besides over dyeing, is there a color I can pair the red with to mute it. I’m not a red wearer 😊. Thanks for any thoughts ❤
Hi Taylor, love your channel! So much information and great pattern ideas.
Question for you: Superwash wool has a reputation for stretching. Can you “stabilize” superwash by knitting it with a mohair or a suri which I think are not stretchy? Will the mohair/silk or alpaca/silk blend be able to make the superwash behave!? Thanks in advance for your answer😊🧶
I just finished the Wishbone sweater with worsted and suri mohair. In Upstate NY it is now my bear hug sweater. One problem for me is wearing contacts and short fibers getting in my eyes. By the way, im in LV quite often but haven't found any great knit shops. Any suggestion?
Love the tip about helping your gauge along using the mohair / Suri. Am about to try just that.
However, the suggestion for helping adjust warmth by using a plant based fiber with the mohair: did not work for me the one time I tried it. It could very much have to do with the mohair I used (Drops kidsilk), which I bought as a new knitter because it was amongst the cheaper mohairs, but have since come to realize it’s too scratchy for me. I held it together with Drops Belle (cotton, viscose, linen) for what I intended to be a summer season sweater 😅. Nope. It is waaaaayyy too warm (and when I‘m warm, I feel the scratch). Not sure if I’ll try it again. I think not.
I started a wool hat yesterday using mohair, my first attemp with mohair. It is OK . Thought the mohair was more variegated, but it is not adding much to my Northfield Valley Yarns in purple haze. So, a learning process.
?Question Can you knit socks with mohair and fingerweight yarn?
Thanks for information on using mohair.
Love love love your videos... you just finished convincing me about buying mohair... though I'm new at all this, I am willing to give myself a chance hahaha.. moving on to your video of pairing yarn!
Tayler,
Thank you so much for this and the next one about mohair. This is off topic but I absolutely love the ‘heavily modified’ sweater made in plakaloki (sp?) and mohair. I love that sweater and the colors you used. Could you fill me in a little about what you used and how you did it? I want to copy it!🤭
Your No Frills looks like a dramatic sunset!
I love knitting with mohair and suri.
Thank you so much for this video!
This topic was so timely for me. I was given a skein of Fleece Artist "Mo"" for Christmas which is gorgeous but I was wondering how can I incorporate it into a sweater as it probably isn't enough for that type of project. I love the sweater you shared and the one you are wearing. I will do some more research as I'm thinking it might be too fluffy for a cowl, and don't want to wear it out in slippers or socks, so I'm kind of stumped. I was thinking maybe a vest. I'm sure I'll figure it out, but your video answered my question about yarn "weight" with the combination, so thanks! Hope your Mum has a speedy recovery!
Tbh, I had no idea that mohair added so much to knit/crochet works for so little weight!
Have you tried knitting angora rabbit hair sweaters? That I would love to see. Great video btw!
I am currently working on my first ever sweater using ONLY mohair (held double), the Feather Blouse by Yeon Hwa Lee. It is absolutely beautiful! It's both the lightest and the most warm sweater I have ever owned 😍 But my goodness, the yarn bill was over $200 😬 please don't tell my wallet that the next project in my queue is a mohair-only cardigan...
I love your sweater
Taylor, is there such a thing as ethically sourced mohair? One that does not compromise the animal at all? I live in UK and have access to Knitting for Olive but when I googled Mohair, it said there is no such thing as ethical mohair. 😢 Would love your thoughts …
I've seen some online sellers of mohair from their pet goats. The goats are not slaughtered to obtain the fibre, like wool from sheep. Just a thought.
I didn't know mohair and suri were all sheered from the baby animals. I've seen online mohair sellers sheering their adult pet goats.
I have a store bought mohair, alpaca, wool acrylic sweater that I need to replace. Found a couple of patterns that use dk merino and lace mohair/silk. Now to find the yarn and worst of all, colours. So many to choose from!
Edit - oops, I meant this for general comments.
Just got back into knitting and have been wanting to try some more premium fibers this time around. Stumbled across your channel and I’m also in Henderson! Do you sell your yarn in-person here in town?!
Thank you 👏👏👏
Hmmm...throughout I kept thinking that everything Tayler is saying makes sense, but just not me. I do have a couple of skeins of either mohair or suri/silk, so I am inspired to try a small project with them (firepit mitts anyone?).
It's definitely not for everyone Denise, but you can always try it on something small, like you say. FPM would be PERFECT. 😘
I found a great deal on a ready made mohair sweater yesterday but after trying it on (it fit great and was a really nice green) decided I wouldn’t be able to handle the prickly factor for long even with a tank underneath…..too bad.
Will you be releasing Endor again anytime soon? It’s ooh-la-la.
I will indeed! I’m thinking March. And thank you!
I couldn’t find the link or the pop up to the older video you refer to. Which of your videos discusses combining variegated mohair with a plain base yarn. It’s something I’ve been looking for. Thank you
I apologize for that! Here’s the link: ua-cam.com/video/HtkJ-ZBxD-E/v-deo.htmlsi=AsLCDt-fF3riDXCA
Hi Taylor, I love the information your videos a lot! Thank you for this informative one. I have a question: are mohair and kid alpaca always combined with silk? Is it possible to just add only mohair? Cause I don't like the way silk is harvested.
Hi ! Love your show.. could you please tell me the color of your blue Felix pull over.. ? Thank you
Question…can mohair be used with an acrylic yarn for a sweater?