Care Advice

Angora goats produce mohair, a beautiful, luxurious and incredibly durable fibre, commonly referred to as “the diamond fibre”. Its characteristics are comparable to that of wool; however where wool fibre has scales that protrude, fine mohair has larger and smoother scales that lie flatter, making it softer and giving it a greater sheen.

Mohair has a unique combination of properties that aren’t found in other natural fibres, such as its warmth, lustre, durability and strength – all of which make it a perfect fibre to knit with, and a lovely fibre to wear. Mohair is easy to care for, but it is these characteristics that make it important to look after your yarn and garments, to preserve them for longer.

Garment Care & Advice

The following advice is based on Wagtail Yarns opinion and may not necessarily be considered as industry standard, or be applicable to every type of mohair garment, and therefore should be considered as recommendations only.

Try not to rub or agitate
Although mohair has a much lower felting capacity than wool, it is still susceptible to “wadding” or “felting”, so try not to rub or agitate garments when washing them. Simply let them lay in the water and detergent.

Use approved detergents
Where you can, try to use approved detergents that are specifically developed for wool and mohair fibres. Once you have left them to soak, make sure you rinse the garments thoroughly with clean, warm water.

Dry naturally
In most instances, it is best to spin dry the garment to remove excess water and then let the garment dry naturally, flat and in the shade.

Do not tumble dry
The heat generated from the tumble dryer ruins the natural qualities of the fibre, and the movement agitates it which causes the garments to shrink.

Do not dry clean
Often, chemicals used for dry cleaning can be harsh and lead to irreversible damage to the fibres and may also alter the colour.

Do not iron
Ironing can leave your garments flat and lifeless, especially garments with fine detail or intricate patterns. This is because the heat can change the shape of the fibres pressing them flat and altering the original appearance.

Do not machine wash
Machine washing your mohair garments will agitate the fibres that will lead to “wadding” or “felting”, unless additional chemical treatment has been applied to coat the fibres during the production process, in which case it should stop the process of “wadding” or “felting”.

Do not bleach
Bleaching your garments strips the fibre and cause irreversible damage; it also drastically alters the colour.

Yarn Care & Advice

It is of equal importance to care for your yarn, as it is for your finished garment. Ensuring that your yarn is stored correctly will help keep it in perfect condition for when you’re ready to knit it.

• Consider a dry storage space which is an even temperature.
• Store your yarn in suitable containers to eliminate the risk of moth and insect damage.
• Put Cedar or Camphor wooden balls in amongst your yarn, or alternatively use approved moth and insect proofing spray to help eliminate the risk of infestation and damage.

Recommended products

Useful products we use here at Wagtail Yarns and recommend are:

• Unicorn
• Soak
• Martha Gardener
• Camphor Wooden Balls