Mohair is the holy grail of fibers, in my opinion. There is nothing that takes dye the way quality mohair does, and the luster, handle and shine are breathtaking.
Angoras were the first fiber animals to join the flock, back in 2010. I still have my first three, Pearl, SuzieQ and Tipp. Tipp is now an old, stinky buck with some antisocial habits, but I love him anyway.
These three are the foundation of my mohair herd, and were later joined by Cilla, my first MyGora (Pygmy x Angora). My herd is now usually between 25-30 goats, all carefully selected for the quality of their fiber, their parasite resistance and their general hardiness.
Angora goats are easy to handle, easy to shear and their fiber is so versatile. Longer locks are sometimes used for doll hair, such as the ones used by Lunart Dolls by Desi.
When brushed out and prepared, the locks become works of art. These locks below were prepared by a wonderfully talented lady who purchased fiber from SuzieQ.
Mohair can either be carded, or spun directly from the lock, known as ‘lockspinning’. The image on the left shows kid mohair dyed and lockspun with minimal preparation, while the picture on the right shows punis, or mini-rolags, which is moahir that was washed, dyed and carded on hand carders before being rolled ready for spinning.
There’s so many wonderful ways to experiment with mohair – I’d love to help you find the way that fuels your imagination!