There comes a point when you have made enough acrylic scarves, and you want to knit the kind of shawl or cardigan you would pay a great deal for in a boutique. That is the day you start looking at the natural fibres.
Mohair, merino, tweed, silk, cashmere: the names sound expensive, and people often assume they cannot be found in Kenya. They can, and several cost less than you would think, because a ball of fine yarn goes a very long way.
What the names mean
Mohair
The fleece of the angora goat. Long, fine fibres stand out from the yarn in a soft haze, called a halo, that makes fabric look airy and feel warm for almost no weight.
Merino
Wool from the merino sheep, far finer and softer than ordinary wool, so it does not itch. Springy, warm and breathable.
Tweed
A yarn with small flecks of contrasting colour spun in. It gives plain knitting a rich, tailored look.
Silk and cashmere
Silk adds sheen and drape. Cashmere adds a soft, gentle warmth. A little of each lifts a whole yarn.
Mohair
Best value mohair
YarnArt Angora Active
KES 750 a ball
A quarter mohair, which is enough for a real halo, and an astonishing 500 metres to the ball. One ball makes a generous scarf, and two or three make a light, warm jumper. The fabric blooms and softens after its first wash.
75% acrylic, 25% mohair · DK · 100 g, 500 m · 4 mm needles, 5 mm hook
See Angora Active
For snoods and loose jumpers
DMC Ankara
KES 1,050 a ball
A chunkier mohair blend that knits up light and airy, with a soft haze around every stitch. That haze blurs the stitches slightly, which flatters simple patterns and forgives uneven tension.
70% acrylic, 30% mohair · Chunky · 50 g, 110 m · 5.5 mm needles or hook
See DMC Ankara
One ball, one shawl
Ganga Acrowools Shawlie
KES 1,500 a ball
A very fine yarn with a touch of mohair and wool, and 810 metres on a single ball. That is enough for a large lace shawl with no joins at all, which makes it one of the most economical ways to knit something that looks truly special.
84% acrylic, 8% mohair, 8% wool · 150 g, 810 m · 3.5 mm needles, 4.5 mm hook
See ShawlieOne warning about mohair
Mohair is very hard to unpick once the fibres have meshed together. Knit a small test square first, and check your stitch count often, so you never have to pull back a whole row.
Merino and wool
The luxury choice
DMC Hollie
KES 1,350 a ball
The finest yarn in the DMC range, and the one to choose for a gift that will be kept for years. Extrafine merino gives softness and bounce, silk adds a quiet sheen and drape, and a little cashmere brings a warm, gentle touch. Make it into a fine cardigan, a shawl or heirloom baby clothes.
75% extrafine merino, 20% silk, 5% cashmere · DK · 50 g, 116 m · 4 mm
See DMC Hollie
Pure merino you can machine wash
DMC 100% Baby Wool
KES 950 a ball
Pure superwash merino, spun fine for babywear. It is soft enough for newborn skin and warm without being heavy, and the superwash treatment means it can go in the washing machine without shrinking, which matters for anything a baby wears.
100% superwash merino · 50 g, 225 m · 2.5 to 3.5 mm needles
See Baby WoolTweed
For socks, hats and hard wear
DMC Merino Essentiel 4 Tweed
KES 650 a ball
Half merino for softness and half polyamide for strength, with tweed flecks running through the strand. The strength makes it one of the few yarns that will stand up to socks and gloves, and it is the most affordable way into real merino.
50% merino, 50% polyamide · DK · 50 g, 165 m · 4 mm
See Merino TweedFor a whole blanket or an oversized jumper from a single ball, DMC Magnum Tweed gives you 840 metres of wool-blend tweed on a 400 g ball for KES 2,800.
Caring for natural fibres
Unless the label says superwash, wash by hand in cool water with a gentle soap.
Never wring. Press the water out in a towel, then reshape and dry flat in the shade.
Store finished pieces clean and folded, never on a hanger, which stretches them.
Buy all the yarn for a project at once, so every ball comes from the same dye lot.
Come and feel the difference
These are yarns to choose with your hands. See them all at our shop on the 1st floor of Sarit Centre.
Shop wool and mohair yarnOr call us on +254 798 316860
In Stitches is the authorised DMC and YarnArt distributor in Kenya.
Prices correct at the time of writing.
