Mohair Yarn: A Knitter's Guide to the Fluffiest Yarn

Balls of DROPS Kid-Silk, Gazzal Super Kid Mohair, Alize Kid Royal 50, Gazzal Exclusive and YarnArt Mohair Trendy mohair yarn

Updated 12 October 2026 · By Vilrita

If you've been saving fluffy sweaters and airy shawls for your next project, mohair may be the yarn you're looking for. Here's what it is, which one to pick, and how to knit it without tears.

For a light, fluffy sweater, choose Gazzal Super Kid Mohair and hold it with a smooth yarn. You can buy it at Vilrita. Following a DROPS pattern? DROPS Kid-Silk is another fine option. Mohair comes from the Angora goat, not the angora rabbit; kid mohair is the finer grade from young goats, with that lovely soft halo.

① Halo strand for a sweater

Gazzal Super Kid Mohair

47% super kid mohair, 31% merino, 22% polyamide · 237 m (259 yd) per 25 g · 3–4 mm (US 2½–6) recommended needles

② Shawl from one or two balls

Alize Kid Royal 50

62% kid mohair, 38% polyamide · 500 m (547 yd) per 50 g ball

③ Fuzzy in one strand

YarnArt Mohair Trendy

50% mohair, 50% acrylic · 220 m (241 yd) per 100 g · 5 mm (US 8) needles, 5.5 mm (I-9) hook

What is mohair yarn, and why do knitters love it?

It's all about the halo: long, silky fibres that float out of the yarn and blur your stitches into a soft cloud. Mohair also has a lovely natural shine and takes dye beautifully, which is why its colours look so glowing. And because the halo traps air, a mohair piece feels surprisingly warm while weighing next to nothing.

DROPS Kid-Silk mohair yarn in Old Pink, close-up of the strands with the fluffy halo standing out — The halo up close: DROPS Kid-Silk (75% mohair, 25% silk) in Old Pink (04). Photo: DROPS.

Fine brushed mohair often has silk, nylon or merino alongside it. These companion fibres help hold the yarn together while the mohair creates that lovely halo.

Is mohair itchy?

Kid mohair is usually softer than adult mohair, but even a fine kid mohair yarn can tickle sensitive skin. Silk or merino can make a lovely companion, though softness varies from yarn to yarn. If you're unsure, wear it over a layer, or order one ball first and hold it against your neck before you commit to a whole sweater.

A quick tip: the word "kid" on the ball band means the finer grade. And watch out for yarns simply called "Angora": some contain no mohair or rabbit at all, so always read the fibre line.

Which mohair yarn should I choose for a light, fluffy sweater?

For a light, fluffy sweater, our first pick is Gazzal Super Kid Mohair, held with a smooth yarn. You can buy it at Vilrita. For a shawl or a quick hat, pick by what you want to make. Here are our favourites, with a few colour ideas to get you started.

Lilac ball of Alize Kid Royal 50 kid mohair yarn with a soft halo — Both look fuzzy on the ball, but gram for gram Trendy holds about a fifth of Kid Royal's length: a thick strand, not a lace one. Photos: Alize, YarnArt.

YarnArt Mohair Trendy yarn balls in yellow and red — Both look fuzzy on the ball, but gram for gram Trendy holds about a fifth of Kid Royal's length: a thick strand, not a lace one. Photos: Alize, YarnArt.

For a light, fluffy sweater: Gazzal Super Kid Mohair

Our first pick for those dreamy held-double sweaters. Super kid mohair gives a soft halo, with merino and polyamide alongside it. Each 25 g ball holds 237 m, with plenty of shades to pair with your favourite smooth yarn.

Gazzal Super Kid Mohair

Length

237 m (259 yd) per 25 g

Recommended needles

3–4 mm (US 2½–6)

Recommended hook

2–3 mm

Fibre

47% super kid mohair, 31% superwash merino, 22% polyamide

Care

See ball band

See colours and price →25 g balls of 237 m

Following a DROPS pattern? DROPS Kid-Silk (75% mohair, 25% silk) is the yarn many free DROPS patterns are written for, so you can buy exactly what the pattern asks for.

DROPS Kid-Silk

Length

210 m (230 yd) per 25 g

Label needles

3.5 mm (US 4)

Gauge

23 sts × 30 rows = 10 × 10 cm (4 × 4 in)

Fibre

75% mohair (super kid), 25% mulberry silk

Care

Hand wash, max 30 °C (86 °F), dry flat

Certification

OEKO-TEX Standard 100, Class II

See colours and price →25 g balls of 210 m

Halo shades

Light Peach DROPS Kid-Silk, Jeans Blue

Jeans Blue DROPS Kid-Silk, North Sea

North Sea

Red

Parrot Green DROPS Kid-Silk, Misty Yellow

Misty Yellow

For a light lace shawl: Alize Kid Royal 50

With 500 m in each 50 g ball, one or two balls can make a light shawl; check your pattern's total metres before choosing. Want a silkier, less fluffy look? Gazzal Exclusive is mostly merino and silk with just a touch of mohair.

Alize Kid Royal 50

Length

500 m (547 yd) per 50 g

Label needles

2–6 mm (US 0–10)

Label hook

0.5–3 mm

Fibre

62% kid mohair, 38% polyamide

Care

See ball band

See colours and price →50 g balls of 500 m

Cream

Powder

Lavender

Cornflower Alize Kid Royal 50, Indigo

Indigo

Gazzal Exclusive

Length

200 m (219 yd) per 25 g

Label needles

3.25–5 mm (US 3–8)

Label hook

3.25–5 mm (D-3 to H-8)

Fibre

60% superwash merino, 30% mulberry silk, 10% super kid mohair

Care

See ball band

See colours and price →25 g balls of 200 m

Alize 3 Season, the one-ball option

Off White

Dusty Rose Alize 3 Season, Petrol

Petrol

Mocha

For quick, chunky fuzz: YarnArt Mohair Trendy

Half mohair, half acrylic, and thick enough to knit on its own with 5 mm needles. Perfect for a cosy hat or a fluffy cardigan that grows fast.

YarnArt Mohair Trendy

Length

220 m (241 yd) per 100 g

Label needles

5 mm (US 8)

Label hook

5.5 mm (I-9)

Fibre

50% mohair, 50% acrylic

Care

See ball band

See colours and price →100 g balls of 220 m

What can I use instead of DROPS Kid-Silk?

Our closest alternative to DROPS Kid-Silk is Gazzal Super Kid Mohair, available at Vilrita: a fine halo yarn with 237 m per 25 g ball, compared with Kid-Silk's 210 m. It contains merino and polyamide rather than silk, so expect a different feel and finish. Knit a swatch with every strand your pattern uses to check the gauge.

Two more ideas, depending on the look you love. For more shine and less fuzz, Gazzal Exclusive has 30% silk and just a touch of mohair. For a thicker, cosier halo, DROPS Brushed Alpaca Silk is brushed alpaca, not mohair: with 140 m per 25 g and 5 mm needles, it suits patterns written for a thicker yarn rather than Kid-Silk patterns.

DROPS Kid-Silk and three alternatives for different looks, with the specifications listed on our product pages. Always knit a swatch and match your pattern's gauge.
	DROPS Kid-Silk	Gazzal Super Kid Mohair	Gazzal Exclusive	DROPS Brushed Alpaca Silk
Fibre	75% mohair, 25% silk	47% super kid mohair, 31% superwash merino, 22% polyamide	60% superwash merino, 30% mulberry silk, 10% super kid mohair	77% alpaca, 23% silk
Length per 25 g	210 m	237 m	200 m	140 m
Recommended needles	3.5 mm	3–4 mm	3.25–5 mm	5 mm
Choose it when	your pattern asks for Kid-Silk	you want a fine kid mohair halo	you want more silk shine, less fuzz	you want a thicker halo (not a one-to-one swap)

DROPS Kid-Silk

Fibre: 75% mohair, 25% silk
Length per 25 g: 210 m
Recommended needles: 3.5 mm
Choose it when: your pattern asks for Kid-Silk

Gazzal Super Kid Mohair

Fibre: 47% super kid mohair, 31% superwash merino, 22% polyamide
Length per 25 g: 237 m
Recommended needles: 3–4 mm
Choose it when: you want a fine kid mohair halo

Gazzal Exclusive

Fibre: 60% superwash merino, 30% mulberry silk, 10% super kid mohair
Length per 25 g: 200 m
Recommended needles: 3.25–5 mm
Choose it when: you want more silk shine, less fuzz

DROPS Brushed Alpaca Silk

Fibre: 77% alpaca, 23% silk
Length per 25 g: 140 m
Recommended needles: 5 mm
Choose it when: you want a thicker halo (not a one-to-one swap)

See Gazzal Super Kid Mohair colours →

How to knit mohair with a second yarn

"Held double" simply means knitting mohair and a second yarn together as if they were one strand. The smooth yarn gives your stitches shape, the mohair adds the halo. The two strands make a thicker yarn. Start with your pattern's needle size and swatch with both strands together to check the fit.

Picture a plain merino sweater, then the same sweater with a strand of mohair alongside: the stitches soften, the colour gets richer and the whole thing looks like it's wrapped in mist. It's also the easiest way to start with mohair, because the smooth yarn makes your stitches easy to see.

Video: VeryPink Knits, with Staci Perry: what “hold double” means and how to wind two strands into one ball. Her demo uses a yarn containing cotton; the method is the same with mohair. Watch on YouTube

Colour is where the fun begins. A darker mohair over a paler base makes the colour "glow"; a lighter mohair over a dark base looks soft and frosty; a high-contrast pair turns speckled.

Four schematic tiles of a base colour under a soft halo: same colourway; darker mohair over a paler base, which glows; lighter mohair over a darker base; high contrast, which looks speckled. Generic colours, not product colours. — Colour categories after Tin Can Knits. Schematic tiles, not photos of yarn.

Four pairings from our shelves, mohair on the left and base on the right:

Gazzal Super Kid Mohair in Cream, colour 64408 — Product photos of each yarn on its own, not knitted together; tap a yarn to see it in the shop. Photos: Gazzal, DROPS.

Gazzal Baby Wool in Ivory, colour 839 — Product photos of each yarn on its own, not knitted together; tap a yarn to see it in the shop. Photos: Gazzal, DROPS.

Shop all mohair yarn →

How much mohair do I need for a sweater or shawl?

Start with your pattern's metres. DROPS Kid-Silk has about 210 m per 25 g ball: the Freestyle shawl uses 3 balls, while the DROPS 241-6 sweater uses 5–7 balls for sizes XS–XXL, plus its base yarn. Other designs may need more. Consider a spare ball from the same dye lot.

Planning a project? These ball counts are worked out from the pattern metres, rounded up before any spare. They are starting estimates for substitutions: check the fabric and gauge, especially with Gazzal Exclusive, which is mostly merino and silk.
Project (pattern)	Mohair metres	DROPS Kid-Silk (210 m)	Gazzal Super Kid Mohair (237 m)	Gazzal Exclusive (200 m)	Alize Kid Royal 50 (500 m)
Hat, mohair + base (DROPS 182-7 Enrica)	≈210 (one 25 g ball)	1	1	2	1
Knitted shawl, mohair alone (DROPS 0-1269 Freestyle)	598	3	3	3	2
Crochet shawl, mohair + alpaca base (DROPS 222-7 Moon Migration)	≈630	3	3	4	2
Crochet stole, mohair alone (Lana Grossa)	≈1,050	5	5	6	3
Sweater, mohair + base, XS–XXL (DROPS 241-6)	≈1,050–1,470	5–7	5–7	6–8	3
Sweater, 2 strands of silk mohair alone, XS–3XL (PetiteKnit Sunday Mohair Edition)	≈1,696–2,968	9–15	8–13	9–15	4–6

Hat, mohair + baseDROPS 182-7 Enrica

Mohair metres: ≈210 (one 25 g ball)
DROPS Kid-Silk (210 m): 1 ball
Gazzal Super Kid Mohair (237 m): 1 ball
Gazzal Exclusive (200 m): 2 balls
Alize Kid Royal 50 (500 m): 1 ball

Knitted shawl, mohair aloneDROPS 0-1269 Freestyle

Mohair metres: 598
DROPS Kid-Silk (210 m): 3 balls
Gazzal Super Kid Mohair (237 m): 3 balls
Gazzal Exclusive (200 m): 3 balls
Alize Kid Royal 50 (500 m): 2 balls

Crochet shawl, mohair + alpaca baseDROPS 222-7 Moon Migration

Mohair metres: ≈630
DROPS Kid-Silk (210 m): 3 balls
Gazzal Super Kid Mohair (237 m): 3 balls
Gazzal Exclusive (200 m): 4 balls
Alize Kid Royal 50 (500 m): 2 balls

Crochet stole, mohair aloneLana Grossa

Mohair metres: ≈1,050
DROPS Kid-Silk (210 m): 5 balls
Gazzal Super Kid Mohair (237 m): 5 balls
Gazzal Exclusive (200 m): 6 balls
Alize Kid Royal 50 (500 m): 3 balls

Sweater, mohair + base, XS–XXLDROPS 241-6

Mohair metres: ≈1,050–1,470
DROPS Kid-Silk (210 m): 5–7 balls
Gazzal Super Kid Mohair (237 m): 5–7 balls
Gazzal Exclusive (200 m): 6–8 balls
Alize Kid Royal 50 (500 m): 3 balls

Sweater, 2 strands of silk mohair alone, XS–3XLPetiteKnit Sunday Mohair Edition

Mohair metres: ≈1,696–2,968
DROPS Kid-Silk (210 m): 9–15 balls
Gazzal Super Kid Mohair (237 m): 8–13 balls
Gazzal Exclusive (200 m): 9–15 balls
Alize Kid Royal 50 (500 m): 4–6 balls

Freestyle shawl: 2 balls of Kid Royal 50 from one dye lot and 4 mm (US 6) needles; swatch first, as the pattern was written for Kid-Silk.

Held-double sweater (DROPS 241-6): 5–7 balls of Kid-Silk by size, plus your base yarn by metres, on 5 mm (US 8) needles.

Free patterns to fall in love with

Need inspiration? These free DROPS Design patterns are all made with Kid-Silk, on its own or with a second yarn we stock. If the Kid-Silk colour you want is sold out, Gazzal Super Kid Mohair is a similar fine kid mohair; knit a swatch to check the gauge.

Cinnamon Dream Sweater, DROPS 272-22: rust raglan sweater with wide sleeves, knitted in two strands of DROPS Kid-Silk — Photos and patterns © DROPS Design, shown as published. Tap a photo or “Free pattern” for the instructions on garnstudio.com. Amounts run from the smallest to the largest size.

Moon Mist, DROPS 245-7: chalk-white raglan sweater knitted in DROPS Lima with DROPS Kid-Silk — Photos and patterns © DROPS Design, shown as published. Tap a photo or “Free pattern” for the instructions on garnstudio.com. Amounts run from the smallest to the largest size.

Which needles and hook for mohair?

For airy lace mohair, 3.5–5 mm needles or a 3–5 mm hook are useful starting points, depending on the pattern. With a second yarn, use the pattern's size and swatch both strands together. YarnArt Mohair Trendy's label suggests 5 mm needles and a 5.5 mm hook.

A looser gauge lets the halo breathe, and mohair still holds its shape beautifully.

Tips for knitting with mohair

Mohair has a reputation for being tricky, but a few small habits make it a joy:

Choose smooth needles that feel comfortable. Wood or bamboo grips the fluffy strand a little, so it doesn't slide off.
Start with simple stitches. Stockinette and garter show off the halo best; save complicated textures for smooth yarns.
Knit loosely. Mohair loves air, so don't pull it tight.
Use a lifeline. Thread a piece of smooth scrap yarn through a finished row; if you need to rip back, the stitches stop safely on it.
Undo stitch by stitch. Ripping back fast makes the fibres tangle. Go slowly and gently.
Count with good light. A contrasting background behind your work can make stitches easier to see.

Video: Interweave Craft, with Eunny Jang. Watch for the blunt needle tips, how she unknits stitch by stitch instead of ripping, and brushing up the halo. Watch on YouTube

Four steps to unpick mohair: hold close to the stitch, wiggle the fibres apart, free one stitch at a time, rewind as you go. — Unpick in four moves: 1. hold close to the stitch · 2. wiggle the fibres apart · 3. free one stitch at a time · 4. rewind as you go.

Can you crochet with mohair?

Absolutely. Choose your hook from the pattern and check it with a swatch. Simple chains and airy mesh look lovely with a halo. Our guide to choosing yarn for crochet has more shawl ideas.

Video: Zeens And Roger Crochet, quick tips for mohair and other fluffy yarns, from choosing stitches to stitch markers. Watch on YouTube

How to care for mohair

Mohair doesn't need washing often: airing it is often enough. When it does need a wash, follow the ball band. For yarns such as Kid-Silk, hand wash at no more than 30 °C with a gentle wool detergent. Don't rub or wring it, roll it in a towel and dry it flat away from the sun. Never tumble dry, and store it clean in a closed bag.

Video: The Woolmark Company hand-washing a wool sweater: wool detergent, no wringing, a towel roll, dry flat. It is filmed with merino, so check your mohair's ball band first. Watch on YouTube

Browse all mohair yarns →

Frequently asked questions

Is angora the same as mohair?

No. Mohair comes from the Angora goat, angora from the Angora rabbit.

Is mohair good for beginners?

Yes, if you hold it together with a smooth yarn and knit simple stockinette or garter. Lace mohair on its own is better for your second project.

Does mohair shed?

Some shedding is normal, and the amount varies with the yarn and how it's made. Handle it gently and follow its care instructions.

Is mohair warm?

Very, for its weight. The halo traps air, so a light mohair sweater keeps you cosy.

Mohair or alpaca: what's the difference?

Mohair is known for its sheen and airy halo; alpaca often has a softer lustre and lovely drape. Both can make light, fluffy knits: the exact fibre content and how the yarn is spun matter as much as the fibre itself.

Can I wear mohair in summer?

Yes, in light, airy pieces, for example mohair held with cotton or linen for cool evenings.

What's the difference between DROPS Kid-Silk and DROPS Brushed Alpaca Silk?

Kid-Silk is a fine mohair and silk yarn: 210 m per 25 g, 3.5 mm needles, and often held together with a second yarn. Brushed Alpaca Silk is a thicker brushed alpaca and silk yarn: 140 m per 25 g, 5 mm needles, and often knitted on its own.

Why is mohair so expensive?

Part of the cost is the fine fibre and the work behind it: mohair comes from Angora goats, and the fleece is sorted, cleaned and spun into yarn. Kid mohair is the finer grade from young goats. A fine halo yarn can still go a long way: Gazzal Super Kid Mohair holds 237 m per 25 g ball.

Is mohair good for baby clothes?

We'd choose a soft baby yarn instead. See our OEKO-TEX certified baby yarns.

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What is mohair yarn, and why do knitters love it?

Is mohair itchy?

Which mohair yarn should I choose for a light, fluffy sweater?

For a light, fluffy sweater: Gazzal Super Kid Mohair

For a light lace shawl: Alize Kid Royal 50

For quick, chunky fuzz: YarnArt Mohair Trendy

What can I use instead of DROPS Kid-Silk?

How to knit mohair with a second yarn

How much mohair do I need for a sweater or shawl?

Free patterns to fall in love with

Which needles and hook for mohair?

Tips for knitting with mohair

Can you crochet with mohair?

How to care for mohair

Frequently asked questions

Is angora the same as mohair?

Is mohair good for beginners?

Does mohair shed?

Is mohair warm?

Mohair or alpaca: what's the difference?

Can I wear mohair in summer?

What's the difference between DROPS Kid-Silk and DROPS Brushed Alpaca Silk?

Why is mohair so expensive?

Is mohair good for baby clothes?

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