Whit's Knits: Mohair Lace Scarf

I love mohair. I love its natural luster, fuzzy texture and richly absorbed color. Mohair has a warm sense of humor and an easy elegance, like a great date!

Until Wagtail Yarns arrived at Purl I had never seen, let alone knit with, one hundred percent mohair. As far as I knew mohair was always combined with merino or silk or nylon. I had assumed the fiber was too fragile to stand alone. Wrong!

Wagtail's 4 Ply Kid Mohair is not only pure mohair, it is as strong as wool and more beautiful than any adulterated mohair I have ever seen. And no wonder, it was truly made with love by Wagtail's three person operation in Queensland, Australia. Since 1979 they have been perfecting the art of creating luxury mohair yarn. With over a thousand selectively bred Angora Goats, they shear, spin and dye the yarn all themselves. (FYI: Angora Goats make mohair and Angora Rabbits make angora. Confusing!)

With such special yarn, I was a little intimidated to begin my scarf. I tried lots of different stitch patterns before realizing that a very simple lace pattern would best allow the yarn to speak for itself. I love that in mohair there's nothing fussy about lace. Instead, the stitch pattern evokes nature's own creations: undulating fields of autumn grasses, ripples on the surface of a rocky creek, combs of golden honey...

This scarf was a joy to knit and will be just as gratifying to wear. To learn how to make one for yourself or someone on your holiday list, please visit my Mohair Lace Scarf Project Journal. Thanks! - Whitney

Comments

[Kellie]

Beautiful!

[CitricSugar]

With all the wonderful thing you design, I find it hard to believe you'd be intimidated by a yarn! :-)

I'll be adding the scarf to my project list!

[Leila]

This is just beautiful. The color, the texture, the stitch -- oh my!

Would this be itchy, I wonder?

Must learn to knit!

[elsa]

the scarf is lovely! and that it's orange is even better!!

[Alexandra]

Oh Wow! That is beautiful. The color is amazing. Very nice work.

[Barbara]

Beautiful.......my only concern with mohair ....itchy! How is this particular yarn? I guess that is why I have always wanted a blend with silk or merino ....but maybe this yarn is not an itchy one! Please advise...thanks!

[rosine]

Oh I like it, I would love it in grey, or dark eggplant...

[sandy]

Seeing someone else ask about itchiness...that was the first thing that popped into my head from years ago when we all wore those long mohair sweaters that got so misshaped over our backsides. lol That was the style though.

Love the color
sandy

[Jenni]

Oh, beautiful color, lovely scarf. And it just so happens to look a lot like the scar Mary Poppins wears in her entrance in the movie!

[susan]

The scarf is beautiful! Is anyone else having a problem with the directions? I am sure it must be me as I haven't worked with anything this fine in a long time. I think I have followed the photos and directions correctly but I keep having to take it out as it doesn't match up with the next row. In case it isn't me, where would I find the corrections to the pattern?

I just LOVE this scarf and am anxious to finish it.

[purl bee]

Hi Susan,
We haven't heard about any problems so far. But we want to help you figure out the problem whether its ours or yours.
Can you tell us which row you're having a problem with? How many stitches do you have on your needle after this row? Can you explain more about what you mean by it not matching up with the next row?

[susan]

Thank you so much for your speedy reply. I am having problems with Row 4. After I purl 3 (one stitch purls into a yarn over from Row3) then purl 2 together twice, it is at this point that I should be able to (P1 and K1) INTO the yarn overs from Row 3 but the yo's aren't there at this point in the row. I am able to do this in Row 2 but not in Row 4. Does this make any sense? What am I doing wrong? Help :)

[Purl Bee]

Hi again Susan -

It sounds like you know how Row 4 is supposed to proceed, so I wonder if you're completing Row 3 correctly. The only explanation I can think of is that you're not doing the final "yo twice" before the last 6 stitches of Row 3. Is this possible?

Please let us know if this doesn't help, and we'll try again!

[susan]

OK....I started over again and made sure I had completed Row 3 correctly, i.e. doing the final "yo twice" before the final last 6 stitches. In Row 4, after I p3, p2 together twice, I still have an extra stitch from Row 3 between the final p2 together and (p1 and k1) into the yarn overs. Arghhh!! I don’t know what I am doing wrong.

[Purl Bee]

Hi Susan,

Hmm... I'm a little stumped!

Let me break down the stitches a little: at the beginning of Row 4 you should be looking at 2 purls, followed by a yarn over, then 4 purls, and then a double yarn over. You should purl the 2 purls and the yarn over (P3), p2tog twice into the 4 purls, and then you're all set to (p1,k1) into the double yarn over. Does this clarify anything?

My only other thought is that when you make the double yarn over, you're finishing it by making a knit stitch. To make the "Yo twice" you bring the yarn forward,wrap it around the needle and bring it forward again. That's it; the yarn overs don't include a knit stitch.

Well, let us know if either of these thoughts help! I wish you were in my living room - I'm sure we'd figure it out in 5 seconds!

Good luck,
Whitney