Today I have decided that we all need a mohair mission !

Myself, I am a big mohair fan : mainly because mohair is incredibly soft, very comfortable,warm, and light as a cloud.

Scheepjes have just released a brand new yarn :  Mohair Rhythm yarn. It is available in 20 lovely shades, eachnamed after a dance, absolutely original !

I was truly lucky to have received some sample balls, and I just needed to start making some nice little projects, IMMEDIATELY !

But, I discovered lots of people seem to have a huge resistance to using mohair. It seems to me that they are a little afraid of this amazing yarn 🙂  And when I ask people why, I get answers like : it makes you sweat, it itches, it’s hairy, you can’t frog it when you make a mistake, it’s expensive, ….

To be honest, I personally do not share these opinions.

Therefore, I have decided to start a mohair-mission. I think it is of major importance that people learn what an amazing yarn mohair truly is, so the mohair-fear can disappear, and it will be used much more often to make nice projects and designs !

I would love to see  people appreciating, and being enthusiastic about mohair.

So I will start with giving you some info concerning the contra-arguments people have been telling me :

• mohair is sweaty : that is possible, yes. But not all mohair yarns are sweaty. I know a lot of mohair yarns that mainly consist of synthetic materials, and just a tiny percentage of REAL mohair. The higher the percentage of synthetic materials in a yarn, the more chance it will be sweaty, because it breathes less. So now for the good part  : Scheepjes Mohair Rhythm has 70 % true mohair in it. This actually means : no sweating, no itching, because the yarn is very natural and pure.
• mohair is itchy : Again, the same news : yes, some mohair yarns are itchy : mainly when they have a high percentage of synthetic fibres in it. Scheepjes mohair is VERY pure , so there is no itching, no irritation, no other nasty annoying things. It is actually very soft, tender and fluffy.
• mohair sheds : After you wash your handmade item for the first time, a good mohair yarn will no longer shed. (I am sharing a bit of a little secret here : of course I have tested this with the Scheepjes mohair. I crocheted a cardigan very quickly and franticly, washed it, and have been wearing it for days now, and it has NOT shed at all).
• it is impossible to frog mohair : this is a hard one, I admit. Of course, I can only say it is best NOT to make too many mistakes 🙂  But sometimes it goes wrong. The good news is : yes, you can frog Scheepjes mohair. It is not always very simple or easy, but with a few little handy tricks and some patience, it can be done. I promise to make a video very soon , on how to frog mohair ! (yep, indeed, I am committing myself to make my very first crochet video ever 🙂 )
• mohair is expensive : what can I say ? What is expensive for one person, is not expensive for someone else. So this is a hard question. A lovely ball of Scheepjes Mohair costs € 5,50. You will get a royal ball of 200 m of yarn. That is A LOT of yarn in 1 ball. You actually buy a ball of pure quality, pure pureness, a ball of happiness and pleasure. Those things are priceless no ? So for me, these little generous balls of fluffiness are not expensive at all !

I will as well share some more mohair advantages with you  :

• Scheepjes Mohair is light, actually light as a feather, or a cloud ! That is one big advantage, if you like making larger projects (like I do) : sweaters, cardigans, large shawls. No more heavy garments, but really light cardigans or sweaters.
• It is soft and warm : it will keep you comfortable and warm, mainly because it has such a high percentage of true wool in it. Wool regulates the human body temperature. This means actually it adapts itself to the person wearing it : if you need some extra warmth, it will provide you that little extra. If you are a ‘warm person’, it will allow you to keep your own warmth and provide you comfort. Wool has such amazing advantages and powers, that even the medical world will not deny it : people suffering from muscle problems, arthritis, … often get the advise from doctors to wear woollen clothes. Because it is so good for all of us.
• Wool does not require frequent washing : wool itself is self-cleaing, which means you do not have to wash it very often. As mohair is wool, so that makes laundry easy 🙂  Maybe you noticed yourself already, that your woolen cardigans and scarfs do not need frequent washing, like other garments. This is truly nature at its best.
• The colours : Let’s admit it, let’s be honest. Mohair always had a kind of ‘old-fashioned’ image. It was available in those basic colours, like beige, grey, or sometimes the very dark colours. But if you like the fancy vivid and rich colours, like I do, it was almost impossible to use mohair. Now, fantastic news : Scheepjes Mohair Rhythm is available in 20 rich, vivid and bright colours, and also has some pastels and neutral tones as well. Simply said : there is colour of a Mohair Rhythm for all of us.
• the easy-start label : all Mohair Rhythm balls have this wonderful amazing label. No more fussy situations : no more frustration when crocheting (and having to almost ‘throw’ your ball in the air not to loose too much time and having to get some extra yarn to use). No, just easy-going and relaxing crocheting straight from the center of the ball.
• The strength of mohair : although mohair has a tender and fragile appearance, it is STRONG ! And it holds its shape very well.
• Mohair is a wonderful yarn to combine : it is so multi-functional : use it ‘single threaded’ to make delicate designs, or take 2, 3 or even more strands together for a more fluffy and warm effect. Why not combine it with other yarns, to achieve special fashionable effects ? Play with your crochet hook size as well : use a rather small hook size for a dense look, or if you prefer a more openworked effect, go up several hook sizes.

You see, mohair is absolutely worth trying it 🙂

Hopefully I already convinced you with my mission-text.

And let’s not forget I designed some lovely brooches : a small, easy and original little project, that makes a great Christmas gift, or a special treat for yourself.

With only 1 ball of Scheepjes Mohair Rhythm you can make one of these brooches. So no excuse not to try it, isn’t it ? Probably you will become a huge mohair-fan, just like me, once your brooch is ready !

I have made 2 brooches : 1 vintage inspired brooch (the one I already showed you last week), and one ‘Amour-brooch’, in shades of pink and orange. (yep, I have decided to call it ‘Amour-brooch’, since my dear husband and I are celebrating our wedding anniversary soon, and I will wear this brooch, together with a lovely dress, I bought especially for  this occasion).

I am writing down the FREE pattern as we speak, and I will post it next week.

And… there is more to come soon :

• some helpful examples of mohair samples crocheted with small and larger hook sizes.
• an informative video on how to easily frog mohair
• some interesting examples of mohair yarns combined with other yarns
• information on how you can use mohair to make lovely garments
• …..

If you already want to be prepared for next week’s free pattern, I am happy to tell you what you will need :

• 1 ball Scheepjes Mohair Rhythm (if you want to make a multi-coloured brooch, you will of course need different colours)
• a crochet hook 5 mm (yes, the yarn label says 2,5 mm, but for this project we will be using a 5mm hook size)
• a tapestry needle to weave in all ends
• a pair of scissors
• some small seed beads
• a brooch pin
• optional : a small round or square piece of felt

You can buy this amazing yarn at Deramores, they ship worldwide with excellent service. You can take a look at all the available shades here : Scheepjes Mohair Rhythm