Yarn Profile: Cleckheaton Mohair 12 Ply

First Impressions
Note: As of September 2003 this yarn is no longer available.

To be honest, I'd never even heard of this yarn until I started researching mohairs for Knitter's Review. And if I hadn't known better, I would've guessed that this yarn had a bit of angora in it -- that's how soft, fluffy, and non-abrasive it is. But when I put it through the stress test, it showed no signs of deterioration.

The colors are quite limited (just over 10) but cover the basic spectrum -- gentle blues, grey, lilac, cream, a berry-like red, white, plus a few space-dyed blends like the one used for this review.

Knitting Up
Of all the brushed mohairs I've tried so far, this one had the least brassy texture and shine to it. Instead, the swatch was quite soft and fuzzy with a matte sheen.

On a positive note, the fuzz didn't get all over my clothes and make me sneeze. On a slightly negative note, I definitely had to keep an eye on what I was doing because the fuzz kept getting caught up in previous stitches and my knitting looked inconsistent.

Blocking / Washing
During washing, the swatch expanded to about twice its size and took on the shape of an old dishrag. Horrors! But that's what it's supposed to do. After rinsing and blocking, the swatches bounced back to their original size and blocked flat quite effortlessly. There was no bleeding or discernible fading.

Wearing
Because of its softer texture and low nylon content, I was worried that the Mohair 12 Ply wouldn't survive my stress test. The instructions said no rubbing or wringing -- so I rubbed and wrung. I even tossed my swatches in the dryer with a pair of jeans on the fluff cycle for 30 minutes, to no avail.

The swatches came out completely unharmed. I did notice that they'd become slightly softer, which to me is a good thing. No pilling, fading, shrinking, or stretching.

Conclusion
Expect to see more of this yarn. Barbara Venishnick used it for her reversible jacket in the Fall 2000 issue of Vogue Knitting. Its 92% mohair, 4% wool, and 4% nylon blend makes it unique in the brushed mohair market.

Its sumptuous texture and matte sheen will appeal to knitters who may have stayed away from mohair in the past. And at $6.99 for a 110-yard skein, the price is right.

Previous reader feedback
"I was told but my LYS that Cleckheaton will be reducing the mohair content in this yarn after this season. Buy it now if you want more." 3/1/2002