Just Another Mohair Monday

I’ve finished my Ostrich Plumes Scarf, and it’s lovely! The yarn is Kidsilk Lace from Hedgehog Fibres — it seems to be more or less exactly the same yarn base as Rowan Kidsilk Haze (70% mohair, 30% silk), but Beata is a wonderful independent dyer and I couldn’t be happier with this “Dove” colorway. You can (hopefully) see its subtleties in this close-up shot:

It’s an ever-so-slightly mottled blue-gray. You may also be able to tell from this picture that I blocked the sides straight — using blocking wires — instead of trying to pin them into their natural curves. I did this mostly because it was easier, but also because I liked the look of the straight sides better.

I knit this several repeats longer than the pattern suggested, and I still think it could have been a little longer, but I was getting impatient. It’s lovely, though, and perfect for spring!

I have also been spinning with mohair, which is proving to be quite challenging:

This is yet another of my finds from the Southern California Handweaver’s Guild’s autumn fiber festival. It’s a 50% mohair / 30% merino / 20% angora blend from Cheltenham Cottage in Riverside, CA. I’m not sure whether it’s the mohair or the angora that’s being annoying, but one of the fibers is very clumpy, resulting in a yarn that is going to be pretty darn “rustic” in texture. I pick out the clumps where I can, but it’s not worth it to go after every one and try to produce a perfectly even yarn. And isn’t part of the charm of handspun yarns their thick-and-thin “homemade” look? Right. We’ll see.

I’ve also been making progress on my Leaving Cardigan. I’ve finished the back:

and I’m about 3/4 of the way through one of the fronts. Sweaters in fingering-weight yarn sure do take a lot of time!

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