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Since 1838 when Colonel John Henderson first introduced the
Angora goat to South Africa, mohair growing has taken root and developed in this country.
The flocks of these "smiling" goats have become a regular feature of the
countryside, especially in the arid Karoo areas and SE Free State. The expertise of our
farmers has improved the breed and especially the quality of the hair, so that it now far
surpasses the original, still to be found in regions that form modern Turkey. |
| Today mohair is grown in several countries, mainly arid areas
like The Western USA (Texas, Arizona, New Mexico), Lesotho and small quantities in
Australia. Surprising some mohair is now grown in Great Britain and also New
Zealand, although these latter tend to be enthusiasts, with over 60% of the world supply
coming from South Africa. |
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Whilst many factors influence the fineness or quality of the
mohair, including climatic conditions, and breeding, the biggest single factor is age, and
in simplistic terms - the younger the goat the finer the hair. Fineness equates to
softness; and this why BabyMo uses Kid or Baby Mohair. Kid mohair is classified as
the hair shorn at 6 months old, and at 12 months old. The yarns spun especially for
Momento's and their BabyMo use these categories. |
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| Mohair is a fibre that combines the warmth of wool, which it
is very similar in composition, with the ability to take vivid colour like a synthetic.
The smooth surface of the fibre gives high reflectance, which in turn gives clarity
of colour. Prior to the availability of synthetics Adult Mohair was prized for
upholstery fabrics, and still is used where quality is more important than price.
Kid Mohair has always been used for fashion garments and has a high if volatile price. |
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| Whilst Momento's handspin the yarn for their tapestries the
complexity of the loop yarns used in BabyMo and Shangora need industrial production.
Our yarns are spun in South Africa using South African mohair. The hair from
the farmer is first scoured (washed), then combed into top, before being spun.
Although all the surface is kid mohair, the yarns also have technical elements, sometimes
having a wool core, and often a nylon binder thread. This inclusion of non-mohair
should not be mistaken for blended products, where normally an adult mohair is blended
with acrylic fibre for purposes of cheapening the product. |
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| Mohair South Africa
is the information body for the S. African mohair industry and they have an excellent
website at www.mohair.co.za |
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