First, the facts:
Yarn: Aloft Mohair
Company Knit Picks
Type: Mohair and silk lace yarn
Aloft Mohair
Fiber 75% mohair; 25% silk
Yardage: 246 yards/25 grams
Weight: Lace Weight
Care: Hand wash; dry flat.
The In-Depth Look:
There is a certain lace yarn that’s been around for years that is known as “knitter’s crack,” because it is so soft, so luscious, so addictive in its perfection. You probably know the one I mean, a blend of kid mohair and silk, with a haze around it from the fuzz of the mohair.
Well, when I saw Knit Picks’ new “Aloft” yarn … for a moment, I thought I was seeing that other yarn. It’s just that gorgeous.
The yarn is described by Knit Picks’ director Alison Backus by saying, “We fell head-over-heels in love with this luscious blend of mohair and silk the moment we saw the first sample. Everyone was in my office petting it. The soft halo lends elegance to the yarn, and the rich colors are just delicious.”
I tried handing my sample around at a friend’s knitting/spinning group last weekend, and that was exactly what happened–everyone was petting it, and I considered myself lucky that I got it back before I left.
This is beautiful stuff. Soft, with a firm silk core surrounded by soft, pettable mohair. And the colors? Really rich and drool-worthy.
When I knitted a sample … well. I’ve knit in that other addictive yarn before, and I couldn’t tell a difference. It’s just beautiful.
The only real difference between the Knit Picks yarn and that “other” yarn? The price. Knit Picks’ Aloft sells for $6.99 compared to almost $15 for the other brand that has almost the same percentage of mohair/silk, and slightly less yardage, even if its mohair is kid mohair.
I did wonder that the yarn label says this is 75% “wool” and 25% silk, since mohair is quite a different thing than wool. Certainly, mohair can be considered a subset of “wool,” but I have friends who are allergic to mohair and wouldn’t be able to touch this. The website says it’s mohair, but I find it odd that the actual yarn wrapper does not. (A quibble, I know.) (EDITED: Ah, my sample was mislabeled. 75% super kid mohair and 25% silk.)
This skein was kindly donated by Knit Picks. Thank you!
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Thanks so much for the wonderful review of Aloft! After we sent the sample to you, we realized that we had accidentally sent you the samples that were mislabeled. Aloft is 75% super kid mohair and 25% silk. Sorry about the mix-up!
-Alisha
Very interesting review! How does the color selection strike you? Is it also comparable to that other brand?
Judging by the website, the Aloft color selection is great. They look like they have that deep, saturated color as the other stuff, with a nice variety.